|
|
|
|
Primary Subject Area: Health Education |
|
Grade Level: 7 - 8
|
|
Overview:
|
|
Students will evaluate, infer and draw appropriate conclusions from charts, tables and graphs showing the relationships between data and dietary practices. Students will identify food groups and serving sizes from MyPyramid and discuss the nutrient values of foods. This lesson can be used to teach math, nutrition, or food - related topics. |
|
Approximate Duration: 3 class periods (50 minutes each) |
Content Standards:
- Standard 1
Students will comprehend concepts and strategies related to health
promotion and disease prevention.
|
Benchmarks:
- 1-M-2
evaluate healthy and unhealthy lifestyles ( e.g., preventive health measures,
physical fitness, nutrition, obesity, eating disorders, stress, etc.);
(1,2,3,4)
|
Interdisciplinary Connections:
- Mathematics : Data analysis, Probability, and Discrete Math
In problem-solving investigations, students discover trends, formulate conjectures regarding cause-and-effect relationships, and demonstrate critical thinking skills in order to make informed decisions.
|
Educational Technology Standards:
- Understand Internet concepts (e.g., website, hypertext link, bookmarks, URL addresses) and apply intermediate on-line searching techniques (e.g., employ keyword, phrases, and Boolean Operators).
( 1, 4 )
|
Objectives:
The students will locate food and nutrient measures in food databases and food labels to calculate caloric intake, assign foods to the appropriate food group within the MyPyramid, discuss recommended serving sizes, explain how to determine if a food is a good source of vitamins and minerals, and identify and use two methods of recording food intake, actual measurements and the use of nutrient databases. |
Lesson Materials and Resources:
Food scale that measures in grams or ounces
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Paper clips |
Technology Tools and Materials:
Hardware:
computer with Internet connection
Software:
spreadsheet program such as Excel
graphic organizer program such as Inspiration
nutrient analysis program such as Nutrition Connection
Websites:
•USDA Food Composition Data Base
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl
•MyPyramid
www.mypyramid.gov
•Nutrition Data
www.nutritiondata.com
Other:
|
Background Information:
Students should know basic food measurement units, the USDA MyPyramid, food groups and nutrients. |
Lesson Procedures:
Part 1- Utensils and Units for Measuring Food
- Show the measuring cups, spoons, and scales and ask the students what all of these items have in common. (Answer: They all measure food.)
- Show a scale that measures in grams or ounces. Note that the difference between the food scale and the bathroom scale is that food scales measure in ounces and bathroom scales measure in pounds. While food may be purchased in pounds, we normally eat amounts that are measured in ounces.
- Have students use MyPyramid on the Web or a pamphlet to find specific portion sizes in which food is measured: for example, display some foods measured in tablespoons, teaspoons and cups. Write the students' responses on a board and refer to the correct measuring tool at the same time. Continue asking for units of measure until all are identified.
- Using Inspiration software or a concept map on the board or overhead, group foods according to portion sizes as described in MyPyramid. (Provide an example.)
Part 2- Using MyPyramid and Nutrient Databases
- Distribute the food diary activity sheets that list what Nicholas and Julia ate for one day. Complete Nicholas' food intake as a class activity. Then assign the students, independently or in pairs, to complete Julia's food intake.
- Use either the Nutrition Connection software, the Nutrition Data website, or the the USDA Food Composition Data Base website to locate the calories in each food that Nicholas ate. Transfer the calories from the database to the activity sheet. Note the amounts of food that Nicholas ate. Sometimes the amounts eaten are not the same as the amounts listed as a serving. Have the students add the calories at each meal to get a subtotal. Then have them add all of the subtotals to determine Nicholas' total energy intake for one day.
- Compare Nicholas' intake to the recommended number of calories for his age. Ask whether Nicholas' intake was close to the amount of calories he needed for one day. Does his intake mean he ate all the nutrients and recommended number of servings from each food group? (Answer: No, the number of calories in the food eaten does not measure the vitamins and minerals in foods.)
- Ask the students to take the list of foods Nicholas ate, categorize the foods according to MyPyramid, and write the answers onto the "Pyramid Power Activity Sheet" for Nicholas.
- Evaluate Nicholas' food intake based on MyPyramid. Did he eat foods from all of the food groups? Did he eat at least the minimum number of recommended servings for each group? What changes, if any should Nicholas make? Allow the students time to think about the answers and offer suggestions for change.
- Have students work independently or in pairs and follow the same procedure to analyze Julia's food intake.
- After class discussion, distribute answer keys.
Part 3- Class Project
- Have students make paper clip chains to hang in the room. These chains will graphically display the energy-yielding nutrients found in snack foods. (One paper clip represents one gram of fat, carbohydrate or protein.)
- Have students bring to class clean, empty packages or wrappers from their favorite snack foods. On an index card, 3x5 inches or larger, the students will write the name of the food and serving size in cups or ounces as listed on the food label. They will place an " F" for fat, "C" for carbohydrate, and "P" for protein along the bottom of the card at regular intervals.
