Names of Group Members​: Bethany Karasek, Ameerh Alqahtani, Gianna LaBrocca, M.

Christina Campos, Alexa Akemann

SECTION 1- TITLE OF SECTION: Health and Nutrition

SECTION 2- Jensen’s Discussion:

● Jensen argues that students from low-income families often struggle with engagement in
school due to various reasons, including differences in health and nutrition with those
from the middle class. He shows how the Health and Nutrition of students affect them at
school and also explains what can be done to overcome these poor health and nutrition
practices. The writer goes ahead to say that various health-related factors affect the
attention, reasoning, and memory of students. Disadvantaged people are unlikely to
work-out, get proper diagnoses or be prescribed apt medications. They also have higher
cases of untreated ear infections, loss of hearing issues and a higher incidence of asthma
than those in the middle class. They also suffer greater exposure to lead, which is very
harmful to their health. The kids suffering with ear infections struggle hard with sound
discrimination which makes it difficult for them to follow instructions. Low nutrition
value foods, which poor children are mostly exposed to, have adverse effects such as
affecting the brain matter mass. Further, the author observed that how the urban young
minority tend to avoid breakfast every once in a while, which contrarily influences their
scholastic accomplishments by obnoxiously affecting their intelligence and ultimately
leading towards being absent from school. Insufficient diets also affect student behaviour,
for instance; they may appear apathetic or overactive.

● The two main foods required by a brain are glucose and oxygen. Both glucose and
oxygen then respond together to develop energy which is vital for proper cell functioning.
Schools can facilitate for these to be provided for free to all the learners. School going
children are likewise encouraged to partake in yoga training in light of the fact that it
increments metabolic controls. Physical exercise also contributes to oxygen intake and
enhanced studying. Involvement in games and drama triggers the release of glucose,
which is related to better recollection and cognitive function. Children should never be
denied recess as a form of punishment because it may reduce their reasoning ability.
Good health and nutrition practices should be encouraged both at home and school in
order to promote the development of students.

● In his Health and Nutrition Section, Jensen argues that lower-income/impoverished

students are more prone to suffer the effects of poor health and wellness, which then
 leads to disrupting the students’ ability to effectively learn. He discusses a study done by
two neuroscientists (Gray and Thompson, 2004), and their findings suggest that
impoverished students are more likely to be exposed to lead, and have a higher incidence
of asthma when compared to their middle-class peers (Jensen). Jensen also discusses the
effects of poor health and nutrition in the classroom: an impoverished student may find it
more difficult to learn, their memory is weaker, and their cognition suffers, overall. This
can be caused from a multitude of reasons regarding poor health and nutrition.
Additionally, Jensen offers a few ways for educators to combat these adversities in the
classroom-- he states that the two “primary foods for the brain are oxygen and glucose,”
so it’s essential that students are getting the necessary amounts daily. Some ways to
ensure this are to engage students in “slow stretching while taking slow deep breaths”
which increases their oxygenation. Jensen’s reason for writing this is to simply encourage
educators to be mindful of a student’s socioeconomic status, and take the necessary steps
to combat adversities in student’s lives regarding their health and nutrition.

SECTION 3 – APA CITATIONS OF YOUR OUTSIDE SCHOLARS* OFFERING

SUGGESTIONS FOR WORKING WITH IMPOVERISHED STUDENTS, THEIR
HOUSEHOLDS, AND COMMUNITIES (See your Individual Outlines - second column)

(Bethany K.)
Rampersaud, G., Pereira, M., Girard, B., Adams, J., Metzl, J. (May 2005). ​Breakfast
Habits, Nutritional Status, Body Weight, and Academic Performance in Children and
Adolescents. ​Retrieved from ​http://jandonline.org/article/S0002-8223(05)00151-3/pdf

(M. Christina C.)

Rosemond, T. N., Blake, C. E., Jenkins, K. A., Buff, S. M., & Moore, J. B. (2015). Dietary
improvements among african american youth: Results of an interactive nutrition
promotion program.​ American Journal of Health Education, 46​(1), 40-47. Retrieved
from
http://wsuproxy.mnpals.net/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.wsuproxy.mnpal
s.net/docview/1658089174?accountid=15069

(Ameerh A.)
Archambault, Isabelle, et al. "Student Engagement and Its Relationship with Early High
School Dropout." ​Journal of Adolescence ​32.3 (2009): 651-670.

