In 2020, with many children learning from home, Oregon State University created a Growing Healthy Kids (GHK) Virtual Toolkit for elementary school teachers in distance or hybrid learning settings and for parents and other caregivers teaching elementary school-age children at home. Now that most students have returned to the classroom, these virtual lessons have been updated to reflect this change. While each lesson still provides the flexibility for independent student learning, teachers can also easily deliver the lessons in their classrooms. Look for supporting materials under the "Teacher Note" section located to the left of the header sections. For each video lesson, look for a discussion guide. These provide recommended times to pause the video and engage in discussion or lead an activity. The goal is to encourage critical thinking and to prevent students from entering "tv mode" while the video is playing.

The option for students to submit a virtual mission log is still available. New this year is a printable pdf version of the mission log. Teachers can choose to have students submit their mission logs virtually, or keep a paper log in class using these forms:

Mission 1 Mission 2 Mission 3 Mission 4 Mission 5 Mission 6 Mission 7

For the most impact when using these virtual lessons, aim to add hands-on growing and taste-testing experiences. If your school does not have access to a garden, try growing plants in containers in your classroom. Plants that work well to grow indoors include radishes and microgreens.

If you are unable to provide students with taste-testing opportunities, encourage students to choose a fruit or vegetable to report back on from their lunch. If your school participates in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, lead a tasting session using the available foods. Remember, all forms count - fresh, frozen, canned and dried. Encourage students to taste using all of their senses using the Food Adventurer Adjective Worksheet.