Chapter 1: Notice Your Food

Chapter Introduction

This chapter is for a grown-up to read aloud with a child. Many first graders can read some words themselves — let them try. The Bear walks slowly with you.

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You are six or seven years old now.

You are a first grader.

You can read some words.

You can do some things on your own.

You have grown.

Hi. I am the Bear.

You may remember me from Kindergarten.

I taught you about food. Real food. Hungry and full. Eating with the people who love you. Trusted grown-ups.

I am still the Bear. I still teach about food.

This year, in first grade, we are going to notice.

Notice your food. Notice where it comes from. Notice your hunger. Notice your fullness. Notice how food makes you feel.

Noticing is a kind of growing-up skill. Kindergarteners just meet things for the first time. First graders begin to see what they meet. See more. Notice more. Pay attention.

The Bear is glad you are here. Let's begin.

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Lesson 1.1: Notice Your Food

Learning Goals (for the grown-up to know)

By the end of this lesson, the child will:

• Notice the food on their plate
• Begin to identify real foods (from plants and animals) and other foods
• Notice where food comes from
• Begin to use "noticing" as a small daily skill

Key Words

• Notice — to pay attention to something. Look at it. Think about it.
• Real food — food that grew from a plant or came from an animal. (You learned this in K.)
• Factory food — food that was made in a factory from many parts.
• Plant food — food from plants. Like apples, carrots, beans, rice.
• Animal food — food from animals. Like eggs, milk, chicken, fish.
• Ingredients — the things that go INTO a food.

What Is "Notice"?

Noticing is paying attention.

In kindergarten, you met lots of things. You met the Bear, the Turtle, the Cat, the Lion, the Penguin, the Camel, the Dolphin, the Rooster, and the Elephant. You met food. You met sleep. You met moving. You met all kinds of things.

This year, you start to notice them.

Noticing the Bear's stuff — food — means:

• Looking at the food on your plate before you eat it.
• Thinking about where it came from.
• Asking, "What is this?" "Where did it grow?" "Did it come from a plant or an animal?"
• Tasting it on purpose, instead of just gulping.
• Thinking about how full or hungry you feel.

That is noticing. It is a small skill. It grows with practice.

Notice the Real Foods

Real foods are foods that grew from a plant or came from an animal. You learned this from me in kindergarten.

This year, let's notice them more.

Plant foods you might eat:

• Apples, oranges, bananas, berries, melons
• Carrots, broccoli, peas, beans, potatoes, lettuce
• Rice, oats, wheat (in bread)
• Nuts, seeds
• Many more

Animal foods you might eat:

• Eggs (from chickens or other birds)
• Milk, yogurt, cheese (from cows, goats, sheep)
• Chicken, beef, pork, lamb
• Fish, shrimp
• Many more

Every meal you eat probably has real food in it. Notice it.

Factory Foods Have Ingredients

Some foods are made in factories. The Bear talked about this in kindergarten too.

This year, let's notice ingredients. Ingredients are the things that go INTO a food.

A real apple has one ingredient: apple.

A piece of chicken has one ingredient: chicken.

A factory cracker might have many ingredients: flour, oil, salt, sugar, and some words you do not know.

Most foods in your kitchen have a label that lists the ingredients.

You can ask a trusted grown-up: "What's in this?"

The grown-up will help you read the label, or tell you.

Some kids your age love this. They become "ingredient detectives." It is a fun way to notice food.

Where Did Your Food Come From?

Most kids your age get food from a kitchen at home, a school cafeteria, or a restaurant.

But every food started somewhere else.

An apple grew on a tree.

A carrot grew in the ground.

An egg came from a chicken.

A piece of bread started as wheat in a field.

Milk came from a cow (or sometimes a goat or a sheep).

A fish swam in water.

When you notice food, you can think about where it came from.

Some families:

• Grow some food in a garden
• Visit a farm or farmers market
• Cook food together
• Buy food at a store
• Get food from a community kitchen or food bank
• Eat food from a restaurant

All of these are ways to get food. All are good.

What matters is that you eat real food when you can, and that you eat with the people who love you.

Lesson Check (for grown-up and child to talk about)

1. What does "notice" mean?
2. Can you name three plant foods? Three animal foods?
3. What are ingredients? What might you ask a trusted grown-up about a food?
4. Where did your last meal come from? (Think about it together.)

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Lesson 1.2: Notice Hungry and Full

Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, the child will:

• Notice the hungry feeling more clearly
• Notice the full feeling
• Recognize that hungry and full come at different times
• Tell a trusted grown-up about hungry or full feelings

Key Words

• Hungry — when your body wants food. (You learned this in K.)
• Full — when your body has enough food. (You learned this in K.)
• Signal — a message your body sends you.
• Tummy — the part of you where food goes after you swallow.

Your Body Talks To You

Your body sends you signals all day.

A signal is a message. Like when a friend waves at you to come over. That is a signal. The wave means "come here."

Your body sends signals too. Not with hands or words, but with feelings inside.

Some body signals:

• Thirsty (the Elephant taught you)
• Tired (the Cat taught you)
• Cold (the Penguin)
• Hot (the Camel)
• Wanting to move (the Lion)

And for food:

• Hungry (your body wants food)
• Full (your body has enough)

Today let's notice the hungry and full signals.

Notice Hungry

When you are hungry, you might feel:

• A pulled-in feeling in your tummy
• A small ache in your tummy
• Less energy
• A little grumpy
• Thoughts about food
• Wanting to eat soon

These are signals. Your body is saying: "I want food."

Notice when this happens during your day.

When does your body usually feel hungry?

• In the morning, before breakfast?
• Mid-morning, before lunch?
• After school, before snack?
• Before dinner?
• Sometimes at night?

When you feel hungry, tell a trusted grown-up. Like in kindergarten. They will help you get food.

You do not have to wait until you are super hungry. Sometimes a small hungry feeling is enough to mention.

Notice Full

When you are full, you might feel:

• A comfortable feeling in your tummy
• Not wanting more food
• Slowing down with eating
• Feeling like the meal is done

These are also signals. Your body is saying: "I have enough."

When you feel full, you can stop eating. That is okay. Your body knows.

Some kids feel full quickly. Some kids feel full after a lot. All bodies are different. Different bodies need different amounts. All of this is normal.

The Bear has watched many kids eat for many years. Listening to the full signal is one of the best food skills a kid can have.

Sometimes Hungry and Full Are Tricky

The Bear wants to be honest with you.

Sometimes hungry and full are tricky to notice.

Maybe you ate a snack right before dinner. Now dinner is here, and you are not hungry. That is okay. Tell a grown-up — "I am not hungry yet."

Maybe you forgot to eat lunch and now you are very hungry and a little shaky. That is okay too. Tell a grown-up — "I am very hungry."

Maybe you were too excited at a birthday party and ate a lot of cake and now your tummy hurts. That happens. Tell a grown-up — "My tummy hurts."

Maybe you ate a meal and felt full, then twenty minutes later you feel hungry again. That happens too. Tell a grown-up.

Your body's signals are real, but they can also be tricky sometimes. Trusted grown-ups help you figure out what your body needs.

Lesson Check

1. What is a signal?
2. What does hungry feel like for you?
3. What does full feel like?
4. What do you do when you feel hungry? When you feel full?

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Lesson 1.3: Notice Who You Eat With — And When Something Feels Off

Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, the child will:

• Notice who they eat with most often
• Notice that eating with people you love feels good
• Know what to do if food or eating feels off
• Begin to learn about 911 for emergencies (with strong trusted-grown-up routing)

Key Words

• Family meal — a meal you eat with your family.
• Trusted grown-up — a grown-up who takes care of you. (You learned this from every coach in K.)
• 911 — the phone number grown-ups call in an emergency in the United States.

Eating With People

In kindergarten, the Bear told you that eating is one of the oldest things people do together.

Families eat together. Friends eat together. Communities eat together.

When you eat with people who love you:

• Food often tastes better
• You learn about new foods from each other
• You hear stories
• You share your day
• You feel like part of a group

The Bear has watched kids and families eat together for a long, long time. Some of the best things in life happen at meal tables. Quiet conversations. Big laughs. Hard days getting a little easier. Good days getting a little better.

