HE 158 - Health, Safety and Nutrition

3 Credits

Outline Effective Date 2024 Fall
26 (2024-2025)

Lecture Hours: 45
Course Description:
This course examines the health, safety, and nutrition needs of young children. It includes practical applications for supporting these needs in an early childhood environment.

Rationale:
This is a required course for Early Childhood Education Certificate students. All early childhood educators must be aware of the health, safety, and nutritional aspects of child to provide for the physical needs of children in their care. Students plan and implement health, safety and nutrition experiences with children and learn how to develop this curriculum for programs in early learning settings.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None

Course Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to

identify and discuss the determinants of health for young children.
apply principles of a health and wellness promotion philosophy to their own lives as well as their work with children and families.
describe the health conditions of young children in terms of childhood diseases and illness, illness prevention and illness management.
discuss occupational health and safety issues for early childhood educators with a focus on prevention and management.
identify indoor and outdoor safety practices in early learning settings.
plan and implement health, safety, and nutrition experiences for children.
investigate the relationship between nutrition to the growth and development of the healthy child, and their own personal health.
apply the principles of meal planning and budgeting.
explain the importance of sanitary handling and storage of foods.
promote family awareness of health, safety, and nutrition education.

Required Resource Materials:

Pimento, B., & Kernested, D. (2024). Healthy foundations in early childhood settings (7th ed.). Nelson. ISBN: 9781778415388

Optional Resource Materials:
None

Conduct of Course:
This course consists of a combination of lectures, guest presenters, discussions, videos, and experiences to develop background knowledge in health, safety and nutrition. The assignments are practical applications focusing on teaching health, safety and nutrition concepts to young children as well as menu planning and budgeting Reviews based on the textbook supports students’ understanding and application of knowledge about health, safety, and nutrition with young children. This course requires students to implement planned experiences with young children.

Regular attendance is essential for success in any course. Absence for any reason does not relieve a student of the responsibility of completing course work and assignments to the satisfaction of the instructor. More than four (4) absences per course, per semester, may result in probation. Further absences may result in the suspension of a student from a course(s).

Students in the online delivery of this course demonstrate attendance by reviewing the content of the course, participating in discussions, and following the timeline for assignments outlined by the instructor.

In case of repeated absences due to illness, the student may be requested to submit a medical certificate.

Instructors have the authority to require attendance at classes.

Content of Course:

Overview of health, safety and nutrition needs of young children
Health and well-being
Nutrition for young children
Safety in early learning settings
Health, safety, and nutrition curriculum

Course Assessments:

Reviews	40%
Menu Planning Assignment	35%
Health & Safety Assignment	25%
Total	100%

Course Pass Requirements:
A minimum grade of D (50%) (1.00) is required to pass this course. Students must maintain a cumulative grade of C (GPA - Grade Point Average of 2.00) in order to qualify to graduate.