Nutritional Needs UnitFood Science - grades 9-12

Carla Selberg

EDU 707: Instructional Leadership

University of New England

August 13, 2010

Nutritional Needs Unit

FCS-FN Competency #2 - Students will understand the strategies needed to meet the nutritional needs of individuals and families.

Standard 1. Apply science based dietary guidelines in planning to meet nutrition and wellness needs of individuals and families.

Standard 2. Recognize health and nutrition requirements of individuals and families with special needs.

Standard 3. Evaluate food and nutrition information, including food labels, in relation to the nutrition content of the food.

Standard 4. Demonstrate ability to select, store, prepare, and serve nutritious, safe, and appealing foods. (MAFACS, 2010)

Recommended Dietary Guidelines

for Americans

Day 1. (September 13, 2010)

Content Response Cards – Students complete a survey to activate prior knowledge of the Dietary Guidelines.

Brainstorm -The teacher will list on the board 6 categories (Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk, Meat & Beans, Physical activity). Students will come up to the board and write in “What they know”.

Handout - The teacher will distribute a handout with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Worksheet - Students will complete a worksheet using Handout for information.

Recommended Dietary Guidelines

for Americans

Day 1 Continued

Class Discussion- The teacher will question students:

What should be changed in our 6 categories on the

board? The teacher will write comments on the board.

Graphic Organizer - Each student will organize information

from the Recommended Dietary Guidelines and create

their own representation.

Collect the original Dietary Guideline Handouts – The

teacher will collect the handouts, so that they can be used

again in other classes.

Food Labels and Nutrition

Information.

Day 2 (September 15, 2010)

1. Gather food boxes with labels - students will choose 2

items from the assortment of empty foods boxes as they

enter the classroom.

2. Cooperative Learning Activity: Students will answer the

Question: What information is on a nutritional label?

Students working in their base groups, will look at the

labels and make a list. Students will then put the list into

categories and create a “graphic organizer”. The teacher

will show examples of ways to categorize and organize

information.

Food Labels and Nutrition

Information.

Day 2 Continued

Research ingredients - Students will research using classroom laptop computers.

Categorize Ingredients – Students will Identify ingredients in a pre-packaged food and classify those ingredients into categories by the similarities and differences in the purpose of the ingredient.

Class Discussion- Teacher will list on board the purposes categorized by the students. One student from each group will report out loud their findings, one student from each group will write specific ingredients under each category.

Review: Dietary Guidelines and

Labels

Day 3 (September 17, 2010)

Scavenger Hunt. The teacher will create a list of ingredients based on the dietary guidelines and nutritional labels for students to find. The teacher will place the empty food packages all along the counter. Each base group of students will be given the list of ingredients to find.

Group Tours: Students will gather at each table to analyze and discuss the success of each group.

Watch DVD: Teen Nutrition: What’s the big debate? 20 minutes. (Why the food pyramid matters? How reading food labels can help teens make good choices.)

Review: Dietary Guidelines and

Labels

Day 3 Continued

Class Discussion- The teacher will lead a class discussion with questions to review dietary guidelines, information on a label, ingredients in processed foods, and how to categorize foods based on those labels. The teacher will ask “Why do we need to know about the guidelines and labels? When would you look at a label? How might this change what you buy at the store?”

Cubing- Critical Thinking and writing : The teacher will place a cube on each table with a question on each side. Each student will be asked to answer one of the questions in detail. This writing will be collected by the teacher and graded.

Diet-Based Medical Problems

Day 4. (September 21, 2010)

Brainstorm: Students will come up to the board and write medical problems which can be controlled with diet. The teacher can add to the list if needed.

Pair Share: The teacher will ask students to think of someone they know who has a diet based medical condition. The teacher will ask students to pair up with a partner and instruct students to share information about the person and their experience with the medical condition.

Survey: Teacher will ask students what medical problems they would like to research. Students will write on slips of paper their top 3 choices. The teacher will analyze the surveys and place students into small groups according to interests.

Diet-Based Medical Problems

Day 4 Continued

Cooperative Learning Groups: Students will move into their new groups based on the medical problem that interests them.

Choice Board: The teacher will present a list of presentation choices to the students. Students will choose the type of presentation that their group will complete.

Rubric: The teacher will hand out a grading rubric for the presentations.

Problems will be researched and presentations completed by the students during class. Computers and supplies will be provided. Students will have 3 class periods including this one to complete the assignment. Presentations will take place on Day 7 of the unit (September 29, 2010).

Diet-Based Medical Problems

Day 5 & 6 (September 23, and 27, 2010)

Problem Based Learning – students will work as groups to research problem and prepare presentations.

The teacher will provide computers, library passes, specialty cookbooks and a printer.

The teacher will continually connect with groups and assist as needed.

Day 7- Projects are due. (September 29, 2010)

Presentation Day

Day 7 (September 29, 2010)

Create Guidelines- The teacher will ask students to create guidelines or rules for a good audience. The teacher will write the students suggestions on the board.