This year, notice who you eat with.

Notice who passes you the salt.

Notice who asks about your day.

Notice who laughs at the jokes.

Notice who quietly helps you cut something hard.

Notice the love that lives at meal tables.

Different Families, Different Foods

Different families eat different foods. That is one of the most beautiful things about humans.

A family from one place might eat:

• Rice with fish and vegetables and special sauces
• Bread with cheese and tomatoes
• Beans and corn tortillas with salsa
• Spicy lentils with flatbread
• Pasta with red sauce
• Stew with meat and vegetables
• Many, many other things

All of these are good food traditions.

If your family eats food that is different from your friend's family — that is normal. If your friend eats food you have never seen — that is wonderful. Ask about it. Be curious.

Food is one of the ways people share who they are. The Bear loves all of it.

When Food Feels Off

Sometimes food does not feel right.

Maybe you do not like a certain food.

Maybe your tummy hurts after eating something.

Maybe you feel weird at meal times.

Maybe you heard something at school about food or bodies that made you feel bad.

Maybe a friend said something about how much you eat or how much they eat.

When food feels off, tell a trusted grown-up.

Your trusted grown-up:

• Will listen
• Will not be mad
• Will help you figure out what is going on
• Will help you decide what to do

You are never alone with food.

The Bear says this in every chapter. The Bear says it again now.

Emergencies — A Note About 911

Most of the time, you tell a trusted grown-up about anything that bothers you. The grown-up helps. That is the rule. Same rule as kindergarten.

But sometimes — rarely — something very serious happens. Someone might be choking. Someone might be very sick. Someone might be hurt badly. Someone might fall in water.

For very serious things, grown-ups call a special phone number in the United States: 911.

You can dial 911 on any phone. Real people answer right away. They help. They send doctors and ambulances and fire trucks if needed.

Kids your age usually tell a trusted grown-up first. The grown-up makes the 911 call.

But sometimes, in a real emergency — if NO grown-up is around and someone needs help — a kid can call 911 too. Your trusted grown-ups can teach you how. Ask them.

The Bear, the Turtle, the Cat, the Lion, the Penguin, the Camel, the Dolphin, the Rooster, and the Elephant all agree about 911.

911 is for real emergencies. Trusted grown-ups close. The kid stays safe.

(More about emergencies in other Coaches' first-grade chapters. The Bear just wanted you to know the number.)

Lesson Check

1. Who do you eat with most often? Name them.
2. Can you think of a meal that has been special with people you love? Tell about it.
3. What do you do when food feels off?
4. What is 911 for? Who usually makes the call?

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End-of-Chapter Activity: A Week of Food Noticing

The Bear has an activity for you and your trusted grown-up.

For the next week, notice your food in small ways.

Each day, pick ONE moment to notice:

Day 1: At one meal, look at your food before you eat. What is real food on your plate? What is factory food?

Day 2: At one meal, ask a trusted grown-up: "What's in this?" Talk about ingredients.

Day 3: Notice when you feel hungry today. Was it before breakfast? Before lunch? Before dinner?

Day 4: Notice when you feel full today. Did you stop eating when you felt full?

Day 5: At dinner, notice who you eat with. Notice the love at the table.

Day 6: Try a real food you have not eaten before. (Apple slices with peanut butter? A new vegetable cooked a new way? A food from a culture different from yours?)

Day 7: Tell a trusted grown-up: "What did I notice this week about food?"

That is the activity. Seven small noticings.

You do not have to be perfect. Some days you might forget. That is fine. Try again the next day.

The Bear is proud of you for noticing.

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Vocabulary Review

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Chapter Review (for grown-up and child to talk about)

1. What does "notice" mean? Why is the Bear's first-grade theme "notice"?
2. Can you name three plant foods and three animal foods?
3. What is hungry? What is full? Are they always easy to notice?
4. What do you do when food feels off?
5. What is 911 for? Who usually makes the call?
6. Why does the Bear say "notice the love at meal tables"?

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Instructor's Guide

Important: this Instructor's Guide carries load-bearing parent-education work — G1-specific firewall scope, the begin-of-911 framing in body content (with strong trusted-grown-up routing), continued parent-only crisis resources, NEDA non-functionality flag, four K-12 protocol-firewall awareness at parent-only level, and pre-conversation guidance for the G1 "Notice" theme.

