| Course Number: | EDX 5710 S64 |
| Instructor: | Isabel Gogarty, M.S. |
| Location: | Online |
| Dates and Times: | Jul 2- Aug 13, 2025. Remote Asynchronous (fully online without scheduled meeting times) |
| Credits: | 3 Graduate Credits |
| Tuition: | $1,195 |
Course Description:
This course prepares future and current educators—both undergraduate and graduate—to bring weight-inclusive, developmentally appropriate nutrition education into elementary classrooms. Students will explore foundational nutrition concepts, body-positive teaching practices, and strategies to challenge diet culture and weight stigma in schools.
Course content includes nutrient needs across developmental stages, U.S. dietary guidelines, disordered eating awareness, and the role of physical activity in holistic well-being. Through evidence-based resources—including work by Lizzy Pope, PhD, RD, and authors like Virginia Sole-Smith and Sumner Brooks—students will learn to design inclusive, engaging health curricula that align with national and state education standards.
Participants will gain practical tools for creating supportive classroom environments, collaborating with colleagues, and engaging families in promoting students’ confidence in food, body, and movement.
Audience: Elementary Health Educators with a Bachelor's Degree
Course Goals:
By the end of the course, participants will be empowered to create enriching educational experiences that promote holistic wellness. They will be equipped to cultivate a positive relationship with food and body and support the overall well-being of elementary school communities. Students in the course will also gain a foundational understanding of nutrition principles to inform their teaching and program development.
Course Objectives:
Course Schedule:
Week 1: Foundations of Weight-Inclusive Nutrition
Read & Discuss: Fat Talk – Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture, How to Raise an Intuitive Eater
Reflection: Begin weekly journal tying course material to classroom practice
Week 2: Intuitive Eating in Childhood
Read & Discuss: Can I Have Another Snack?, Maintenance Phase podcast (current youth trends and diet culture)
Reflection: Focus on body confidence and food neutrality in school settings
Week 3: Lesson Planning
Resource Share: Add resources/curriculum and watch videos on National Health Education best practices
Lesson Creation: Draft a 40-minute weight-inclusive elementary lesson plan
Week 4: Critical Analysis of Youth Nutrition Curricula
Read & Evaluate: Complete Food and Nutrition Guide (youth chapters)
Reflection: Use the Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool, in conjunction with traditional resources (e.g., USDA, Health Smart, Great Body Shop). Connect curriculum critiques to classroom application
Week 5: Curriculum Design & Alignment
Lesson Revision: Finalize lesson plan from Week 3 based on analysis and standards
Lesson Addition: Add new lesson components to fill gaps in canned curriculum
Begin building a scope and sequence with 5 total lessons
Week 6: Community & Family Engagement
YRBS Analysis: CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey data to identify nutrition trends. Use findings to shape parent messaging strategies
Planning a Parent Night: Structure and design a school-wide Community Nutrition Night agenda. Develop facilitation techniques for discussions with families and caregivers
Week 7: Workshop & Professional Development
Workshop Design: Staff or family training/workshop to introduce weight-inclusive nutrition practices
Reflection: Final reflection on how your curriculum and workshop promote community-wide change
Brooks, S., & Severson, A. (2022). How to raise an intuitive eater: Raising the next generation with food and body confidence. St. Martin's Essentials.
Duyff, R. L. (2017). Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics complete food and nutrition guide (5th ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Sole-Smith, V. (2023). Fat talk: Parenting in the age of diet culture. Henry Holt and Co.