Health

3,240 Potentially Harmful Chemicals Found in Food Packaging

As food processing and packaging has become increasingly more complex, the question, “What’s in our food?” has become harder to answer. A team of international scientists has compiled a new database of 3,240 potentially harmful chemicals that have been measured in “food contact materials (FCMs),” like packaging and processing equipment, utensils and reusable food containers. Sixty-five percent of these chemicals had not previously been known to be used in FCMs, according to a report released by the Switzerland-based nonprofit Food Packaging Forum.

BAM! Body and Mind

The Center of Disease Control and Prevention from the Department of Health and Human Services provides this Website for learning about health issues. Find out how scientists track diseases such as the West Nile Virus and SARS. Meet doctors whose work is detecting, preventing, and stopping certain diseases. Discover some delicious cool treats for a more healthy diet. Create a fitness and activity calendar from the hundred choices for an active lifestyle. Learn the rules and techniques for playing sports on the activity cards that include all aspects of particular sports. Your Safety is a section that includes practical information for staying safe while engaged in physical activity. Ways of dealing with conflict, stress and pressure are included under Your Life. Use KABAM the comic creator and read about the Immune Platoon. This site offers loads of information and interactive activities on all aspects of keeping healthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Did you know that the CDC was founded in 1946 to help control malaria? Since that time it has expanded its focus to prevent and control infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, workplace hazards, disabilities, and environmental health threats. The CDC site is a gateway to publications, statistics, and news. Featured on the page are Pandemic Flu resources, the Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work Campaign, and breaking news stories. Stay informed by subscribing to free email updates tailored to your specific interests. This is a great starting point for students studying diseases and current health issues.

Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures

Join Dr. Rabbit in learning about children's oral health. Lots of fun activities to do.

GirlsHelth

GirlsHealth was developed by the Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. It is designed to provide girls between the ages of ten and sixteen with reliable information regarding health issues they will face as they become young women. Read stories written for girls by girls from New Moon magazine, vote on a current issue, or browse through a wide array of informative articles. Rounding out the site is an educator’s page that includes links to classroom materials and how to order free promotional posters.

Hand Washing for Kids

Did you know that almost 51% of cold and flu viruses can be killed by proper hand washing at least three times a day. Visit this site for step-by-step instructions for hand washing. This is a great site to use with elementary students.

How to Nurture your chid"s growing brain

This highly illustrated guide will help anyone wiith childrenwith tips on actiivities to engage both parents and children.

KidsHealth

Parents, kids, and teens will discover a wealth of information reviewed by medical and health professionals. In the parent section a variety of topics are presented such as positive parenting, emotions and behavior of kids, and symptoms of over eighty infections. Kids can learn about everyday illnesses and injuries, try experiments that demonstrate amazing things regarding the senses, and view movies about How the Body Works. Teens get straight talk on a range of issues from body art to diseases as well as advice from peers who share personal stories about their experiences with wearing braces, dealing with divorce, or coping with Cerebral Palsy. You won’t want to miss this site when preparing lessons for your classroom.

Learn to be Healthy

Find sample health science activities and lessons for all age levels. These lessons and activities are all aligned to national standards. Games and WebQuests are included to keep students engaged and interested in living a healthy lifestyle. Students and teachers do need to register for a free account, which requires an email address. However, teachers can create additional accounts under their user name. Meet the nutrient super heroes in interactive problem solving situations. Every aspect of health education is included in these lessons to engage students in becoming health conscience.

NIMH Child and Adolescent Mental Health

One of the goals at the National Institute of Mental Health is to educate the public. Mental health issues affecting children are outlined and include many resources for support and treatment. There are materials for children, adolescents, and adults. Current research is presented with results and the opportunity to participate in future studies. Health information, mental health diseases, research and funding, and much more make this a very informative site.

NSF ScrubClub

Meet the Scrub Club in their quest to encourage effective hand washing to avoid infections. For the younger set, this site provides a variety of games and interactive activities to help children learn about the causes and prevention of diseases. Activities include the six steps to keeping clean, meeting villains of disease, five finger alert, and much more.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Children’s Health Protection

Search or browse the EPA database to find lists of documents on potential environmental hazards. These can be downloaded and opened with Adobe® Acrobat Reader. Under the Environmental Education button, teachers will discover grant applications, curriculum materials, training programs, and partnerships. EPA Websites for students are divided by age appropriate grade levels. Environmental Kids Club (Pre-K-4th) contains hands-on projects and games. Student Center (5 -8) emphasizes concept building through a variety of activities. High School Environmental Center (9-12) focuses on issues, community service, competitions, and careers. Finally, school districts may wish to review the free software program, HealthySeat, developed by the EPA to help school districts evaluate and manage their school facilities for key environmental, safety, and health issues.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Access hundreds of food and drug related documents? Read the latest news concerning approvals, recalls, and product safety. Learn about the products the FDA regulates. The FDA is a good starting point for middle and high school research projects. Have younger students jump over to the Kids’ Site where they can engage in a variety of activities such as assuming the role of an FDA inspector or taking a food safety quiz.

Nutrition

Dole SuperKids

Cook up a storm using the Kids Cookbook. Play games and meet the superkid heroes. Included are sections for parents and teachers.

Food Timeline

From ancient times to the modern era, you will find all sorts of links to information about the origins of foods to the history of agriculture..

KidsHealth

Health information geared to kids plus animations on the body systems.

Popcorn Board

Find out about the history of popcorn, why it pops, and recipes.

Ultimate Citrus Page

Follow through text and pictures how orange juice is made from the grove to your glass. There are also orange and grapefruit recipes.

Understanding Food Labels

Read about food labels. Have students create data sheets and graphs of the information. Then compare the findings.

USDA

This Website, developed by the United States Department of Agriculture, helps readers understand how a daily food plan can lead to a healthy diet. Posters, coloring books and worksheets are included for students, along with classroom materials for teachers. Students can play the interactive My Pyramid Blast Off game to determine if their choices for a healthy life style allow them to blast off. There is also a section geared more for adults that includes a calorie counter and sample menus.