Pacing recommendations

This G1 Food chapter is the FIRST chapter of the G1 cycle and the SECOND chapter in the Bear's K-12 spiral (K Food was first). Three lessons (G1 begins the 2→3 lesson transition — K used 2 lessons; G3+ uses 3; G1-G2 are in the transition). Spans six to eight class periods or read-aloud sessions of ~15-25 minutes each.

• Lesson 1.1 (Notice Your Food): two to three sessions. Introduces "notice" as a G1 skill. Real food vs factory food deepening from K. Ingredients introduced. Where food comes from.
• Lesson 1.2 (Notice Hungry and Full): two to three sessions. Hungry and full signals deepened from K. Signals as concept (the kid learned this idea in K Brain too). Honest acknowledgment that signals are sometimes tricky.
• Lesson 1.3 (Notice Who You Eat With — And When Something Feels Off): two to three sessions. Family meals. Different families, different foods. G1 introduces 911 in body content for the first time at this tier-build — with strong trusted-grown-up routing. When food feels off → tell a trusted grown-up.

Approach to reading

Many G1 kids can read short sentences. Let them try. Some chapters can be co-read — you read most, the child reads the lesson-check questions. Picture-book pacing continues but slightly denser than K. The "Notice" theme is meta — the G1 reading itself becomes practice in noticing.

Lesson check answers (for grown-up reference)

Lesson 1.1

1. Notice means paying attention.
2. Open-ended. Sample three plant foods: apple, carrot, rice; three animal foods: egg, milk, chicken.
3. Ingredients = things that go INTO a food. Ask "What's in this?" about a food.
4. Open-ended. Encourage the child to think through the journey of one specific recent meal.

Lesson 1.2

1. A signal is a message your body sends.
2. Open-ended. Encourage the kid's own description of hungry.
3. Open-ended. Encourage the kid's own description of full.
4. Hungry: tell a trusted grown-up. Full: stop eating; let the grown-up know.

Lesson 1.3

1. Open-ended. Encourage the kid to name actual people.
2. Open-ended.
3. Tell a trusted grown-up.
4. 911 is for real emergencies. A trusted grown-up usually makes the call. Kids can call if no grown-up is around (with prior teaching).

Chapter review answer key

1. Notice = pay attention. G1 theme because first graders are starting to see what they met in kindergarten.
2. Sample from above.
3. Hungry: tummy wants food. Full: tummy has enough. Not always easy — sometimes tricky (snacks too close to meals, missed meals, after big-eating moments). Trusted grown-ups help.
4. Tell a trusted grown-up.
5. 911 is for real emergencies. A trusted grown-up usually makes the call. Kids can call directly only if no grown-up is around and they have been taught how.
6. Because eating with people you love is one of the oldest and most important things. The love at meal tables is real and worth noticing.

Pre-Chapter Conversation for Parents

Before reading the chapter together:

• First grade. "You are a first grader now! That is a big deal. You are bigger than you were in kindergarten."
• The Bear returns. "Remember the Bear? The Bear taught you about food in kindergarten. The Bear is back. The Bear is the first Coach to come back."
• Notice. "First grade is the year of noticing. That means paying attention. The Bear wants you to start noticing your food in small ways."
• 911 conversation. This is a critical conversation. "There is one new thing in the Bear's chapter this year — about a special phone number called 911. We'll talk about it together. It is for real emergencies. Real emergencies are very rare. But it is good to know."

The G1 "Notice" Theme (Parent Guidance)

The G1 Library theme is Notice. At G1, kids start to notice what they met in K — notice their hunger, notice their tiredness, notice their feelings, notice their breath, notice how their bodies respond to different things. This is a developmental shift from "meeting" to "perceiving" — sensory awareness, beginning self-observation.

The G1 cycle will continue with Coach Brain (Turtle), Coach Sleep (Cat), Coach Move (Lion), Coach Cold (Penguin), Coach Hot (Camel), Coach Breath (Dolphin), Coach Light (Rooster), and Coach Water (Elephant). Each chapter will deepen its coach's K material through noticing-and-awareness work.

Support the "Notice" theme at home by:

• Asking open-ended noticing questions: "What did you notice today?" "What do you notice about how this food tastes?" "What do you notice about how your body feels right now?"
• Modeling noticing yourself: "I notice I'm tired today" or "I notice I'm hungry"
• Celebrating noticing as a skill: "Good noticing!"
• Not over-coaching — let the kid develop their own noticing voice

What This Chapter Introduces (kid-facing)

• The G1 "Notice" theme
• Noticing food (real vs factory, plant vs animal, ingredients)
• Where food comes from
• Noticing hungry and full signals (deepened from K)
• The honest acknowledgment that signals are sometimes tricky
• Family meals and cultural diversity in food
• The trusted-grown-up routing for food worries
• 911 introduced in body content with strong trusted-grown-up routing

What This Chapter Explicitly Does NOT Teach (parent-only awareness)

• Calorie / macronutrient / nutritional-label content beyond "ingredients" awareness (Grade 5+ at appropriate framing)
• Body weight / BMI / body-shape framing (NOT taught at any K-12 in body-image-focused framing)
• Specific diets or dietary philosophies (the Bear teaches all real foods at K-12; specific diets are family choices)
• Eating disorder content directly with kid (eating-disorder vigilance present in body-positive framing; explicit content appears at Grade 5)
• Adult-marketed wellness protocols (cold-plunge, sauna, extreme-breathing, specific morning-sunlight protocols — Grade 5 makes these firewalls visible to kids; at K-2 they are parent-only awareness)
• 988 / Crisis Text Line / SAMHSA / National Alliance for Eating Disorders phone numbers in kid-facing body (parent-only at K-2; introduced to kids at G3+ at age-appropriate framing)
• Detailed digestion biology (Grade 4 at functional depth)
• Pandemic-era topics
• Branded protocols or contemporary popularizers

911 in Body Content at G1 (Load-Bearing Parent Guidance)

G1 marks the first appearance of 911 in body content in the K-2 tier. At K, 911 was parent-only. At G1, the framing begins gently:

• The default rule is still: tell a trusted grown-up first
• The grown-up makes the 911 call when needed
• Kids can call 911 in a real emergency if no grown-up is around AND they have been taught how

Please teach your G1 child how to call 911 if you have not already. Most pediatric guidance recommends teaching by age 6-7:

• The number: 911
• When to call: real emergencies — someone is very hurt, someone is choking and not breathing, a fire, anyone in immediate serious danger
• When NOT to call: cuts and bruises, normal worries, "just to see" — these are tell-a-grown-up situations
• What happens when you call: a real person answers; they ask simple questions (your name, where you are, what is happening); they send help if needed; stay on the phone until they say it is okay to hang up
• Stay calm: real people on the other end will help you stay calm
• It is okay to call if you are not sure: they would rather you call and not need them than need them and not call

Practice with your child:

• Together, dial 911 with the phone OFF (or covered, so it does not actually dial)
• Practice saying "I need help. There is an emergency at [address]. My grown-up is hurt." Or similar age-appropriate scripts
• Make sure your child knows your home address

Important: 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), Crisis Text Line, SAMHSA, and National Alliance for Eating Disorders are NOT introduced in kid-facing body content at G1. Those are parent-only at K-2. At G3+, the Library introduces them at age-appropriate framing.

Crisis Resources (parent-only — partial introduction at G1)

For parents:

• 911 — for emergencies. NOW in kid-facing body content at G1 with strong trusted-grown-up routing.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988. PARENT-ONLY at K-2. Operational and verified May 2026.
• Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741. Parent-only at K-2.
• SAMHSA National Helpline — 1-800-662-4357. Parent-only at K-2.
• National Alliance for Eating Disorders — (866) 662-1235. Parent-only at K-2.

The older NEDA helpline number 1-800-931-2237 is NO LONGER WORKING. Use the National Alliance for Eating Disorders number above instead.

Eating Disorder Vigilance at G1 (Light-Touch Parent Guidance)

K kids (ages 5-6) are generally pre-vulnerable to eating disorders. G1 kids (ages 6-7) are still mostly pre-vulnerable but are starting to encounter more food-related social messaging (school cafeteria comparisons, more peer interaction around eating, more screen exposure that may carry body-shape content). Eating-disorder vigilance at G1 remains LIGHT-TOUCH but parents should:

• Maintain the body-positive framing the Library teaches ("all bodies are good bodies")
• Avoid weight talk in front of the child (your own or others')
• Avoid labeling foods as "good" or "bad" — frame food as real food, factory food, water-rich, etc.
• Notice your child's eating without commenting on amount
• If your child stops eating, starts hiding food, talks about being "fat" or "not eating" — contact your pediatrician early
• The National Alliance for Eating Disorders (866-662-1235) is available for parent consultation at any age

The kid-facing body content at G1 does NOT name eating disorders directly. Explicit eating-disorder framing appears at Grade 5 when developmental vulnerability emerges more clearly.

What Parents Should Know About Adult-Marketed Wellness Practices

Same as K. Adult-marketed practices (cold-plunge, sauna, extreme-breathing, morning-sunlight protocols) are NOT appropriate for G1 kids. At K-2, this firewall is held entirely at parent level. The Library teaches the general healthy framework without prescribing or naming any specific adult-marketed protocol. At Grade 5, the Library will explicitly make these firewalls visible to kids in body content.

If anyone in your family practices these as adults, that is your choice as an adult.

Discussion Prompts

1. What did you notice today?
2. What is your favorite real food?
3. Can you tell about a meal you remember loving?
4. Who do you eat with most?
5. Have you ever felt very hungry? What helped?
6. Have you ever felt very full? What helped?
7. Do you know what to do if there is a real emergency?

Common Kid Questions

1. "What if I'm not hungry at dinner?" — Tell your trusted grown-up. Sometimes you're not hungry because you snacked too close to dinner, or you're tired, or you're a little sick. The grown-up will help figure out what's going on. It is okay not to be hungry sometimes.

2. "What if I'm really hungry between meals?" — Tell your trusted grown-up. They will help you get a snack. Sometimes a small snack is what your body needs. Trust your body's hunger.

3. "What if a kid at school says something about my food?" — Tell a trusted grown-up. Different families eat different things, and that's normal. Your food is your food. You do not need to defend it or change it. The grown-up will help you figure out what to say or do next time.

4. "What if my friend makes fun of my body?" — Tell a trusted grown-up. Right away. All bodies are good bodies (the Bear taught you in K). What your friend said is wrong. The grown-up will help.

5. "What if there's a real emergency?" — Find a trusted grown-up first if you can. If no grown-up is around and someone needs help, you can call 911 (if you've been taught how). 911 is the special number for real emergencies in the United States. Real people answer and send help.

6. "What if I call 911 by accident?" — Stay on the phone and tell them it was an accident. Do not hang up — that makes them worry more. They are not mad. Just tell the truth: "I'm sorry, I called by accident."

7. "Why is the Bear back?" — All the Coaches come back every year. Same Coaches, same animals — but slightly more grown-up conversations as you grow. The Bear will be back in second grade too. And third grade. All the way through your school years.

Family Activity Suggestions

• A "noticing" practice. Each day at dinner, each family member shares one thing they noticed today. Builds the noticing skill across the family.
• A grocery-store noticing trip. Take your G1 kid grocery shopping with the explicit goal of noticing — labels, ingredients, where foods come from.
• The 911 practice. Practice the 911 call once together (without actually dialing — phone off or covered). Make sure your child knows your home address.
• Family meal ritual. Mark family meals as special — phones away, real conversation, attention to each other. Once a week minimum if possible.
• Cultural food exploration. Try a food from a culture other than your own as a family. Talk about where it comes from.

