"The Amazing Food Detective"

Make super-sleuths of your students, whatever their age, with a variety of engaging activities designed to help you all explore simply strategies for achieving total health!

From quick worksheets to exercises that can be expanded over multiple days, you'll find just the right fit for you and your curious Junior Detectives.

Download the "Amazing Food Detective" Study Guide

For Spanish language activity worksheets:

AFD Spanish Activity Worksheets

For healthy lunch suggestions, download these helpful guides in both English and Spanish:

Brown Bag Lunch Ideas - Spanish

Brown Bag Lunch Ideas - English

Below you'll find helpful resources (websites and community organizations, and bibliographies for both students and parents) to help you, your students, and their families get further information and additional support making healthy choices.

WEBSITES

The USDA My Plate website provides a wealth of nutrition information and resources for parents, educators, and children.  You can find shopping and menu planning tips for a variety of diets and budgets, nutrition related games for children, nutrition curriculum for teachers, and the latest nutrition research. Visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov/.

Let's Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. This initiative’s website gives parents and educators helpful information and fosters environments that support healthy choices. Visit http://www.letsmove.gov/.

Kaiser Permanente Live Healthy website has a collection of nutrition, fitness, and other wellness tools, tips, and information.  Visit www.kp.org/thrive.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

For information about food and nutrition assistance programs like SNAP (food stamps) & WIC in Oregon contact Oregon SafeNet at 1-800-723-3638 or visit http://www.211info.org/human-services/partner-highlights/oregon-safenet.  In Washington contact Foodhelp 1-877-501-2233 or visit http://foodhelp.wa.gov/index.htm.

Child Nutrition Programs in both Oregon and Washington serve as a hub for schools and educators to provide nutritious snacks and meals as well as nutrition information to support healthy learners.  Parents and teachers can find out how to enroll students in the School Lunch and Breakfast programs, start a farm-to-school project, or access more nutrition resources.

In Oregon, visit http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=62.

In Washington, visit http://www.k12.wa.us/childnutrition/.

Find a state park near you to get out and hike, play, or camp – visit Oregon Parks & Recreation Department http://www.oregonstateparks.org/search_urban.php?area=portland.  You can also find regional Parks & Recreation facilities that feature indoor and outdoor spaces for playing, swimming, and recreation classes throughout our region.                 Multnomah County: http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/ Washington County: http://www.thprd.org/ Clark County: http://www.cityofvancouver.us/parks-recreation/index.asp Cowlitz County: http://www.mylongview.com/parks_rec/

The Intertwine website is the name of the amazing network of parks, trails and natural areas in the Portland-Vancouver area.  Visit http://theintertwine.org/ to find a place near you to be active and enjoy the outdoors.

Oregon has 63 School-Based Health Centers (SBHC) that offer a unique health care model in which comprehensive preventive health services are provided to youth and adolescents in a school setting.  To learn more about SBHC services visit http://www.osbhcn.org/center/locations and to find the SBHC nearest you, visit http://www.osbhcn.org/centers/locations/list

BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR STUDENTS

Exercise and Physical Activity

TITLE                    Run and hike, play and bike : what is physical activity? / by Brian P. Cleary ; illustrations by Martin Goneau ; consultant Jennifer K. Nelson.
PUB INFO            Minneapolis, MN : Millbrook Press, c2011.
CALL #                  j 612.76 C6234r 2011 Beginning Facts.

Brian Cleary's zany rhymes introduce readers to physical activity: what makes something count as physical activity, how much of it is needed, and the health benefits that it gives.

TITLE                    Everybody, move your feet! / adapted by Jodi Huelin.
PUB INFO            New York : Collins, c2010.
CALL #                  j 613.7042 H8875e 2010 Beginning Facts.

What would happen if you did nothing but watch TV all day? Read and find out all about exercise with Sid the Science Kid!

TITLE                    The great shape-up / by Eleanor May ; illustrated by Barry Gott.
PUB INFO            New York : Kane Press, 2007.
CALL #                  jE Reader MAY 2007.

After Jay's broken ankle heals, he still has to lose all the weight he gained while he was laid up, and after trying several fad diets, his sister Amelia finds out how to help him get back in shape.

