Jodie Moore

Grade Level(s): 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Subject(s):  Health/Nutrition

Description:

This lesson requires students to use their knowledge of the food groups to plan a healthy meal. The meal needs to include an entree, at least one 
side dish, and beverage. This lesson is an excellent culminating activity for a nutrition unit.

Goal: The students will understand how the food pyramid can help to plan 
healthy meals.

Objectives:

  1. The students will use their knowledge of the food pyramid to plan a full meal that incorporates at least one serving of food from each group.

  2. The students will be able to classify their ingredients according to the food groups.

NETS Standards:

1.     Creativity and Innovation
    
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
 
  a.     apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or 
processes.

Students will plan healthy nutritious meals for a week using a word table. 
Students will print out table and use it as a guideline for the week.

b.     create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

Students will express how the meal was successful by rating it on a one to 
ten grading scale.

c.     use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. Students will choose a table preference to upload the information into.

Students will use microsoft word to enter their data and complete a bar graph.

d.     identify trends and forecast possibilities.

 Students will research the benefits of eating nutritious meals.


3.     Research and Information Fluency
    
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. 
Students:
  
a.     Plan strategies to guide inquiry.

Students will gather meal ideas and categorize which meal they will eat on which day.  Students should avoid eating the same thing twice throughout
the unit.

b.     Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. 
       Students will research healthy meals on the internet for the table.

c.     Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.Students will evaluate the information provided on MyPyramid for healthy food choices and diets.

d.     Process data and report results.

Completion of table will allow students to reflect over the dietary 
results for the week.


Background Information:

The menus that the students design can be bound together into a book. This would be great to set out at conference time. If using this activity with 
older students you may want to have the students analyze the nutritional value of the meal in relation to the daily guidelines for vitamins, minerals, etc.

Materials:

   Copies of Sample Menu
   Writing Paper
   Writing Utensils
   Visual of the Food Pyramid (optional)
   Computers/Microsoft word
   Printer

  
Procedure:

1. Review the food groups with the students.

2. Tell the students that they are going to design a menu for one meal that includes at least one serving of food from each food group by exploring nutrition options on the food pyramid website.  

3.  Provide the materials needed to complete the assignment.  Copies of sample menus, a copy of the food pyramid, writing paper and writing utensils.

4.  Students will orgaine a rough draft of the menu with a entree, side dish and beverage.

5.  Students will get the rough draft approved by the teacher and make any corrections needed.  

6.  Once the students get their rough draft approved, they will have permission from the teacher to use the classroom computer to use microsoft word.

7.   The students will record their information in a word document.

8.  The students will input their data each day into the graphing program in word.

9.  At the end of the week, students will print their generated bar graph from their word program as a visual demonstration of their caloric intake for the week.

Assessment:

Students will write a reflection paper that includes the following:

1.  What steps did you take in order to develop a menu?
2.  What steps did you need in order to input data into microsoft word?
3.  How did you determine which food choices would be good for you?
4.  Did your dietary week turn out as well as you thought by the visual demonstation shown on the bar graph?
5.  Is there anything you would change?
6.  Would you consider using this independently to promote a healthier lifestyle for yourself?

I would create a rubric to keep track of students success in this project.