Founder Review Notes — Safety-Critical Content Protocol

This chapter is flagged founder_review_required: true because it covers safety-critical content categories appropriate for the Grade 1 age:

• Age-appropriate health messaging. Picture-book pacing continues but slightly denser. Calibrated for read-aloud with growing independent-reading.
• Eating disorder vigilance (light-touch at G1). Body-positive framing throughout. No weight talk. No food-as-moral framing. The trusted-grown-up routing absolute.
• Body image vigilance. "All bodies are good bodies" continued from K.
• Crisis resources (911 begins in body at G1 with strong trusted-grown-up routing; other crisis resources parent-only at K-2). The parent-only resources (988, Crisis Text Line, SAMHSA, NA Eating Disorders) listed in this Guide for parent use. NEDA non-functional flag preserved.
• Parent education (load-bearing). This Guide handles the G1 "Notice" theme guidance, 911 parent-teaching, eating-disorder vigilance for G1, adult-marketed-wellness framing.

Cycle Position Notes

FIRST chapter of the G1 cycle. SECOND chapter in the Bear's K-12 spiral (after K Food). The Bear-opens convention preserved. The G1 cycle will continue with Brain (Turtle), Sleep (Cat), Move (Lion), Cold (Penguin), Hot (Camel), Breath (Dolphin), Light (Rooster), and close with Water (Elephant) — same nine-coach order as K, G3, G4, G5.

What This Chapter Does Not Teach (Full List for Parent Reference)

• Calorie / macronutrient / nutritional-label numbers (G5+ territory at appropriate framing)
• Body weight / BMI / body-composition framing (never in K-12 in body-image-focused framing)
• Specific diets or dietary philosophies (family / adult choice)
• Eating disorder content directly with kid (G5+ territory)
• Detailed digestion biology (G4+ functional; G6+ technical)
• Adult-marketed wellness protocols (parent-only at K-2; G5 makes visible to kids)
• 988 / Crisis Text Line / SAMHSA / National Alliance for Eating Disorders in kid-facing body (parent-only at K-2)
• Pandemic-era topics
• Branded protocols or contemporary popularizers

Parent Communication Template (send home before reading)

Dear families,

This week our classroom is starting the Grade 1 Library with the first chapter — Notice Your Food with Coach Food (the Bear). This is the first chapter your child meets in first grade. They will remember the Bear from kindergarten.

The Grade 1 Library theme is Notice. At G1, kids start to notice in their own bodies and lives what they met in kindergarten. This first Bear chapter teaches noticing food — what's on the plate, where it came from, ingredients, the hungry and full signals, and the people we eat with.

Important: this chapter introduces 911 in kid-facing body content for the first time. At K, 911 was held in the Instructor's Guide for parents only. At G1, the chapter begins to introduce kids to the idea that 911 is the special number for real emergencies in the United States — with strong trusted-grown-up routing (kids tell trusted grown-ups first; grown-ups make the call; kids can call directly only if no grown-up is around and they have been taught how).

Please make sure your G1 child knows:

• 911 is for real emergencies
• They should tell a trusted grown-up first when they can
• They can call 911 themselves if no grown-up is around and they've been taught
• Your home address (kids should know it by G1)

The chapter does NOT introduce 988, Crisis Text Line, SAMHSA, or the National Alliance for Eating Disorders to kids at G1. Those remain parent-only in the K-2 tier. The full crisis-resource framework appears at G3+.

At home, you can:

• Read the chapter (let your child read parts if they can)
• Practice the noticing skill at meal times
• Practice the 911 call together (with phone off or covered)
• Make sure your child knows your home address
• Try the week-of-food-noticing activity

Thank you for reading the Library with your child as they grow into first grade.

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Illustration Briefs

Chapter Introduction

• First-grader meeting the Bear again. A friendly scene of a child (visibly a bit older / more grown-up than the K kid) sitting at a kitchen table looking down at a colorful plate of real food. The Bear stands warmly beside the table. The child has a thoughtful, noticing expression. Soft light from a window. Mood: warm, hopeful, slightly more grown-up than K Bear illustrations.

Lesson 1.1

• Noticing practice. Multi-panel of a child noticing — apple, bread, milk, vegetables. Paying attention in each. The Bear in each panel, warm and patient. Caption: "Noticing is paying attention."
• Real foods diversity. Wide visual showing plant foods (tree with fruits, garden of vegetables, field of grain) and animal foods (chicken, cow giving milk, fish). The Bear in the center. Caption: "Real food comes from plants and animals. Notice it."
• Reading labels with a grown-up. Child and trusted grown-up at a kitchen counter looking at a food package label. Child pointing, asking. Grown-up reading and explaining. The Bear at the counter. Simple kid-friendly ingredient list visible. Caption: "Ask a trusted grown-up: 'What's in this?'"
• Food journey. Multi-panel: farm with vegetables growing, market shopping, kitchen cooking, school cafeteria, restaurant. The Bear walking between. Caption: "Food comes from many places. Notice where yours came from."

Lesson 1.2

• Body signals. Diagram-style of a child with small arrows pointing to different signals — tummy (hungry/full), head (tired), cheeks (hot/cold). The Bear beside. Caption: "Your body sends signals. Notice them."
• Notice hungry. Child with hand on tummy, thoughtful. Small thought bubble with "hungry." Friendly arrow toward food. The Bear nearby. Trusted grown-up in doorway, attentive. Caption: "Notice the hungry feeling. Tell a trusted grown-up."
• Notice full. Child at table with half-eaten plate, fork placed down, content expression. Trusted grown-up across table giving thumbs up. The Bear nearby. Caption: "When you feel full, you can stop. Your body knows."
• Tricky signals. Multi-panel of tricky moments — kid not hungry at dinner, kid coming home very hungry, kid after birthday party holding tummy. The Bear in center. Caption: "Sometimes signals are tricky. Trusted grown-ups help."

Lesson 1.3

• Family meal scene. Warm dinner scene with diverse family at a table. Real food. Smiles, gentle hands, conversation. The Bear nearby, warm and proud. Caption: "Notice the love at meal tables."
• Different families, different foods. Multi-panel of diverse family food traditions from around the world. Each scene warm. The Bear walking between. Caption: "Different families eat different foods. All are good."
• Food feels off → trusted grown-up. Child and trusted grown-up sitting together, child looking a little worried, grown-up attentive. The Bear nearby. Caption: "When food feels off, tell a trusted grown-up. They will listen."
• The 911 introduction. A calm, non-scary illustration of a phone with "911" gently displayed. A trusted grown-up making a call. A kid safely beside, watching. The Bear and other coaches in the background, attentive. Mood: prepared, calm, not scary. Caption: "911 is for real emergencies. A trusted grown-up makes the call when they can. Kids can call too if no grown-up is around."

Activity / Closing

• A week of noticing. Multi-panel calendar-style showing the seven activity days, each with a small noticing image. The Bear watching warmly. Caption: "A week of noticing. Small skills grow."

Aspect ratios: 16:9 digital, 4:3 print. Diverse skin tones, body sizes, body types, hair textures, gender expressions, abilities, and family compositions throughout. G1 kids are visibly slightly older than K kids in the illustrations. The Bear's character design carries forward from K and matches G3-G5.

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Citations

1. Eaton SB, Konner M. (1985). Paleolithic nutrition: a consideration of its nature and current implications. New England Journal of Medicine, 312(5), 283-289. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198501313120505 (Tier-spanning ancestral nutrition anchor preserved from K, G3, G4, G5 Food chapters. The Bear's "real food from plants and animals" framing rests on this foundational reference across the entire K-12 Bear spiral.)
2. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition, Kleinman RE, Greer FR, eds. (2020). Pediatric Nutrition (8th ed.). American Academy of Pediatrics.
3. Birch LL. (1999). Development of food preferences. Annual Review of Nutrition, 19, 41-62. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nutr.19.1.41
4. Satter E. (2007). Eating Competence: definition and evidence for the Satter Eating Competence Model. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 39(5 Suppl), S142-S153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2007.01.006
5. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 (9th ed.). https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/
6. Hammons AJ, Fiese BH. (2011). Is frequency of shared family meals related to the nutritional health of children and adolescents? Pediatrics, 127(6), e1565-e1574. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-1440
7. National Emergency Number Association. (2024). 9-1-1 Statistics and Public Education Materials, including age-appropriate guidance on teaching children when and how to call 911. NENA: The 9-1-1 Association.
8. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2023). Teaching Children to Call 911. AAP Healthy Children. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Teaching-Children-Their-Address.aspx (Cited for the parent-guidance on teaching G1 kids the 911 call and home address.)