TITLE                    Miss Fox's class shapes up / Eileen Spinelli ; illustrated by Anne Kennedy.
PUB INFO            Chicago, Ill. : Albert Whitman & Co., 2011.
CALL #                  jE SPINELLI 2011.

When Miss Fox realizes that her students do not have healthy habits, she teaches them that healthful living is fun and rewarding, which they find to be true on Field Day.

Health and Nutrition

TITLE                    Healthy eating / Deborah Chancellor.
PUB INFO            New York, NY : Crabtree Pub., c2010.
CALL #                  j 613.2 C4547h 2010 Beginning Facts.

This book covers the different food groups and why it is important to eat some of each.

TITLE                    Sid the science kid : Why can't I have cake for dinner?  /adapted by Jodi Huelin.
PUB INFO            New York : Collins, 2010.
CALL #                  j 613.2 H8875s 2010 Beginning Facts.

Sid wants to eat cake for his birthday dinner, but his parents explain to him that cakes, cookies, and other sugary foods should only be eaten occasionally, and that a balanced, nutritious diet is necessary for growing bodies.

TITLE                    I eat a rainbow / Bobbie Kalman.
PUB INFO            New York : Crabtree Pub. Co., c2010.
CALL #                  j 613.2 K147i 2010 Beginning Facts.

By introducing young readers to the colors of foods, the children also learn about healthy eating. Eating fruits and vegetables in as many colors of the rainbow as possible every day, helps us get all the important vitamins and nutrients we need to stay healthy.

Total Health

TITLE                    My healthy body / Bobbie Kalman.
PUB INFO            New York : Crabtree Pub., c2010.
CALL #                  j 613.0432 K147m 2010 Beginning Facts.

Images of children getting exercise and eating healthful foods help show young readers the things that their bodies need to stay healthy.

TITLE                    The monster health book : a guide to eating healthy, being active & feeling great for monsters & kids! / Edward Miller.
PUB INFO             New York : Holiday House, c2006.
CALL #                  j 613.2 M647m 2006.

Fun facts about different foods are included throughout to keep the reading upbeat and clear distinctions are made between healthy and not-so-healthy meal choices. Readers will learn about nutrients, how to read foods labels and what it means to count calories.

TITLE                    Oh, the things you can do that are good for you! / by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Aristides Ruiz.

PUB INFO                 New York : Random House, 2001.
CALL #                   j 613 R114o 2001 Beginning Facts.

With the help of the staff and equipment at a Seussian spa, the Cat in the Hat explains the basics of healthy living, from eating right and getting enough exercise and sleep, to having a positive body image, to the distance and speed of a typical sneeze!

Screen Time

TITLE                    Penny Lee and her TV / Glenn McCoy.
PUB INFO                 New York : Hyperion Books For Children, c2002.
CALL #                   jE MCCOY.

Penny Lee loves to watch television so much that she has no time for anything else, but one day when the television stops working, her dog Mr. Barkley shows her some of the other fun things they can do.

TITLE                    Better than TV / Sara Swan Miller ; illustrated by Michael Chesworth.
PUB INFO            New York : Bantam Doubleday Dell, c1998.
CALL #                  jE READER MILLER.

When a power failure deprives them of television on a rainy day, two children and their dog entertain themselves and their family by creating and acting out their own television show.

TITLE                    Turn off the TV / by Rachel Vail ; illustrations by Steve Bjorkman.
PUB INFO             New York : Scholastic, 2003.
CALL #                  jE Reader VAIL.

On a stormy Saturday, T and Mama Rex stare at the television until the electricity goes off and they must find something else to do.

Human Body

TITLE                    My body / Mike Goldsmith.
PUB INFO            New York, NY : Crabtree Pub., c2010.
CALL #                  j 612 G624m 2010 Beginning Facts.

What does the brain do? What happens to the food we eat? This new title inspires children to think about their own body and how it works.

Students Taking Action

TITLE                    The garden project / written by Margaret McNamara ; illustrated by Mike Gordon.
PUB INFO            New York : Aladdin, 2010.
CALL #                  jE Reader MCNAMARA 2010.