- The students will attach the paper clip chains on the index card under the appropriate letter and attach the food package or label to the index card.
- Students will display the paper clip chains either on a wall or hang them from the ceiling.
- After completing the paper clip chains, students will graph the results using a spreadsheet application. This graphing project can be done using a spreadsheet program such as Excel. Students will print the graphs and display them either in the classroom or the cafeteria.
- Students will observe the graphs and draw conclusions as to the predominant energy nutrient in a serving of their favorite snack foods.
Part 4
- Remind students that each gram of carbohydrate or protein yields 4 Calories. Each gram of fat yields 9 Calories, more than twice as many calories.
- Have the students multiply the grams of each nutrient by the number of calories provided per gram. This information can be posted on the index card or illustrated graphically using a spreadsheet program.
Part 5
- Explain to the class that foods providing lots of calories per serving are referred to as calorically dense. Some foods that are high in calories provide little in the way of vitamins and minerals. Those foods should be eaten in small amounts and not often. Some foods are good sources of certain vitamins and minerals. A food that is a "good" or "best" source of a nutrient may be prepared or purchased in a form that provides fewer calories. These foods, which can be eaten more frequently, are better choices than foods that provide few nutrients.
Nutrient | Daily Value (DV) | Best Source | Good Source | Vitamin A and Beta carotene | Vitamin A 5,000 IUs | Contains at least 1,000 IUs or 20% or more of the DV per serving | Contains 500 to less than 1,000 IUs or 10-19% of the DV per serving | Vitamin C | 60 mg | Contains at least 12 mg or 20% or more of the DV per serving |
Contains 6 to less than 12 mg or 10-19% of the DV per serving | Fiber | 25 grams for a 2,000 Calorie diet | Contains at least 5 g or 20% or more of the DV per serving |
Contains 2.5 to less than 5 g or 10-19% of the DV per serving |
|
Assessment Procedures:
Teacher-made rubric including identification of proper measurements for specific foods
Concept map
Accuracy of paper clip chain and graphs |
Accommodations/Modifications:
Consider different learning styles and abilities when planning this lesson.
----- written by Division of Nutrition Assistance
Teachers must follow special needs student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Modification Plan.
ATTENTION/BEHAVIOR DIFFICULTIES:
1. During class, arrange for a “break” for the students to release energy (errand, trip to the water fountain) or allow student to kneel or stand by desk, as long as it is not disruptive to others.
2. Establish and maintain eye contact for all oral directions and while having class discussions.
3. Establish a signal that redirects student’s attention back to the task or assign a “buddy” to help redirect student.
4. Allow the student to underline the key words in the directions before beginning the task.
5. Allow student to fold worksheet so that only a small amount of information shows at a time or only assign one worksheet (Julia or Nicholas) to reduce amount of work.
PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS:
1. Provide adapted grip on pencil or pen for better control during written assignments. You may also have student dictate answers to speech to text software program (ViaVoice, MS Windows accessibility features).
2. If students are in pairs, student may dictate answers to partner or just have a peer scribe.
3. In Part 3, adapt materials to accommodate students by using large paper clips and index cards instead of small ones.
4. Provide a paper stabilizer such as a clipboard for worksheets. You may even enlarge size of the worksheet to make it easier to fill in answers.
5. Adjust key repeat rate in MS Windows accessibility features and/or use adapted/enlarged keyboard (Intellikeys) in activities such as Part 3 MS Excel spreadsheet and graphing. You may even enlarge screen to make it easier to fill in cells.
Additional General Classroom Accommodations found in “Helpful Links”.
----- written by Sandi Stafford
|
Reproducible Materials:
|
Explorations and Extensions:
Students will analyze the items available offered in the school cafeteria for one week. Students may obtain the nutrient analysis from the school food service manager or district supervisor. Students will make similar displays of paper clip chains or charts generated from spread sheets to illustrate the fat, protein, and carbohydrate in the food items served. |
Lesson Development Resources:
Every Day, Lots of Ways. Pennsylvania Department of Education, (1993, revised 1996) Developed by Penn State Nutrition Department for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Funded by a grant from USDA, NET Program. |
Reflections:
Calories are necessary for life. Energy from food is measured in calories. A kilocalorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a kilogram of water (one liter) one degree Centigrade. To be accurate, the word calorie should be capitalized when used with absolute values to indicate that it is substituting for the term kilocalories. The word calorie has a negative connotation to many people, while the word energy is usually positive. Emphasize the concept that energy and calories mean the same thing.
Two methods used to record the amount of food eaten are using measuring utensils and nutrient analysis databases. Both are necessary to analyze caloric and nutrient intake properly. |
Contact Information:
Division of Nutrition Assistance
http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/nutrition/1667.html
Louisiana Department of Education
|
Additional Contacts:
|
|
Group: Division of Nutrition Assistance |
|
MarcoPolo Lesson: No
|
Best Practices
Do you have any comments or suggestions to share about this lesson?
Would you like to view what others have experienced?
Add or View Teacher Comments.
|
|
|
