Kenan Fellows Program Logo and page header graphic

I’m On a Diet & Proud of It: Nutrition through Math & Science

Activity 8 – How can I make sure I’m getting what I need?

Through mathematics and technology integration, students will further understand what it means to have a balanced diet, as well as explore the causes and effects of healthy and unhealthy eating habits, and eating in moderation.

Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • Assess their diets to find out if they are eating the proper amount of food from each food group
  • Create action plans to improve their diets and activity levels
  • Share their learning through social networking software such as wikis or blogs
  • Discuss how foods provide both energy and nutrients for living organisms
  • Demonstrate the ability to plan healthy meals and snacks that emphasize the principles of MyPyramid
  • Summarize the concept and the benefits of eating in moderation
  • Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy eating patterns
  • Analyze the relationship between physical activity and nutrition
  • Solve problems by comparing two sets of related data
  • Identify, describe, and generalize relationships in which change in one quantity relates to change in a second quantity
  • Use planning strategies to generate topics and organize ideas
  • Use technology as a tool to present information
  • Use online collaborative tools

Teacher planning

Time required

1–2 days or 90 minutes

Materials

  • Pan balance (1 per group)
  • 2 sets of metric weights per group (minimum recommended: four 50-gram weights, three 100-gram weights, and three 200-gram weights and one each of 500—gram and 1000—gram weights for a total weight of 2,600 grams)
  • Supply of centimeter cubes
  • Calculators
  • Chart paper
  • Markers
  • Optional: MyPyramid poster or pocket chart

Student handouts

Food group worksheet
Open as PDF (156 KB, 2 pages)
Action plan worksheet
Open as PDF (69 KB, 1 page)

Technology resources

  • Computers with internet access
  • Educational blogging (preferred) and/or wiki site (1 blog/wiki per student)

Pre-activities

Students may work independently or in pairs. Each student or pair will need a laptop, one pan balance, 2 sets of metric weights, a supply of centimeter cubes, calculators, and data sheets. They will also need their MyPyramid plans from the lesson How Much Am I Supposed to Eat? They should also have their diet and exercise data sheets and the Balancing My Equation worksheet from the lesson What is a Balanced Diet?

Activities

  1. Begin by reviewing the information learned about nutrition during all previous activities, especially the lesson How Much Am I Supposed to Eat?
  2. Ask students to remind you what the purpose of food is (to provide energy and nutrients). Then, ask them, “How do we know how much energy and nutrients we need?” Students should have a good idea of strategies they can apply to answer this question.
  3. Have students write the question of the day and make or adjust predictions to both questions. Discuss predictions.
  4. Say, “While it’s important to have a balanced number of calories, it’s just as important to have a balanced amount of nutrients. The MyPyramid plan gives you a benchmark number to follow when you make food choices throughout the day.

    “The diet and exercise data sheets not only help us keep track of calories but of nutrients by looking at the food groups. How do you think looking at food groups helps us to know that we are getting the right amount of nutrients?” Allow students to make predictions. By the end of this investigation, they should understand that each food group is a major source of one or two nutrients. By eating the right variety of food groups we make sure we get all the nutrients we need to grow and go.

  5. Ask, “Does anyone know what the food groups are?” Students may or may not know. Then, remind students of the chart they made in a previous with the food sources for each nutrient.
  6. At this point, explain the USDA MyPyramid. It might be helpful to have a poster or pocket chart of the Pyramid, along with sample food sources. Have students reflect on what this means for them.
  7. Have students look at their Balancing My Equation worksheets from the lesson What is a Balanced Diet? Now, have students use the Food Groups worksheet to classify the foods they entered onto the data sheet into each of the food groups. Help students who have difficulty understanding combination foods, or foods made up of more than one food group.
  8. Once students have classified the foods, facilitate in determining the approximate total number of servings and in completing the rest of the worksheet.
  9. Have students complete the Action Plan worksheet.
  10. When students have completed the investigation, gather the class back together to discuss their predictions, procedures, observations, and conclusions.
  11. Optional: At this time, students may use educational blogging or wiki sites to blog about their experiences this lesson and the previous lesson. See the Learn More section for suggestions. Once blogs are up and running, students may visit and comment on each other’s blogs. Family members and staff may also be invited to read and comment on student blogs.
  12. Finally, direct students to all essential questions and the QOD.
  13. Have a short closing discussion to review essential understandings for this activity and add student ideas to the charts.

Assessment

  • Assess student work sheets.
  • Students should record an answer to the QOD in their science notebooks that correctly applies essential understandings of the activity.
  • Evaluate student blogs and/or wikis.

Modifications

  • Students can complete only portions of the student work sheets.
  • Students may complete the investigation as a center activity.
  • A class blog may be created to chronicle experiences rather than individual blogs.

Critical vocabulary

  • MyPyramid
  • food group
  • dairy
  • classify
  • blog
  • wiki
  • combination foods

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Computer Technology Skills (2005)

Grade 4

  • Goal 2: The learner will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the use of computer and other technologies.
    • Objective 2.13: Identify, discuss, and use online collaborative tools (e.g., email, surveys, videoconferencing) to collect data for content area assignments/projects. Strand - Telecommunications/Internet

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 4

  • Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
    • Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
      • present information and ideas in a clear, concise manner.
      • discuss.
      • interview.
      • solve problems.
      • make decisions.
    • Objective 4.05: Use planning strategies to generate topics and organize ideas (e.g., brainstorming, mapping, webbing, reading, discussion).
    • Objective 4.10: Use technology as a tool to gather, organize, and present information.
  • Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
    • Objective 5.09: Create readable documents through legible handwriting and/or word processing.

Healthful Living Education (2006)

Grade 4

  • Goal 4: The learner will apply knowledge and behavior self management skills to areas of nutrition and physical activity for healthy growth, development, and maintenance.
    • Objective 4.04: Demonstrate the ability to plan healthy meals and snacks that emphasize the principles of My Pyramid.
    • Objective 4.05: Summarize the concept and the benefits of eating in moderation.
    • Objective 4.06: Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy eating patterns.
    • Objective 4.10: Analyze the relationship between physical activity and nutrition and the cardiovascular system.

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will read, write, model, and compute with non-negative rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.05: Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.
  • Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use graphs, probability, and data analysis.
    • Objective 4.03: Solve problems by comparing two sets of related data.
  • Goal 5: Algebra - The learner will demonstrate an understanding of mathematical relationships.
    • Objective 5.01: Identify, describe, and generalize relationships in which:
      • Quantities change proportionally.
      • Change in one quantity relates to change in a second quantity.
    • Objective 5.02: Translate among symbolic, numeric, verbal, and pictorial representations of number relationships.
    • Objective 5.03: Verify mathematical relationships using:
      • Models, words, and numbers.
      • Order of operations and the identity, commutative, associative, and distributive properties.

Science (2005)

Grade 4

  • Goal 4: The learner will conduct investigations and use appropriate technology to build an understanding of how food provides energy and materials for growth and repair of the body.
    • Objective 4.03: Discuss how foods provide both energy and nutrients for living organisms.
Supplemental Files: