Students at Silver City Elementary School in Kansas City, Kan., will be strolling through the human body this week, from the brain down to the stomach, as a way to understand the efffect of healthy eating and physical fitness.
More than 300 students, grades K-5, will be experiencing Body Venture throughout the day on Thursday, Aug. 25. Body Venture is a traveling exhibit from Child Nutrition and Wellness with the Kansas State Department of Education.
“Silver City students and staff are very excited to participate in Body Venture,” said Deanne Letourneau, principal at Silver City. “This will be a great opportunity for students to learn about the importance of making healthy food choices and being physically active. The students will have the opportunity to take a tour of the human body featuring engaging, experiential, educational activities.”
USDA Food and Nutrition mascot Power Panther will guide students on their tour. Broken into small groups of eight to 10, the students will “become” a food item, such as a carrot, low-fat milk or piece of chicken as they enter the exhibit area to begin their walk.
They will start by entering a giant ear that leads into the brain. Inside the huge brain dome, students will experience “brain waves” and learn about brain function. The “foods” will then step into the exhibit’s larger-than-life mouth, get “swallowed” through the esophagus tunnel and move into the stomach dome. From the stomach, the students will travel through the small intestine where they will be “absorbed” into the blood. Then they will follow the path of the nutrients to the heart, lungs, bones, muscles and skin stations.
Students will leave the body through a cut in the skin and proceed through Power Panther’s Pathway to Life. This final station will recap key health concepts from each of the 10 previous stations. Throughout the exhibit, students will learn how to apply Power Panther’s slogan, “eat smart, play hard.” At each of Body Venture’s 11 stations, a volunteer presenter will engage the students in a five-minute activity focused on healthy choices.
The objective of the traveling Body Venture exhibit is to address national concerns about the lack of physical activity and the declining nutritional status of young children.
– Story from Tammy Dodderidge, communications manager, Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools