Activity 4 – What does it mean to be a healthy eater?

Using research skills and nonfiction text, students will discover the foods that are rich sources of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. This activity is a bridge between the previous set of activities and the next set, as it seeks to give a context to diets, nutrition labels, calories, and nutrients by introducing the “main character” in the story: food!

Learning outcomes

Students will:

• Discuss how foods provide both energy and nutrients for living organisms
• Determine that foods are made up of a variety of components
• Make predictions and locate relevant information
• Conduct research from books and articles

Teacher planning

Time required

40–60 minutes

Materials needed

• Chart paper
• Graphic organizer
• Chart markers
• Construction paper or paper clips (lots of them)
• Models of carbohydrates, protein, and fat
• Pictures and/or models of different types of food representing the three aforementioned nutrients
• Picture books or articles on foods

Technology resources

Optional articles may be viewed online if computers with internet access are available. Otherwise they can be printed for student use. A photo slide show may be used in lieu of pictures for a whole group activity. In this case, an LCD projector will also be needed.

Pre-activities

• Students should have completed all previous activities or have equivalent background knowledge.
• Make sure each student has written the QOD.
• Get all materials ready ahead of time.

Activities

1. Review with students the information and critical vocabulary learned in previous activities. Next, set a purpose for learning by reminding students of the quest to figure out the nutrition fact label as well as to find out how food affects our bodies.
2. Give students one nutrition label and ask, “Can someone remind me what calories are?” Tell students that they now know that foods have energy. Now the questions are, “How does food give us energy? How does it help us grow and go? Where do the calories come from?” Tell students that some of the nutrients on the label are responsible for providing calories (energy). Ask students to predict which nutrients they believe are responsible. Accept all appropriate predictions. Students should record predictions in their notebooks.
3. Tell students, “Being that each nutrient does something different for the human body, today we will be introduced to three of the types of nutrients and begin to look closely at one of them.” Explain to students that calories come from carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Show a poster or overhead of the graphic organizer.
   

   Graphic organizer showing family of nutrients

   Open as PDF (392 KB, 1 page)

   
   

4. Explain that each word is really a title for a family of nutrients. You may expand on this analogy to conceptualize understanding.
5. Tell students that carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram. Display 1 gram of carbohydrate. Then tell students that proteins have 4 calories per gram also. Display 1 gram of protein. Finally, tell students that fats have 9 calories per gram. Display 1 gram of fat.
6. Optional: Have students record this information in their science notebooks in the form of an organized table.
7. Tell students, “Not only do these nutrients provide calories, they also help our bodies in unique ways. Today, we will look at these nutrients and where they can be found. Some foods are called ‘rich sources’ or ‘good sources’ of each one of these nutrients. This means they have a lot of one of the nutrients. For example, bread is a good source of carbohydrates. That’s a hint!”
8. Tell students that carbohydrates give the body energy. In fact they are the body’s favorite source of energy because most foods that have carbohydrates also contain other nutrients. Add this to the nutrient family overhead.
9. Next, tell students that protein gives you energy as well but mostly it is for muscle building and organ repair. Add that fats give you energy as well, but mostly it is for insulation (discuss meaning if necessary) and cushioning.
10. Give student groups a set of pictures or models of different types of foods. Have them predict which foods they believe are rich sources of carbohydrates, proteins, or fats. Optional: Students may make a tri-fold and record predictions.
    

    Example tri-fold

    Open as PDF (33 KB, 1 page)

    
    

11. Then, provide students the set of books or articles. See Supplemental Information. Tell them to use the books as resources to help them determine the accuracy of their predictions. You may assign job duties to students as needed. Give them time to conduct this process, while facilitating.
12. Once all students are pretty much done, gather the group together and create a class tri-fold with accurate information for each nutrient.
    

    Food commonality tri-fold

    Open as PDF (39 KB, 1 page)

    
    

13. After recording all foods, ask, “What else did you learn about the nutrients?” Add information to the tri-fold as needed.
14. Discuss food origins. Ask students, “What do the foods in each group have in common? Do they have similar ingredients?” Scaffold student learning as needed. In the end, students should have developed a list of accurate commonalities and differences.
15. Tell students that tomorrow you will look further at the foods within each group and find out that they are not all created equal.
16. Optional: To set a further purpose for learning, have students record questions they may have developed as result of the activity.
17. To close, direct students back to the charts created during the activities and to these essential questions:
    • What is nutrition?
    • What is in food anyways?
    • How do living things get energy and nutrients?
    • How can you make sure you are getting what you need?
    • Are you on a diet? How do you know?
    • Why do we eat food?
18. Have a short closing discussion to review essential understandings for this activity and add student ideas to the chart paper.

