Unit Goals
The goal of my unit of instruction is to teach second graders about nutrition, with the hope that they will gain knowledge to make better choices about the food they put into their bodies. My intent for the nutrition unit is to teach it during the down time between our science kit rotations. There is typically a three to four week window from the time one kit is returned and the new kit is delivered. Throughout this unit, these goals are as follows:
Students will:
· Determine their knowledge about nutrition
· Define nutrition and diet
· Discuss necessary components of a balanced diet
· Identify and describe the five major food groups including fruits, vegetables, grains, milk and milk products, meats/beans.
· Compile a list of foods from each major food group and distinguish the foods that belong to each food group.
· Identify foods that are grown right in our own community.
· Collect data about the foods we study.
· Diagram and explain essential needs of plants (sun, soil, water and air).
· Diagram the life cycle of a plant of their choice.
· Label fruits and vegetables as the correct part of a plant (root, stem, fruit, etc…)
· Distinguish the ways in which different foods are grown, produced or created.
· Construct a diagram of the system, how their favorite food gets from the farm field to their table.
· Conduct a dietary evaluation.
· Discuss the cause and effect relationship in healthy and non-healthy lifestyles.
· Create a presentation to share all the knowledge they have gained about nutrition.
Unit Goals in Relation to 2nd Grade Curriculum
The nutrition unit fits into many different aspects of the 2nd grade curriculum. A few of the big ideas that we focus on are structures and functions of living organisms (LS1), forms of energy (PS3) and systems (SYS). In science, we start the year with a soils unit which can tie into nutrition by teaching the students how to grow their own nutritious vegetables by making sure the plants have what is essential to them; water, sun, soil and air. After soils, we study life cycles by looking at the life cycle of the painted lady butterfly. The nutrition unit can focus on the life cycle of plants of both fruits and vegetables. It’s important to get students to understand the system between how food gets from the farm field to their tables. These are the Washington State Teaching Standards for Science:
2-3 LS1A Plants have life cycles that include sprouting, growing to full size, forming fruits and flowers, shedding seeds (which begins a new cycle), and eventually dying. The details of the life cycle are different for different plants.
2-3 SYSA A system is a group of interacting parts that form a whole.
2-3 SYSB A whole object, plant or animal may not continue to function the same way if some of its parts are missing.
In social studies, 2nd grade focuses on community, being a member of our community and needs and wants. Since I teach in a farming community, nutrition seems to be a great fit within the content area of social studies as well. The main goal will be making the connection between the food that is grown in our community and the food they consume. Through social studies students can learn about how foods produced in our community are distributed and they can learn more about the consumers of what is grown right in our own community. Additionally, we can address the environmental factors of living in a farming community. These are the Washington State Teaching Standards for Social Studies:
2.2.1 Understands the basic elements of a community’s economic system, including producers, distributors, and consumers of goods and services.
3.2.1 Understands that people in communities affect the environment as they meet their needs and wants.
Mathematics fits through data collection and building graphs. These are the Washington State Teaching Standards for Mathematics:
2.4.B Collect, organize, represent, and interpret data in bar graphs and picture graphs.
Writing can be incorporated by writing a how to article, a recipe, or journaling about their eating and exercise habits. These are the Washington State Teaching Standards for Writing:
1.5.1. Publishes own writing.
2.2.1. Demonstrates understanding of different purposes for writing.
3.1.2. Organizes multiple sentences on one topic showing beginning, middle, and ending.
3.3. Knows and applies writing conventions appropriate for the grade level.
Additionally, throughout this unit nutrition information such as healthy lifestyle choices, proper nutrition, food consumption, digestion and a dietary evaluation will occur. These are the Washington State Teaching Standards for Health and Fitness:
EALR 1: The student acquires the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain an active life: Movement, physical fitness, and nutrition.
GLE 1.5.1 Understands how the body’s function and composition are affected by food consumption.
GLE 1.5.2 Understands information from dietary evaluation and self-assessment in order to improve performance.
Technology can come into play through data collection and the creation of graphs using Excel. Students can do additionally research and gather information about the different food groups. Students can diagram and label parts of a plant, essential needs for plant life and also life cycles using graphic organizer software such as Kidspiration. Students can also produce a presentation about their knowledge and understanding of nutrition using PowerPoint or Prezi. These are the Washington State Teaching Standards for Educational Technology:
1.1.1 Generate ideas and create original works for personal and group expression using a variety of digital tools.
1.1.2 Use models and simulations to explore systems, identify trends and forecast possibilities.
2.1.1 Practice personal safety.
2.1.2 Practice ethical and respectful behavior.
2.2.1 Develop skills to use technology effectively.
Lastly, our school district adopted a snack program last fall and the purpose of this program is to make healthy snack choices available to all students. I could embellish that program by taking the snacks that are offered to my students and teaching more about these snacks, such as the origin, where they come from, the cultivating and harvesting processes, and the nutritional facts.