Present research presentations- students will present to class.

(The teacher will grade presentations using the rubric.)

The teacher will have a computer and projector available for students to use.

Cooking Lab

Day 8 (October 1, 2010)

Cooking lab- Students will prepare the main dish that they planned as a part of their diet based medical problem presentation.

Self-reflection- The students will complete a reflection on how their group worked during their cooking lab.

Class evaluation- The class will evaluate the main dish using the pre-printed evaluation form.

Eat Dinner - The students and teacher will try each dish prepared.

Resources Required

Day 1

Content Response Cards

Recommended Daily Allowances for Americans Handouts.

Recommended Daily Allowance Worksheet

Chalkboard or whiteboard

White paper and colored pencils

Day 2

Pre-packaged food boxes

Examples of nutritional label graphic organizer

Classroom laptop computers

Day 3

Scavenger hunt list

DVD -Teen Nutrition: What’s the big debate

Question Cube

Resources Required

Day 4, 5 and 6

Small slips of paper

Diet-Based Medical Problem Choice Board

Problem-based learning Rubric

Library passes

Specialty cookbooks

Classroom laptop computers

Day 7

Computer projector

Classroom laptop computers

Day 8

Lab self-reflections

Class evaluation sheets

Pool of Experts

Jean Libby - Consumer Life Teacher- Brunswick High School (Sharing Classroom Laptops)

Merry Harkins - Home Economics Teachers- Bath Middle School (Nutritional Labeling Graphic Organizer)

Becky Costa - Health Teacher- Brunswick High School Recommended Dietary Allowances Handouts)

Martha Turner - BHS Technology staff (to set up computer and projector for presentations)

BHS students, teachers and Staff (to bring in food boxes)

Possible Challenges

Students absent – Class work will be assigned as a homework

assignment.

Lack of food boxes - Labels can be collected from students, staff

and cafeteria.

Laptop Classroom Computers unavailable – Reserve 4 weeks in

advance, sign up for computer labs, or reserve library computers.

More or less time needed for research and completion of diet-

based problem – keep time flexible and monitor group

presentation completion.

References

Learning Zone Express. (2007). Teen nutrition: what’s the big

debate? (DVD). Owatonna, MN

Maine Association of Family And Consumer Science. (January,

2010), FCS foods and nutrition competency guidelines, Retrieved

March, 10, 2010,

http://maineafcs.wikispaces.com/facs+national+standards

Feedback- Merry Harkins

Title:

Home Economics Teacher

38 years teaching experience

Has served as Curriculum Coordinator, Vice Principal, and Expeditionary Learning Leader.

Merry critiqued my curriculum plan as a teacher and administrator. She is highly educated and well spoken.

Feedback

A wide variety of learning opportunities are offered.

Students are doing the work and will be actively involved.

Pre-teaching of the purpose and chemical structures of additives and preservatives will be necessary prior to categorization.

Eliminate Pair Share and keep discussions less personal.

Assign medical diseases randomly to groups to have variety.

Feedback-Jean Libby

Title:

Consumer and Life Studies

Teacher

Has previously taught this

content to grades 9-12

Jean’s perspective was focused

more on the availability of

resources and the details of the

actual lesson plans.

Feedback

Assumptions: the copy machine,

computers and Dietary Guideline

handouts will be available.

Are there enough special diets to

research? How will teacher know about

the special diets?

Good activity where students research

and show creativity in presentations.

Good to have students set guidelines for

behavior.

What are the questions on the cube?

Are they based on the video?

Add an activity to address choosing one

product over another because of the

labeling. Have students justify their

choice.

Feedback – Brenda J. Romanello

Title:

Middle School Chorus Teacher

Colleague in my Educational Leadership Class

Parent of a child with a reading disability.

Brenda’s perspective was from a fellow student who has also just completed this assignment and understood the readings. In addition, she is sensitive to the needs of students with disabilities.

Feedback

Be aware of students with reading disabilities-provide options for students who cannot read the handout or write with a scribe.

Good use of differentiated instruction, technology and self reflection.

How will you evenly distribute Cooperative learning groups and address students who want to change groups?

Good use of class discussions.

Students are offered lots of choices.

Integration of enhancements

based on Feedback: Day 2

Pre-teach purpose and chemical structures of additives and preservatives prior to

categorization of ingredients on a label.

Day 3

Cubing: Create at least one writing question based on video, one writing question where

student has to justify choosing one product over another based on labeling.

Day 4

Provide short stories for pair-share for students who do not have a personal experience

they want to share.

Gather information on diet based medical problems so that teacher will have a list. I

could choose five popular problems and divide students into even groups. Students will

not be allowed to change groups after day 1.

Disagreements:

I want to keep the Pair-Share activity and believe that the personal question is an

important way for students to relate what we are learning to their lives.

If I have a student in my class who cannot read nor write, they will have an Aid to help

them. I will have students with reading disabilities and the appropriate accommodations

will be made for them.

I believe students should be given a choice of medical problem to research so that they

will have a higher level of interest.