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Food Allergy Detectives K-3 rd Grade Students will become more aware of food allergies when they: Complete Basic Training Investigate Hand Washing Break A Secret Code Use the Power of Observation Go Undercover And More .

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Food Allergy Detectives

K-3rd Grade Students will become more aware of food allergies when they:

Complete Basic Training

Investigate Hand Washing Break A Secret Code

Use the Power of Observation

Go Undercover And More ….

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Dear Teachers, Food allergies affect approximately 1 in 13 children, or about 2 children per classroom. With so many students affected, it is crucial for educators to build an awareness of the seriousness of food allergy in all of their students. FAACT is here to help you. The teacher-designed activities in this free guide can be used to introduce your students to common allergens and safety protocols while encouraging empathy for classmates with a food allergy. Along the way, you will likely find ways to modify or improve upon the suggested activities and procedures presented here. We encourage you to share your ideas with us. Your input will guide updates to this resource.

We sincerely hope that you and your students will enjoy learning about food allergies with FAACT!

Inside this Guide: 1. Getting Started 2. Food Allergy “FAACsS” for Teachers 3. “Food Allergy Detectives” Classroom Activities 4. Additional Activity Ideas

Getting Started The theme of this resource, “Food Allergy Detectives,” will help to keep the youngest of students engaged as they become more aware of food allergies. Take some time to look over the suggested classroom activities and choose the ones that you’d like to cover with your students. At minimum, it is recommended that all students experience the “Basic Training” activity. “Basic Training” consists of a straightforward PowerPoint presentation and scripted speaker notes and can be used completely on its own to build food allergy awareness in as little as 15 minutes. Regardless of how many activities you decide to have students complete, be sure to conclude with an Official Swearing in Ceremony. You will find an official Oath and Certificate near the end of this resource.

Food Allergy “FAACTs” for Teachers Food Allergy Basics

Food allergies affect approximately 15 million Americans, including 1 in 13 children under the age of 18. That is 2 students in every classroom. The prevalence of food allergies appears to be increasing among children under the age of 18.

A food allergy is an abnormal immune system response to a food the body mistakenly believes is harmful. When a person with a food allergy eats a certain food (food allergen), his or her immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals that trigger a cascade of symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, the skin, and/or the cardiovascular system.

There is no cure for food allergies. Strict avoidance is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction. Trace amounts of any allergen can trigger a severe reaction called anaphylaxis.

Managing a food allergy on a daily basis takes constant vigilance.

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Common Food Allergens Eight foods account for 90% of all food allergy reactions. The top eight foods are:

peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. However, students can be allergic to a different food or even more than one food.

Signs and Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction Allergic reactions can range from mild to severe and can develop rapidly after exposure to an allergen, usually reaching peak severity within 5 to 30 minutes, but this may be delayed up to 2 hours. Reactions can occur when an allergen is ingested, inhaled, or by skin contact. Signs and Symptoms include:

Mouth: swelling of the lips, tongues, or palate (roof of the mouth)

Eyes/Nose: runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, watery red eyes, itchy eyes, swollen eyes

Skin: hives or other rash, redness/flushing, itching, swelling

Gut: abdominal pain (a sharp, stabbing pain called colic), vomiting, diarrhea, nausea

Throat: hoarseness, tightening of throat, difficulty swallowing, hacking cough, stridor (a loud, high-pitched sound when breathing in)

Lungs: shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, chest pain, tightness

Mental: anxiety, panic, sense of doom

Circulation/Heart: chest pain, low blood pressure, weak pulse, shock, pale blue color, dizziness or fainting, lethargy (lack of energy)

** Symptoms of the throat, lungs, and heart are all immediate and potentially life threatening.

Anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis (an–a–fi–LAK–sis) is a serious allergic reaction that comes on quickly and

has the potential to become life threatening.

Anaphylaxis includes a wide range of signs and symptoms that can occur alone or in combination after exposure to an allergen.

Anaphylaxis requires immediate medical treatment, including an injection of epinephrine and a visit to the emergency room.

Anaphylaxis can be fatal if not treated promptly.

A Food Allergy is NOT: • A food intolerance (lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, etc.). Note Celiac disease is a non-

IgE mediated food allergy and is a chronic, autoimmune digestive disorder. • A food preference (vegetarian, kosher, etc.).

Bullying A 2010 study by doctors at Mount Sinai Medical Center found that among children older than five who have food allergies, 35 percent experienced bullying, teasing, or harassment due to food allergies. Of those children, • 86 percent said the bullying happened more than once. • 82 percent of the bullying incidents happened at school. • 80 percent were bullied by other students. • 21 percent were bullied by a teacher or other school staff. • 79 percent said the bullying was due to food allergies alone. • More than 20 percent were harassed by teachers and staff. • 43 percent reported having an allergen waved in their faces. • 65 percent reported feeling depressed or embarrassed because of the bullying.

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Bullying (continued) Children who bully food-allergic peers generally do so because there is a lack of awareness and education about food allergies and their consequences. In addition, children model adult behaviors. In a classroom setting, for example, if a teacher does not include a food-allergic student in a class activity, then it appears to be socially acceptable to exclude the child in all social activities. The food-allergic child then becomes the outcast because he or she is “different.” In many cases, children who appear different are bullied no matter the type of disability. Therefore, it is important for teachers to create and maintain a more inclusive environment that includes the food-allergic student in programs and activities provided by the school. In doing so, this helps reduce the risk of bullying incidents.

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Food Allergy Detective Classroom Activities

Introduce the Unit: Tell students that they will work to become Food Allergy Detectives! Explain

that the job of a Food Allergy Detective is to discover new information about food allergies.

Assess What Students Know: Using a KWL chart to record responses, invite the students to

share what they already Know and what they Want to know about food allergies. Optionally, students can write responses on sticky notes and add these to the chart. As you progress with activities, return to the KWL chart to record what students Learn along the way.

Begin with Basic Training Ideal for K – 3rd The first step is for your budding Student Detectives to receive “Basic Training”. Provide students with an overview of food allergy information by presenting the “All About Food Allergies for Kids” PowerPoint presentation. On the following page you will find the Suggested Speaker Notes that correspond to each slide. Objective: Expose students to a variety of food allergy topics including prevalence, top allergens, identifying and reporting a reaction and the need for precautions. Materials: • Interactive whiteboard or alternate hardware for playing the PowerPoint presentation • “All About Food Allergies for Kids” Power Point presentation • Suggested Speaker Notes (See Next Page) Procedure:

1. Review the presentation slides and suggested speaker notes. 2. Modify the speaker notes as needed to meet the needs of your students. 3. Lead students through the “All About Food Allergies for Kids” PowerPoint presentation by

reading the suggested or modified script for each slide. 4. Engage students in discussion as questions and comments arise.

Suggested Speaker Notes: Slide 1: Many adults and children have allergies. People can be allergic to tree pollen, bee stings, cats, dogs, medicine, poison ivy and sometimes even food. Maybe you know someone with allergies. Maybe you have an allergy. Today we are going to learn about one type of allergy: food allergies. Slide 2: Both adults and children can have food allergies. About 6 million children have food allergies! That’s about 2 kids in every classroom. Chances are that 1 or more students in your classroom has a food allergy. Slide 3: Children with food allergies can visit a special doctor called a Pediatric Allergist. This doctor can tell young patients and their family members which foods they are allergic to. A Pediatric Allergist can also teach patients and families how to stay safe with food allergies Slide 4: There are 8 foods that most people with food allergies are allergic to. Those 8 foods are: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy. If someone with a food allergy eats even a tiny bit of the food they are allergic to they can get very, very sick very quickly. It’s hard to believe that healthy foods such as milk, eggs or fish can make someone sick. But they can. Let’s learn why …..

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Slide 5: Your body has many systems to help it work well. Each system has a special job to do. Your immune system is in charge of defending your body against germs and other dangerous things that can make you sick. Sometimes the immune system will make a mistake and defend a body against food. When this mistake happens, it is called a food allergy. Slide 6: If someone eats a food they are allergic to, the immune system will try to defend the body and an allergic reaction will happen. Allergic reactions are an emergency. If someone is having an allergic reaction they need to receive help right away. Here are some warning signs that someone is having an allergic reaction: they have an itchy mouth, they have a rash, they get itchy raised hives, their throat feels tight, they have a hard time breathing. If you think someone is having an allergic reaction you should tell an adult right away. If you can’t find an adult, you should call 911. Slide 7: It is very important for people with food allergies to use caution and avoid, or stay away from, the foods they are allergic to. Remember, eating just a tiny bit of a problem food can make someone with an allergy very, very sick. Slide 8: It takes a lot of effort to avoid problem foods. Think about this: If you had an egg allergy you would probably know not to eat an egg sandwich. What about a chocolate chip cookie? A scoop of ice cream? Do those foods have any eggs baked or cooked inside? It’s hard to tell just by looking. Take a look at these pictures. Which food items might contain hidden eggs? Actually, all of these foods contain hidden eggs. The cookie was baked with egg. The ice cream contains eggs too. And, eggs were used to make the top of the pie- crust all nice and shiny. People with food allergies need to know exactly what is in every food they eat. The best way to know is by reading ingredient lists. Slide 9: It is extremely important for people with food allergies to read ingredient lists. If there are no ingredients available to read, then the food should not be eaten. Kids with allergies should always ask a trusted adult to read ingredient lists for them before eating any food. Take a look at this ingredient list for a popular candy bar. Is it safe for someone with a peanut allergy? Milk allergy? Egg allergy? How can you tell? Look here where it says “ALLERGY INFORMATION: MAY CONTAIN ALMONDS”. Is this candy bar safe for someone who has a tree nut allergy? If you said “No” then you are right! Slide 10: It’s also very important for people with food allergies to ask lots of questions about how foods are prepared and handled. This is because simple foods like an apple can accidently touch other foods like peanuts. When this happens it is called cross contact and it can trigger an allergic reaction. Cross contact can also happen when food touches surfaces like tables, knives, or plates. Can you think of other ways that an apple could have cross contact with peanut butter? Slide 11: When an allergic reaction happens, emergency medication called epinephrine needs to be given right away. People with food allergies should always have their emergency medication nearby. At school, some students keep their medication in the clinic. Some keep it in the classroom. And others will carry their medication with them everywhere that they go. Slide 12: There are many ways that you can help your classmates to stay safe with food allergies. One way is to follow your school’s safety rules. For example, maybe your classroom is peanut free. Maybe your school cafeteria has a peanut and tree nut free table. There might be rule that you cannot eat on the school bus. By following the rules you will be helping classmates with food allergies to stay safe. Slide 13: Another way to help is to never share your food or drinks with someone who has an allergy. The food and drinks that you bring to school for snack, lunch or to celebrate your birthday could make a classmate with food allergies very sick. If your school allows cup cakes or other treats to be shared on birthdays, students with food allergies will often bring their own special dessert. Many kids with food allergies even keep a supply of special snacks and desserts in the classroom.

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Slide 14: Another way to help keep classmates safe is to wash your hands AFTER you eat. By washing your hands with soap and water or a hand wipe, you can remove any leftover foods that might make a classmate sick. Guess what does not clean food off of your hands? Hand Sanitizer! Hand sanitizer will kill germs but it will not clean food from your hands! Slide 15: If you think that a classmate is having an allergic reaction they need to receive help right away. You should quickly tell your teacher or another adult that your classmate needs help. If you can’t find an adult, you should call 911. Do you remember some of the warning signs that someone needs help? Someone who is having an allergic reaction might complain of an itchy mouth, have a rash or get itchy raised hives. Their throat might feel tight and they could have difficulty breathing. Slide 16: You can also help your classmates with food allergies by being kind. It is never nice to tease or bully anyone. Why would anyone want to hurt someone’s feelings? Slide 17: Sometimes your classmates with food allergies might feel left out. They might feel frustrated, sad or angry that they can’t eat the same treats as everyone else at a school celebration. How would you feel if you were the only person at a Birthday Party that couldn’t eat the Birthday Cake? How would you feel if you were the only person at a Pizza Party that couldn’t eat the pizza? You can help your classmates by trying to include everyone during celebrations. Here’s an idea: When it’s you’re your turn to celebrate your birthday at school, maybe you can pass out small toys or colorful pencils instead of cupcakes. Or, you could donate playground equipment or a new book to your classroom library. Slide 18: Now that you know so much about food allergies, you can teach others! Here are just a few ideas: share what you learned with a friend or family member, celebrate Food Allergy Awareness Week at school, make and hang a poster or donate a book to your classroom or school library. How else can you spread awareness? ** End of Speaker Notes.