(Gianna LaBrocca)
Center for Disease Control. ​Health and Academic Achievement.​ (2015): 2-8.
Retrieved from
 https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/health-academic-achi
evement.pdf

(Alexa Akemann)
Sisselman, A., Strolin-Goltzman, J., Auerbach, C., & Sharon, L. (2012). Innovative services
offered by school-based health centers in new york city.​ Children & Schools, 34​(4),
213-221. Retrieved from
http://wsuproxy.mnpals.net/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.wsuproxy.mnpal
s.net/docview/1267642681?accountid=15069

SECTION 4: DISCUSSION OF THE OUTSIDE SCHOLARS’ ARGUMENTS AS THEY

EACH RELATE TO THE ASSIGNED SECTION OF THE JENSEN ARTICLE.

Ameerh Alqahtani: ​School engagement amounts blatantly in many school dropout theories but
has never been proven. This article contains various test results of French-Canadian high
students who were examined for behavioural, affective, cognitive manifestations of engagement
both independently and as an overall construct. It came to being revealed that behavioural
engagement contributed the most in school dropouts. The first set of analyses built on six
concepts, which include school attendance, liking school, discipline, academic interest and
willingness to learn are closely related to different facets of engagement. It was concluded that
boys tend to be less involved than girls in behavioural and poignant views of schooling.
Global student disconnection was associated with ultimate dropout. This means that student
acquiescence and appearance predicted dropout better than scholar willingness and desire to
learn the straightforward curriculum, and the amount of pleasure related to school activities.
Behaviours such as truancy, impoliteness, and absenteeism express some degree of alienation.
Students are punished for these behaviours which in turn contributes to more negative ideologies
about investing in school. The Heterotypic concept suggests that students’ disengagement most
probably has discrete dynamic forces as they advance in their school life. In the initial stages, it
might be expressed by a psychological state which later evolves and becomes observable. School
interest decreases and the willingness to learn too, leading to school alienation. All these factors
result in the final decision to drop out.

Gianna LaBrocca: ​In “Health and Academic Achievement,” it states that there is a direct link
between student’s academic achievement and their eating habits/physical activity. There are
ways for schools to positively influence a student’s health and nutrition. One way includes
making healthy foods and activities accessible to students in a school environment (Health and
Academic Achievement). There is also evidence that students who participate in “the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) School Breakfast Program (SBP)” show an increase in
grades and standardized test scores. Conversely, students who skip breakfast, or have a lack of
“adequate consumption of specific” and necessary foods (fruits and veggies) are associated with
“decreased cognitive performance (e.g., alertness, attention, memory, processing of complex
visual display, problem solving)” among students. Along the lines of Jensen’s arguments,
impoverished students in schools who suffer from hunger are often associated with “lower
grades, higher rates of absenteeism, repeating a grade, and an inability to focus among students”
(Health and Academic Achievement). These same conclusions are true for students with lower
physical activity. However, this article reminds educators that schools have an important
influence on students, as it may be the only place they get physical activity and proper meals.

Bethany Karasek:​ My article, “Breakfast Habits, Nutritional Status, Body Weight, and
Academic Performance in Children and Adolescents,” discusses many things, but I am focusing
on the section about how breakfast improves academic achievement. There is evidence to
support that students who are undernourished do not do as well in school as more well nourished
students. When the undernourished students get consistent breakfast, they tend to have better
attendance and test scores. The authors also mention that socioeconomic status impacts whether
students get breakfast or not. Those of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to skip
breakfast, and this has correlations with performance in school.

Alexa Akemann: ​Amanda Sisselman, Jessica Strolin-Goltzman, Charles Auerbach, and Lisa
Sharon talk about how having health services within the school system will improve the
academic achievement of students within the school. The two main reasons for this is that it will
first decrease the amount of time that a student misses school. Second, the child will be able to
stay within the school and receive their medication. This last part relating mostly to students with
asthma and diabetes. These services will allow for students to spend more time within their
classroom learning new material. Along with being able to learn more, the school based health
programs are also a way to provide students with a healthier lifestyle. The programs have been
reported to contribute to lower weights of students, and healthier eating habits. These healthy
eating habits will then provide students with the nutrients that they need to achieve in school.

M. Christina Campos: ​Justin B. Moore writes on dietary improvements among

African-American students in the American school systems. Are working with the Medical
University of South Carolina, he worked on helping students regulate and maintain a good
amount of fruits vegetables and healthy beverages. Moore believe that a higher fruit and
vegetable intake combined with lower sugar beverages in a school setting would be the most
effective way to help students keep up a healthy lifestyle. Jensen argued that having students
increase Healthy glucose in their diet would help promote brain development. Fruits and
vegetables contain high amounts of glucose so adding them and supplementing them into the diet
is one of Jensen's points. The research that Moore was involved in had students involved in a
study where they ate large amounts of fruits and vegetables. Moore’s report notes that there was
an increase in mental and physical capacity during the period when these students were eating
the large amounts of fruits and vegetables. Now even though sugared beverages do not contain
either good glucose or fructose they don't contain any kind of beneficial sugars. The sugars that
they do contain lack dietary values that student should be getting in their school years. So in
addition to the students having an increased of vegetables and fruits and their diet, the decrease
of sugared sodas and beverages also majorly contributed to the increase capability of students in
the classrooms.
SECTION 5: CRITIQUES OF YOUR OUTSIDE SCHOLARS’ SOLUTIONS AS
COMPARED TO THOSE OFFERED BY ERIC JENSEN

Ameerh Alqahtani:​ The Journal of Adolescence paints a whole different picture on Student’s
engagement suggesting that the multidimensional construct is related to school dropout. Out of
the three dimensions of student engagement, behavioural, affective and cognitive, only
behavioural dimension appears to throw in the most to the estimation of school dropout. Future
research should address many more issues which in turn contribute to meaningful knowledge
that will aid in the reduction of dropouts. There are a quite a number of similarities between the
two articles. Health and Nutrition affect the cases of dropouts in schools. If students are
motivated to stay in school by being rewarded with pleasantries, they will definitely stay in
school and their interest in school activities will also increase.
Recess is fundamental to a child’s growth. Can you imagine a school without recess? Everything
would be stale. Recess increases the brain activity of the children facilitating better grades and
interest in their studies. Recess also releases a lot of pressure so it is rare for cases of dropping
out to occur in such environments. Schools should offer basic quality nutrition. This is because
some students may not have access to this at their respective homes. Good nutrition leads to
improved memory which in turn aids students to better performances in all school activities. This
makes the students and the parents happy thus none of them will hesitate to invest in school.

Gianna LaBrocca: ​I think both of these articles work great together. The article from the CDC
does a great job of expanding on the evidence there is regarding a student’s academic
achievement in relation to their health and nutrition. I also really like how the article provides
some more examples that Jensen doesn’t touch on in his article, though he does touch on a few
(i.e. yoga to enhance oxygenation). The CDC article also provides a very well-done table in
which provides statements for States, School Districts, Teachers, Parents, and Students regarding
the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity. This visual on the website is a great way to
organize/summarize the key arguments that were laid out in the text. Eric Jensen’s article is a
good start to the health and nutrition conversation, but it definitely lacked clear explanation in
terms of evidence and other ways to combat poverty in schools.

Bethany Karasek​: The authors in my article are implying that breakfast is the answer to
academic performance, whereas Eric Jensen is pushing for more movement for the students to
get more oxygen and glucose. They both argue that nutrition is an essential part of a student’s
success in school. Although my authors argue for better academic performance and attendance,
they do admit that there is not very much evidence to suggest breakfast is beneficial for memory
specifically. In a short term study, there is some benefits of breakfast for memory and cognitive
performance. There is no substantial evidence of benefits in the long term though.

Alexa Akemann: ​The authors of the article I found are saying that in order to improve the health
and overall academic achievement of students, a school based health program should be
implemented. Jensen suggests in his article that oxygen and glucose are what students need to be
successful in the schools. The one area that these two articles have in common are that they both
agree that nutrition will help the academic achievement of students. Jensen argued that nutrition
plays a crucial role because a poor diet can affect the gray matter mass in the brain. The authors
of my article found that the school based health programs would provide students with healthier
eating habits, a better nutrition, and this would then positively impact their education.

M. Christina Campos: ​Both articles, Jensen and Moore's, Revolve around the same concept.
Jensen's attacks the very specific glucose black in foods while Moore's covers a broader range of
aspects. One of your friends main points was that students with .2 tradition difficult times
listening, concentrating, and actually learning something long-term. Moore's research showed
that increasing fruits and vegetables and decreasing sugary beverages help bring up those levels
of listening and concentration etc. I feel like Moore took Jensen's work and advanced IT using a
scientific study to help prove what Jensen was saying, that students need better food to help
them succeed in schools. Increasing fruits and vegetables in a classroom isn't as hard as many
people think it is. Many schools have year-round access to inexpensive, locally-grown fruits and
vegetables that can be utilized as snacks and taking out sugared beverages from lunches would
only decrease food costs.