Assessment

• Have students turn tri-fold to other side and record a number of foods for each nutrient.
• Students should record an answer to the QOD in their science notebooks that correctly applies essential understandings of the activity.
• Consider student responses during discussions and essential questions.

Modifications

• Have students explore nutrient-specific diets such as high protein, low-carbohydrate, and low-fat diets.
• Students can create picture books for younger children about each nutrient.
• Leveled and bilingual books and/or articles may be used to meet the needs of students.
• The activity may be conducted in a variety of group settings (whole group, independent study, etc.).
• Appropriately vary the number of foods required to be listed in final tri-fold.
• Students may conduct chemical tests on foods to determine if they contain certain nutrients. Information about testing for sugar, starch, protein, fat, and more can be found at the Science Company website. Commercial food testing kits are also available.

Alternative assessments

Have student make a collage of foods for each type of nutrient.

Supplemental information

Books on food groups

• Carbohydrates for a Healthy Body by Hazel King
• Meats and Proteins (First Step Nonfiction) by Robin Nelson
• Proteins (Rookie Read-About Health) by Justine Fontes
• Grains (Rookie Read-About Health) by Carol Alexander
• Fats, Oils, And Sweets (Rookie Read-About Health) by Carol Parenzan Smalley
• Dairy (Rookie Read-About Health) by Susan Derkazarian
• Fats, Oils, and Sweets by Robin Nelson
• Fats for a Healthy Body by Jillian Powell

Articles

• The Bottom Line: Carbohydrates from Harvard’s School of Public Health
• The Bottom Line: Protein from Harvard’s School of Public Health
• The Bottom Line: Fats and Cholesterol from Harvard’s School of Public Health

Critical vocabulary

• carbohydrates
• proteins
• fats
• calories
• nutrients
• foods
• source

Purpose:

• Instruction

Overview:

Using research skills and nonfiction text, students will discover the foods which are rich sources of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. This activity is a bridge between the previous set of activities and the next set, as it seeks to give a context to diets, nutrition labels, calories, and nutrients by introducing the “main character” in the story: food!

Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to…

• Science NCSCOS 4th grade
  • 4.03 Discuss how foods provide both energy and nutrients for living organisms.
  • 4.05 Determine that foods are made up of a variety of components.
• Healthful Living NCSCOS 4th grade
  • 4.06 Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy eating patterns.
• English Language Arts NCSCOS 4th grade
  • 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
    • Setting a purpose using prior knowledge and text information.
    • Making predictions.
    • Formulating questions.
    • Locating relevant information.
    • Making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
  • 2.05 Make inferences, draw conclusions, make generalizations, and support by referencing the text.
  • 3.05 Analyze and integrate information from one or more sources to expand understanding of text including graphs, charts, and/or maps.
  • 3.06 Conduct research for assigned projects or self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources through the use of technological and informal tools.
  • 4.02 Use oral and written language to present information and ideas in a clear, concise manner, and to discuss.
  • 4.05 Use planning strategies to generate topics and organize ideas (e.g., brainstorming, mapping, webbing, reading, discussion).

Classroom Time Required:

40-60 minutes

Materials:

• Chart paper,
• Graphic organizer,
• Chart markers,
• Construction paper OR paper clips (lots of them),
• Models of carbohydrates,
• Protein,
• Fat;
• Pictures and/or models of different types of food representing the three aforementioned nutrients; picture books or articles on foods (See Supplemental Information and Websites).

Technology Resources:

• Optional Articles may be viewed online if computers with Internet access are available or printed for student use; A photo slide show may be used in lieu of pictures for a whole group activity. In this case, an LCD projector will also be needed.

Pre-activities:

• Students should have completed all previous activities or have equivalent background knowledge.
• Make sure each student has written the QOD.
• Get all materials ready ahead of time.

Activities:

• Review with students the information and critical vocabulary learned in previous activities. Next, set a purpose for learning by reminding students of the quest to figure out the nutrition fact label as well as to find out how food affects our bodies.
• Give students one nutrition label and ask, “Can someone remind me what calories are?” Tell students that they now know that foods have energy. Now the questions are, “HOW does food give us energy? How does it help us grow and go? Where do the calories come from?” Tell students that some of the nutrients on the label are responsible for providing calories (energy). Ask students to predict which nutrients they believe are responsible. Accept all appropriate predictions. Students should record predictions in their notebooks.
• Being that each nutrient does something different for the human body, today we will be introduced to three of the types of nutrients and begin to look closely at one of them. Explain to students that calories come from carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Show a poster or overhead of the graphic organizer.
• Explain that each word is really a title for a family of nutrients. You may expand on this analogy to conceptualize understanding.
• Tell students that carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram. Display 1 gram of carbohydrate. Then tell students that proteins have 4 calories per gram also. Display 1 gram of protein. Finally, tell students that fats have 9 calories per gram. Display 1 gram of fat.
• Optional Have students record this information in their science notebooks in the form of an organized table.
• Not only do these nutrients provide calories, they also help our bodies in unique ways. Today, we will look at these nutrients and where they can be found. Some foods are called “rich sources or good sources” of each one of these nutrients. This means they have a lot of one of the nutrients. For example, bread is a good source of carbohydrates. That’s a hint!
• Tell students that carbohydrates give the body energy – In fact is the body’s favorite source of energy because most foods that have carbohydrates also contain other nutrients. Add this to the nutrient family overhead.
• Next, tell students that protein gives you energy as well but mostly it is for muscle building and organ repair. Add that fats give you energy as well, but mostly it is for insulation (discuss meaning if necessary) and cushioning.
• Give student groups a set of pictures or models of different types of foods. See Websites.
• Have them predict which foods they believe are rich sources of carbohydrates, proteins, or fats. Optional Students may make a tri-fold and record predictions.
• Then, provide students the set of books or articles. See Supplemental Information. Tell them to use the books as resources to help them determine the accuracy of their predictions. You may assign job duties to students as needed. Give them time to conduct this process, while facilitating.
• Once all students are pretty much done, gather the group together and create a class tri-fold with accurate information for each nutrient.
• After recording all foods, ask, “What else did you learn about the nutrients?” Add information to the tri-fold as needed.
• Discuss food origins. Ask students, “What do the foods in each group have in common? Do they have similar ingredients?” Scaffold student learning as needed. In the end, students should have developed a list of accurate commonalities and differences.
• Tell students that tomorrow you will look further at the foods within each group and find out that they are not all created equal.
• Optional: To set a further purpose for learning, have students record questions they may have developed as result of the activity.
• To close, direct students back to the charts created during the activities and to these essential questions:
  • What is nutrition?
  • What is in food anyways?
  • How do living things get energy and nutrients?
  • How can you make sure you are getting what you need?
  • Are you on a diet? How do you know?
  • Why do we eat food?
• Have a short closing discussion to review essential understandings for this activity and add student ideas to the chart paper.

Assessment and Extensions

• Have students turn tri-fold to other side and record a number of foods for each nutrient.
• Students should record an answer to the QOD in their science notebooks which correctly applies essential understandings of the activity.
• Student responses during discussions and essential questions.
• Have students explore the nutrient specific diets such as high protein diets, low-carb and low-fat diets.
• Students can create picture books for younger children about each nutrient.

Modifications

• Leveled and bilingual books and/or articles may be used to meet the needs of students.
• Activity may be conducted in a variety of group settings (whole group, independent study, etc.)
• Appropriately vary the number of foods required to be listed in final tri-fold.
• Students may conduct chemical tests on foods to determine if they contain certain nutrients.
  • Testing for Sugar, Starch, Protein, Fat, and More - http://www.sciencecompany.com/sci-exper/food_chemistry.htm
  • Commercial food testing kits are also available

Alternative Assessments

• Have student make a collage of foods for each type of nutrient.

Supplemental Information

• Books on food groups – Carbohydrates for a Healthy Body by Hazel King; Meats and Proteins (First Step Nonfiction) by Robin Nelson; Proteins (Rookie Read-About Health) by Justine Fontes; rains (Rookie Read-About Health) by Carol Alexander; Fats, Oils, And Sweets (Rookie Read-About Health) by Carol Parenzan Smalley; Dairy (Rookie Read-About Health) by Susan Derkazarian; Fats, Oils, and Sweets by Robin Nelson; Fats for a Healthy Body by Heinemann
• Article on Carbohydrates - http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohyd...
• Article on Proteins - http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/...
• Article on Fats - http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and...

Critical Vocabulary

• Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, calories, nutrients, foods, source

Websites and Parent Resources

• Nutrition Labels – www.nutritiondata.com
• Food Models – http://www.melissaanddoug.com/dyn_prod.php?p=271
• Food Models - http://www.ncescatalog.com/shopexd.asp?id=493
• Pictures of Foods - http://www.fabfoodpix.com/
• Pictures of Foods - http://www.schoodoodle.com/home/sch/page_7131_991/langolearn_cards_food....
• Pictures of Foods – http://www.nche.org/2004FoodPictureCards.pdf
• Nutrition Explorations: The Food Groups - http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/parents/pyramid-foodgroups.asp
• Nourish Interactive: The Fun Way to Learn About Nutrition - http://www.nourishinteractive.com/
• Guide to the Food Pyramid - http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/general/pyramid.html