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Write to Whiskers: Ideal for K-3 Offer Food Allergy Advice to a Friendly Cat This activity is adapted from a literacy center activity called “Write to Wrinkles” that was created by Dolly Hicks and Julie Johnson for the Corona-Norco Unified School District Learning Support Services. Objective: Students will use any combination of drawing, dictation, and writing to demonstrate an awareness of food allergy safety protocols and empathy for those with food allergy. Materials: • A sealed envelope that contains a copy of Whiskers’ letter to the Student Detectives • Copies of the formatted friendly letter response sheet Procedures:

1. Enthusiastically present the class with the sealed envelope and tell them that you can’t wait to find out what is inside.

2. After reading the letter aloud, allow students to share with a buddy what they think is an appropriate response. Have a whole class conversation to help students identify appropriate ways to respond. Consider listing these ideas in a prominent area for students to refer back to.

3. Instruct students to reply to Whiskers by writing a friendly letter. For K-1, teachers may wish to have students reply as a whole class activity or through a combination of picture drawing and dictation. Older students who have experience writing letters can independently respond to Whiskers using the formatted friendly letter response sheet.

4. As time allows, encourage students to share their friendly letters aloud. 5. Consider repeating this activity at another time using additional letters from Whiskers on

pages 11 & 12. Or, place these letters in your Writing Center (see below).

Enhance Your Writing Center Ideal for 2-3 Additional letters from Whiskers have been created for you to use at the classroom Writing Center. Simply copy, cut, mount, laminate, and store the letters at your Writing Center along with additional copies of the friendly letter response sheet or other writing/drawing paper.

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Dear Student Detectives, My name is Whiskers. I am a young tabby cat with food allergies. Can you guess what I am allergic to? I am allergic to fish and milk! I heard that your class is learning all about food allergies. Can you help me with a problem that I have? Later today my friend Rags is coming over to play. When she is here we will have a snack. Rags’ favorite snack is cookies and milk. I cannot serve milk because I am allergic to it. My mom says that we can serve lemonade, juice, or even water instead. I am very worried that Rags will be upset that we can’t have milk with our cookies. My mom says that Rags is a good and caring friend and will not be mad at me. What do you think?

Love,

Whiskers

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Dear Student Detectives, I am at the town library with my friend Rags. I forgot to bring my emergency medicine bag! I am supposed to have my emergency medicine with me at all times. What should I do?

Love,

Whiskers

Dear Student Detectives,

I was playing on the school playground when another kitten offered to share some candy with me. I am not allowed to share food with anybody, but the candy looks so tasty! And, I think I’ve eaten this type of candy before. What do you think I should I do?

Love,

Whiskers

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Dear Student Detectives, A new kitten in our class has been making fun of me because I am allergic to fish and milk. I told the new kitten to stop but she didn’t. I decided to talk to my teacher about the teasing. Did I do the right thing?

Love,

Whiskers Dear Student Detectives, At lunchtime all of my classmates ate fish sticks and ice cream. When it was time to wash hands after eating, some of my classmates only rinsed with water. What should I say to these kittens?

Love,

Whiskers

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__________________________________

_______________________________________, _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

______________________________

______________________________

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Investigate Hand Washing Ideal for K – 3rd Visually connect with students about the importance of hand washing after eating. Use a product that glows in ultraviolet light, such as Glo Germ or Glitterbug, to simulate the presence of allergens on student’s hands. Objective: Students will demonstrate proper hand washing techniques and begin to realize that washing with soap and water is the best way to remove allergens from hands. Materials:

Glo Germ Gel lotion or similar product (available for purchase online)

ultraviolet light (available for purchase online)

Access to a sink with running water

Soap, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes or antibacterial wipes such Wet Ones (ensure that these products do not contain allergens that a student is avoiding)

Commercial cleaning wipe such as Clorox Wipes. Procedures:

1. Remind students that one way to help people with food allergies is to wash hands after eating. Discuss with students how sometimes, even if their hands don’t look dirty after touching or eating food, they can still be covered with allergens. For example, if someone eats peanuts the dust and oils can be left behind on their hands. Ask students to make some predictions about the effectiveness of washing hands with plain water, soap and water, hand sanitizer, and baby/antibacterial wipes. Tell students that they will work with you to investigate which of these works best!

2. Dim the room. Show students the ultraviolet light and flash it on your hands. Turn off the light and set aside. Ask students to imagine that you’ve just finished eating a handful of peanuts. Rub a nickel size amount of Glo Germ Gel lotion on to your hands and tell students that the invisible lotion represents the hard to see peanut dust and oils left behind. Using the ultraviolet light, show students all of the glowing “peanut allergen” on your hands that the light has made visible.

3. Next, allow each of the students to shine the ultraviolet light on their own hands. Put the light aside. Divide the students into 3 groups and assign each group a different scenario.

4. Ask one group of students to pretend that they are bakers who just finished working with flour and dough to make wheat bread. Another group can pretend that they have been eating drippy ice cream cones. The last group of students can pretend that they have just finished peeling hard-boiled eggs.

5. Have each student apply the Glo Germ Gel lotion to represent the different allergen residues that could be left on their hands. Using the ultraviolet light, inspect the student’s hands and point out all of the glowing “wheat,” “milk,” and “egg” residue that is present.

6. Assign one group of students to wash their hands at the sink with water only. Examine the student’s dry hands with the light and let them observe that much of the allergen remains on their hands. Do they think this method was effective?

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7. Choose another group. Have these students clean their hands with hand sanitizer. Examine the student’s hands and let them observe that the allergen remains on their hands. The hand sanitizer simply moved the allergen around.

8. Direct the remaining group to wash with soap and water. When you inspect this group’s hands, they will see that soap and water did a better job at removing allergens. However, did the student’s hand washing skills allow them to remove all of the “allergens” from their hands?

9. Explain to students that, even though washing with soap and water is the best way to remove allergens, it is very important to wash hands correctly so that the greatest amount of residue (and germs too) can be removed.

10. Using the ultraviolet light, show the students again that you still have “peanut residue” on your hands. Then, demonstrate the proper way to wash hands by following the steps outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (wet, lather, scrub, rinse, and dry). Be sure to demonstrate how to scrub between your fingers and under the fingernail. Ask your students to help you know how long to scrub by humming a familiar tune for 20 seconds (try humming Happy Birthday twice).

11. Re-inspect your hands with the ultraviolet light and show the students just how effective you were!

12. Have each student return to the sink to practice the hand washing steps. Re-inspect each student’s hands with the ultraviolet light so they can evaluate their personal hand washing skills. Allow students to return to the sink as many times as necessary until they have washed well enough.

13. Ask students to consider that sometimes soap and water might not be available. What then? Explain to students that using a product such as a baby wipe or a Wet Ones can be as effective as using soap and water. If desired, demonstrate this concept using the Glo Germ Gel lotion and ultraviolet light.

Explore Cross-Contact

You can also use the Glo Germ Gel lotion to demonstrate cross contact of allergens on surfaces such as desks, cafeteria tables, and shared classroom supplies. A powder form of this product can also be used to demonstrate how allergens can be spread among different foods if utensils are shared or un-washed between uses. To learn more, visit www.glogerm.com.

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Play A Silly Game: Ideal for K-3rd “In” or “Out” This game is designed to be played as a whole group and was inspired by the classic game of “Hot Potato.” Student Detectives can use their new food allergy knowledge and the power of reasoning to determine why students who are left holding hand sanitizer are “out” of the game while students left holding the soap are still “in” when the music stops playing. Objective: Reinforce that hand sanitizer does not remove allergens from hands. Materials: • A wrapped bar of soap (be sure to read ingredients and avoid allergens such as milk or nut

oils as needed) • A purse-sized container of hand sanitizer • Music To Play:

1. Gather the students and have them sit in a large circle. 2. Explain to the students that they will be playing a game similar to Hot Potato, but with a

peculiar twist. 3. Show the students the hand sanitizer and the soap. Explain that while the music is

playing, they will pass the soap and hand sanitizer around the circle. Each item will begin at a different point in the circle. But, when the music stops, one player will be left holding the soap and another will be left holding the hand sanitizer.

4. Ask the Student Detectives to use what they’ve learned about food allergies to help determine which of these players will be “out” and which will remain “in” the game.

5. Once the solution is determined, turn on the music and have some fun playing the game. Play until one student remains.

Solution: If a player is caught with the soap, he/she can stay in the game because soap and water will clean food from your hands. If a player is caught with the hand sanitizer, he/she is out because hand sanitizer does not remove food from your hands.

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Break A Secret Code Ideal for 2nd -3rd And Review Hand Washing Steps Early-fluent and fluent readers will enjoy this fun, small-group activity that allows for the review of hand washing steps while trying to decipher a secret code called Ubbi Dubbi (a nonsense language made popular by the classic PBS children's program Zoom). How does Ubbi Dubbi work? Simply insert the syllable -ub before each vowel sound in a word. For example, the word wet would be written wubet. The word cry would be written cruby because “y” makes a long vowel sound. The word rake would be written rubake since you do not place –ub before silent vowels. Objective: Students will review recommended hand washing techniques. Materials: • For each group of students, program a set of index cards with the following Ubbi Dubbi hand

washing actions:

wubet lubather scrubub rubinse druby Procedures:

1. Begin a discussion about when, why and how students last washed their hands. What type of products did they use to get their hands clean? Soap and water? Hand sanitizing gel? How did they dry their hands? Can students recall the importance of washing hands after eating to help keep students with food allergies safe? Remind students that soap and water or hand wipes should be used after eating (Hand sanitizing gel does not remove food allergens).

2. Tell students that they will be working in groups to break a secret code and reveal the 5 important hand washing steps. Spend some time introducing the Ubbi Dubbi concept and guide students to decode some examples before breaking into groups. Consider using these examples:

Cubat (cat) rubock (rock) wubing (wing) cruby (cry)

3. Once students have revealed the words wet, lather, scrub, rinse and dry, Challenge each group to arrange the de-coded index cards into the correct hand-washing sequence.

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Food Allergy Art Detectives Ideal for K-3rd Use the Power of Observation To Identify Common and Hidden Allergens in Art Expose your Student Detectives to beautiful still life paintings while teaching about food allergy with the “Food Allergy Detectives” PowerPoint presentation. In this activity, Student Detectives will use the power of observation to detect common and hidden allergens in full-color images of still life paintings. Afterward, Student Detectives show what they know by sorting pictures or by creating their own still life art. Objective: Students will identify common allergens and will demonstrate an understanding that foods can contain hidden allergens. Materials: • “Food Allergy Art Detectives” PowerPoint presentation • Interactive whiteboard or alternate hardware for playing the Power Point presentation. Procedures:

1. Explain to students that they will use the power of observation to locate common allergens and hidden allergens in works of art.

2. Lead students through the PowerPoint presentation and facilitate a discussion as appropriate.

Show What You Know Follow-up: Allergen Picture Sort

Ideal for K-1 Provide students with a copy of the worksheet “I See Common Allergens”. As students complete the assignment, guide them to identify that the fish, milk, walnut, wheat, and egg pictures represent common allergens.

Show What You Know Follow-up: Make Your Own Still Life Ideal for K-3

Guide students to create an original still life. While any technique can be used, younger students may enjoy creating a still life collage using pre-cut pictures of foods and objects from magazines, grocery store flyers, and clip-art. Older students might prefer to hand draw their pictures or paint with water color. Ask each student to list the common allergens, if any, that they included in their still life creation. While younger students will require more guidance and can orally list allergens, older students can be challenged to design a written ingredient list to accompany the art. For more fun, have students trade pictures and try to detect allergens in their classmate’s work.

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Name: ______________________________

I See Common Allergens

Directions: Cut out the food pictures below. Glue the common food allergens near the magnifying glass. Recycle or reuse the remaining pictures.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Go Undercover Ideal for K-3rd

And Discover Food Allergy Management It takes an entire team to keep students with food allergies safe at school. Take your Student Detectives on an Undercover Tour of your school and lead them to discover who some of the team members are and how the team works together. Ideas for Designing A Unique Undercover Tour:

Bring along one zip-top bag and collect “evidence” from various team members along the way.

Allow each student to bring along a notebook and pencil to keep track of what they learn and the team members that they meet while undercover.

Snoop through the school corridors and look for evidence of Allergy Alert signs. Are any classrooms Peanut/Tree Nut free? Speak to a Classroom Teacher about the importance of having this alert sign outside of the classroom door. Ask for a copy of the sign for the evidence bag.

Sneak down to the school clinic and interview the School Nurse. Ask to see where auto-injectors are stored for emergencies. Ask the nurse to demonstrate how to use an auto-injector with a training device. Ask her to explain how and when to find an adult and how to call 911 if an adult cannot be found. Collect a training device for the evidence bag.

Investigate the cafeteria. Do you see any allergen free lunch tables? Are they kept clean? How about the other tables – do they look like they are kept clean or does it look like cross-contact could be a problem for students with food allergies? Are any cleaning wipes available for students and teachers to clean up dirty tables with? Ask the Cafeteria Staff members about avoiding cross contact in the lunch line. Ask the Custodian about table and floor cleaning procedures.

Stakeout out the bathroom sinks. Are the soap dispensers full? Are signs posted that describe hand washing procedures? Who is responsible for keeping the soap dispensers full?

Slip over to the art room. Has the art teacher read ingredient labels to determine if any supplies contain common allergens? Are substitute products available? Ask for an ingredient label for the evidence bag.

Rendezvous with the Principal. How does the Principal make sure that students with food allergies are included in all school programs and activities?

Tip toe your way to the School Counselor. What can she tell you about your school’s policies on bullying? What advice does the counselor have for students who might feel teased or left out?

When your tour is complete, return to the classroom and allow students time to reflect on this adventure by discussing the evidence collected and by sharing what they recorded in their notebooks.

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Solve A Logic Puzzle Ideal for 2nd-3rd Challenge Student Detectives to use logic skills to conclude who is allergic to one of several common allergens. Consider completing this as a whole class activity or assign students work in small-groups. Puzzle A: Emily’s three friends each have a different food allergy. Someone is allergic to milk, another is allergic to peanuts, and someone else is allergic to fish. Can you figure out which person is allergic to each of these allergens using the following clues?

Miguel cannot eat ice cream. But he loves peanut and butter and jelly sandwiches!

Jenny can eat ice cream AND peanut and butter jelly sandwiches

Brad loves to order ice cream for dessert at Sam’s Seafood Restaurant. Reproduce a chart similar to the one below to help keep track of information. Draw a happy face if someone can eat a specific food. Draw an X if someone can’t eat something.

Milk Peanut Fish

Miguel

Jenny

Byron

Puzzle B: Pam, Tommy, Will and Beth each have a different food allergy. They are having dinner at a restaurant. The restaurant serves the following foods: a Veggie Omelet; Spicy Shrimp; Chestnut Soup; and Garlic Bread. Use the clues to figure out what each person is allergic to.

Pam got a Veggie Omelet.

Tommy got Spicy Shrimp and Chestnut Soup.

Will ordered a Veggie Omelet, Spicy Shrimp, and Garlic Bread.

Beth got a Veggie Omelet and Garlic Bread. Reproduce a chart similar to the one below to help keep track of information. Draw a happy face if someone can eat a specific food. Draw an X if someone can’t eat something.

Egg Tree Nut Wheat Shellfish

Pam

Tommy

Will

Beth

Solution Puzzle A: Miguel/Milk Jenny/Fish Byron/Peanuts Puzzle B: Pam/Wheat Tommy/Egg Will/Tree Nut Beth/Shellfish

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Ending the Unit

When your Student Detectives have completed all of the activities that you have chosen for them, enlist their help in updating and reviewing the KWL chart. Congratulate your Student Detectives on a job well done. Conclude by having a Swearing in Ceremony. Simply have students take the special Oath below and then present them with a copy of the “Food Allergy Detective Certificate” (next page). They have earned their credentials and should feel proud!

The Official Oath to be used during the official Swearing-in Ceremony

I (Insert Name), promise to … uphold school rules to ensure the safety of students with food allergies.

Spread the Word Involve the students in a project that allows them to share their knowledge with others. Consider initiating one of these projects or another of your own design:

Make posters telling what you should do if you think a friend is having an allergic reaction. Hang theses posters in the hallways.

Make bookmarks that list the top eight allergens. Share with students in another classroom or leave in a basket in the school library.

Write a letter to the Principal. Ask if your school can celebrate Food Allergy Awareness Week. Tell him/her how your class would participate in the celebration.

Perform a skit for another classroom or at a full school assembly. Your skit can act out some of the things that students and teachers can do to help keep everyone with food allergies safe.

Teacher Notes Use this space to jot down notes, questions and great ideas!

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By the Authority of the

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team

And on the Recommendation of

-------------------------------------------------

Teacher

______________________________________

Student’s Name

has been appointed as an official FOOD ALLERGY DETECTIVE

Awarded this _____ Day of ________________, 20___

www.FoodAllergyAwareness.org

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Additional Activity Ideas to Use All Year Long

Read Aloud a Fractured Fairy Tale: The Princess and the Peanut, written by Sue Ganz-Schmitt and Illustrated by Micah Chambers-Goldberg, is a delightful twist on The Princess and the Pea. In this fun yet informative version, The Queen creates a peanut and tree nut free castle after the Princess suffers an allergic reaction from a peanut placed between her mattresses. Will the Prince give up peanut butter sandwiches and marry the Princess?

Compare and Contrast Health Helpers Using a Venn-Diagram, work with students to compare and contrast the roles of different health helpers (ex: Pediatricians, Family Doctors, or Dentists) to the roles of a Pediatric Allergist.

Play with Wheat-Free Dough You can find a plethora of recipes online for both traditional play doughs that include wheat (flour) and alternate recipes that use a substitute such as rice flour. Show students examples of these recipes and talk about the importance of avoiding traditional Play-Doh if you have a wheat allergy. Have some rice play dough on hand for students to play with – but first be sure that it doesn’t include any allergens specific to your students!

Make Fractions Real: Baking Without Eggs Do you know that ¼ cup of applesauce can replace an egg when baking up something sweet like muffins? Work with students to create a chart that shows the number of eggs that can be replaced with ¼, ½, ¾ and 1 cup of applesauce.

Invite a Guest Speaker to Visit Your Classroom Invite a community member to talk to your students about food allergies. Allow your students to prepare and ask interview questions. Here are some guest ideas:

• The Owner of a Local Bakery that Specializes in Food Allergies • The Leader of a Local Support Group • A Former Student

Medical Bracelets and Music Explore medical bracelets with your students. What are they? Who wears one? Why? Visit www.kyledine.com to hear the food allergy song “Cool Bracelet” by Kyle Dine.

Clip Art Acknowledgements: Image of the detective on the cover page and pg. 22 is from Mycutegraphics.com

All other images come from openclipart.org

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