Teachers Guides
This resource provides a range of innovative educational activities, which are outcome based and linked to the current NSW Curriculum. Most of the activities relate to the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) area, however many activities have cross curricula links. Whilst the activities can be taught in isolation, we strongly encourage teachers to use them as part of a Health Promoting Schools approach to nutrition education in their school.
How to use this resource
Empowerment learning process
Background Notes 
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Stages
The purpose of this resource is to support teachers and schools by enabling students to:
- Maintain or increase knowledge and positive attitudes towards fruit and vegetables
- Understand the value of fruit and vegetables in the diet
- Demonstrate interest and positive attitudes towards fruit and vegetable preparation
- Demonstrate appropriate outcomes from the NSW curriculum.
How to Use This Resource
The manual contains:
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This resource provides three core-learning activities and a range of cross curricula activities related to nutrition and fruit and vegetables in particular. All learning activities (except the Kindergarten section) are based on the Empowerment Learning Process, which is in accordance with the guidelines set out in the National Nutrition Education in Schools Project (1996). Teachers are encouraged to teach the core learning activities first and supplement this activity from the range of cross curricula activities provided.
In addition, each core learning activity has a Home Activity for students to complete with their parents or a carer at home. The aim of this activity is to promote parent discussion and involvement in their child’s nutrition education in the home environment.
The Kindergarten learning activities are set out to suit a literature and play-based approach. Teachers can choose which activities are best suited to the needs of their classroom.
Empowerment Learning Process
Each core activity in the Tooty Fruity Vegie Teacher’s Guide addresses only a number of areas in the Empowerment Learning Process. Each of the stages (Early Stage 1, Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3) addresses different areas depending on the ability of the students. The Tooty Fruity Vegie Project, as a whole-school collaborative approach, aims to address all areas in the Empowerment Process Cycle. It is important that teachers combine the learning activities with the range of strategies being offered with the project.
The process incorporates the following eight progressive steps:
Collecting information - for example, the student collects information about his/her own diet, in particular, vegetables consumption, and the factors that influence his/her food choices.
Analysing this information - for example, the student analyses whether he/she is eating sufficient vegetables in accordance with the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating or other nutrition tools.
Evaluating the information - for example, the student researches the consequences of his/her own vegetable intake.
Setting achievable goals - for example, to eat at least one serving of green leafy vegetables daily for four days.
Identifying barriers and enablers - for example, the student does not like the taste of broccoli, which is the only green leafy vegetable bought in the weekly shopping (barrier) and the student is confident his/her parents would be willing to buy something different if he/she made a specific request (enabler).
Planning - including planning to overcome the barriers (for example, the student tries different ways of preparing and presenting broccoli, and/or discovers what other green leafy vegetables are available that appeal to his/her individual tastes) and planning enabling strategies.
Taking action - for example, the student eats a serving of green leafy vegetables daily for four out of seven days a week and records the action.
Reflecting on progress and success or otherwise - for example, How difficult or easy was it to achieve the goal? Were there other barriers to success that had not been considered? How would the student change his/her goal and plan for action to sustain improved diet?
Activities undertaken throughout the process should develop food-selection, preparation and advocacy skills. Rigorous research has proven that an empowerment approach to food and nutrition using the process outlined above can help students to change their behaviours (Reynolds, Holzheimer & Gooley 1995, Reynolds 1997). However, it is important that students understand the process so that they can re-apply it in other situations without teacher guidance. (Ref: The Wonderful World of Vegies,2000)
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