The students of Robin Hill School plant, tend, and harvest a garden together.

TITLE                    Our community garden / written and illustrated by Barbara Pollak.
PUB INFO            Hillsboro, Or. : Beyond Words Pub. ; [Berkeley, Calif.] :
Distributed to the book trade by Publishers Group West, 2004.
CALL #                   jE POLLAK.

A diverse group of people in San Francisco shares the work and fun of a community garden.

En Español

TITLE                    Me como un arco iris / Bobbie Kalman.
PUB INFO            New York : Crabtree Pub., c2011.
CALL #                  SPANISH j 613.2 KALMAN 2011.

By introducing young readers to the colors of foods also teaches about healthy eating, as eating fruits and vegetables in as many colors of the rainbow as possible every day helps people get all the important vitamins.

TITLE                    Mi pirámide alimentaria / Rebecca Rissman.
PUB INFO            Chicago : Heinemann Library, c2011.
CALL #                  SPANISH j 613.2 RISSMAN 2011.

Learn about how to make healthy diet choices based on the food pyramid.

TITLE                    Alimenta tu cuerpo = Fuel the body / por/by Amanda Doering
Tourville ; illustrado por/illustrated by Ronnie Rooney .
PUB INFO            Mankato, MN : Picture Window Books, c2012.
CALL #                  SPANISH j 612.3 TOURVILLE 2010.

Simple text and bright illustrations describe the food groups and ways to stay healthy and strong--in both English and Spanish

BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR PARENTS

Screen Time

AUTHOR       Dutwin, David.
TITLE                    Unplug your kids : a parent's guide to raising happy, active and well-adjusted children in the digital age / David Dutwin.
PUB INFO                 Avon, Mass. : Adams Media ; Newton Abbot : David & Charles [distributor], c2009.
CALL #                   649.1 D981u 2009.
AUTHOR                   Guernsey, Lisa.

TITLE                    Into the minds of babes : how screen time affects children from birth to age five / Lisa Guernsey.
PUB INFO                 New York : Basic Books, c2007.
CALL #                   302.2345 G933i 2007.
AUTHOR                   Linn, Susan.

TITLE                    The case for make believe : saving play in a commercialized world/ Susan Linn.
PUB INFO                 New York : New Press, 2008.
CALL #                   155.418 L758c 2008.
AUTHOR                   Winn, Marie.

TITLE                    The plug-in drug : television, computers, and family life / Marie Winn.
PUB INFO                 New York : Penguin Books, 2002.
CALL #                   302.2345 W776p 2002.

Exercise and Physical Activity

AUTHOR                   Lapine, Missy Chase.
TITLE                    Sneaky fitness : fun, foolproof ways to slip fitness into your child's everyday life / by Missy Chase Lapine and Larysa Didio.
PUB INFO                 Philadelphia, PA : Running Press, c2009.
CALL #                   613.7042 L313s 2009.

AUTHOR                  Saunders, Len.
TITLE                    Keeping kids fit : a family plan for raising active, healthy children / Len Saunders.
PUB INFO                 Brooklyn, N.Y. : LaChance ; Lancaster : Gazelle [distributor], c2010.
CALL #                   613.7042 S2576k 2010.

AUTHOR                   Virgilio, Stephen J.
TITLE                    Active start for healthy kids : activities, exercises, and nutritional tips / Stephen J. Virgilio.
PUB INFO                 Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, c2006.
CALL #                   613.7042 V816a 2006.

Health and Nutrition

AUTHOR                   Dolgoff, Joanna.
TITLE                    Red light, green light, eat right : the food solution that lets kids be kids / Joanna Dolgoff.
PUB INFO                 New York, NY : Rodale : Distributed to the trade by Macmillan, c2010.
CALL #                   613.2083 D664r 2010.

AUTHOR                   Jana, Laura A.
TITLE                    Food fights : winning the nutritional challenges of parenthood armed with insight, humor and a bottle of ketchup / Laura A. Jana & Jennifer Shu.
PUB INFO                 Washington, D.C. : American Academy of Pediatrics, 2008.
CALL #                   613.2083 J33f 2008.

AUTHOR                   Saab, Joanne.
TITLE                    Better food for kids : your essential guide to nutrition for all children from age 2 to 10 / Joanne Saab and Daina Kalnins.
PUB INFO                 Toronto : Robert Rose, c2010.
CALL #                   641.5622 S1117b 2010.

AUTHOR                   Zinczenko, David.
TITLE                    Eat this, not that! for kids! : thousands of simple food swaps that can save your child from obesity! / by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding.
PUB INFO                 [Emmaus, Pa.] : Rodale, c2008.
CALL #                   618.9239 Z77e 2008.

En Español

AUTHOR               Ménat, Éric.
TITLE                    Alimento a mi hijo : una alimentación sana y equilibrada de 0 a 12 años / Éric Ménat ; [traducción, Fernando Ruiz Gabás].
PUB INFO             Barcelona, España : Hispano Europea, c2008.
CALL #                   SPANISH 613.20832 MENAT 2008.

TITLE                    La comida y los ejercicios cuentan [videorecording] : creando hijos saludables y activos / produced by Parents Action for Children.
PUB INFO             [Washington, D.C.] : Parents Action for Children, c2006.
CALL #                   DVD SPANISH 613.2083 COMIDA.

ABOUT THE PLAY

What themes are addressed in “The Amazing Food Detective: The Case of the Unsuspecting Suspects”? This play focuses on healthy food choices, the importance of physical activity, and the need for a balanced lifestyle.  With messages about appropriate servings of fruits and vegetables, the benefits of physical activity, limiting screen time, choosing water over sugary beverages, the value of sleep and relaxation, and spending time in creative play, "The Amazing Food Detective: The Case of the Unsuspecting Suspects" identifies simple changes we can all make that will help us achieve TOTAL HEALTH.

How can we explore the themes of “The Amazing Food Detective” in the classroom? Click on the "Study Guide" tab to find a variety of creative activities, from quick to in-depth that will allow you and your students to apply the work of the "Amazing Food Detective" in your own lives.  Before the play, have your students color their own detective badge to wear to the performance! (page 12 of the study guide)   You'll also find reading lists, films, websites, and a list of organizations that can provide additional support.  

PERFORMANCE LOGISTICS

How long is the performance? The running time for “The Amazing Food Detective: The Case of the Unsuspecting Suspects” is approximately 35 minutes. When requesting a performance time for your school please leave at least a 5 minute buffer to allow for the performance introduction and any late seating needs.

Is it okay for the actors to perform on the floor—do they need a stage? We know it’s counter-intuitive, but if at all possible, we prefer to perform on the floor instead of a stage.  Because of the interactive nature of the performance, it's most effective when the actors can be as close to the audience as possible.

What are the technical requirements of the performance? A 20 X 20 foot performance area, cleared for the actors and their equipment, and closed to any student traffic during the time period.  We bring our own sound equipment with us and the actors wear body mics for larger audiences.  If at all possible, please allow for a center aisle in the seating area so our cast can interact easily with the whole audience.  We'll also need access to electrical outlets near the performance area. Noise/Interruptions:  If at all possible, please do silence your PA system announcements scheduled during those 35 minutes to help us keep students engaged and keep the performance running on time.

What kind of staff support do you need from our school? Please have a staff member available at the office who can greet our Stage Manager and show us to the cleared 20x20 performance space and where the nearest electrical outlet is located so we can begin putting up the set.  We welcome any supervisory support you feel is appropriate during the performance, especially in the case of large audiences.  

Can our 4th  and 5th graders attend “The Amazing Food Detective” (in addition to our K-3rd graders)? The content of our productions is written to be grade-level appropriate, so please schedule the assembly for grades K - 3rd grades only.  Thank you for your understanding.  We rotate the grade levels we serve each season,  so check back with us for information about future productions appropriate for ^4th graders.  If you have any questions about this, please do call us.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS If you have any additional questions please don't hesitate to contact us.  Thanks again for supporting educational theatre opportunities for your students.  We look forward to visiting your school!