Description of Learners
This unit is intended for grade two, ages 7-8, for all-inclusive, general education students in a classroom setting. The students come from impoverished homes; 86% of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch services. Many of our students have emotional needs that stem from a variety of adverse childhood experiences. Additionally, our school district just received a grant to encourage physical fitness in our community. We did a study with pedometers and student logs and our results were shocking, only 30% of our students are, by Washington state standards, physically fit.
Student’s Present Level of Performance and Knowledge
Students will have varied levels of prior knowledge on the subject of nutrition, which is expected. Students are not required to have any level of knowledge or understanding at this point. Students also have varied levels in all academic areas especially in terms of reading and language. Groups will be designed to support these students and ensure success. Additionally, teaching techniques for low level readers and ELL students will be implemented to support comprehension for all learners.
Second grade is the first year these students have access to the computer lab. So, technology skills will have to be taught; from how to turn the computer on, to logging in using their student account, to accessing content on the web, to web safety and so on.
Classroom Layout and grouping of students
The learning environments consist of the classroom and the computer lab. In the classroom, the students are arranged in small groups of three or four. Groups will be thoughtfully designed to support all learners. In the computer lab, where most of the technology work will be done, students will be work independently or with a partner depending on the activity.
Unit Lessons Include:
· Lesson 1: Welcome to Nutrition
· Lesson 2: The Fabulous Five
· Lesson 3: The Food Pyramid
· Lesson 4: My Plate
· Lesson 5: Tops or Bottoms?
· Lesson 6: Plant Essentials
· Lesson 7: A Plant’s Life Cycle
· Lesson 8: From Field to Plate
Materials and Media
Books:
· Showdown at the Food Pyramid by Rex Barron
This hilarious book is about a fight that breaks out between the good and evil foods of the food pyramid is a perfect story to get students engaged about the food groups.
· Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
This book is funny and entertaining while teaching kids about the difference between a root vegetable (bottoms) and leaf vegetables (tops).
· Good Enough to Eat by Lizzy Rockwell
This nutrition book is specifically for kids. It focuses on the different food groups, includes simple recipes and even information on the importance of water and vitamins.
· Why Should I Eat Well? by Claire Llewellyn
Ms. Llewellyn truly knows kids in her age group! What 7 year old doesn’t ask the question why? This book is designed to give kids the answers to their “why” questions about nutrition.
· The Monster Health Book: A Guide to Eating Healthy, Being Active & Feeling Great for Monsters and Kids! By Edward Miller
This book has the updated food pyramid and discusses children’s choices between healthy and not-healthy meal options. With a focus on healthy choices, this book is essential for teaching kids about changing their habits and living healthy.
· What Happens to a Hamburger? by Paul Showers
Digestion is the focus of this kid’s book. Once you eat that hamburger, what happens to it? This book describes the whole process and talks about all the important body parts that are involved in the process.
· Energy Makes Things Happen by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
This book discusses both the importance and the properties of energy. Through this book, you can enforce the importance of healthy eating to maintain energy levels.
Videos:
· http://www.discoveryeducation.com , Food Smarts: MyPyramid for Kids (25 minutes)
This video talks about the new food pyramid, shows how to make nutritious food selections, and encourages kids to get sixty minutes of exercise each day.
· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf-mha22o9s , Fun Nutrition for Kids! Treat Your Body Right! (3 minutes)
This video focuses on the importance that skinny doesn’t mean healthy! Which is a great message for kids.
· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axk2J7iWFFc&NR=1 , Fun Nutrition for Kids! Read It Before You Eat It! (3 minutes)
This video focuses on the importance of reading nutrition labels before you eat or drink something so you know exactly what you are putting in your body.
· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58eFNxlLr5s&feature=related , Cartoon about Planning for Healthy Eating (8 minutes)
The old video shows the importance of eating a variety of foods.
· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8O8ywW2fV4, Magic School Bus “For Lunch” Part I (13 minutes) & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p84_676ALFI&feature=related, Magic School Bus “For Lunch” Part II (11 minutes)
The video shows the process of digestion and all of the body parts that are involved.
Other resources:
· A teacher created big book for each of the five food groups. The big books will focus teaching on the nutritional importance of each group and the contents of the group.
· A seasonal variety of fresh foods from each food group including fruits, vegetable, grains, milk, meat and beans, for the students to try and experience.
· A poster for each food that is brought in teaching about the locations where the food is grown, the season, the way in which it grows (on a tree, underground, etc…), the nutritional information and the origin if it is a by-product (such as yogurt comes from a cow).
Technology tools:
· Computers with Microsoft Office (including excel) and access to the web will be used to conduct research, collect and organize data and create graphs.
· Kidspiration will be used to sort and classify different foods into the appropriate food group and to create diagrams with labels such as the parts of a plant or a plant’s life cycle.
· Presentation program such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Prezi (http://prezi.com/your/ ) to demonstrate the knowledge and understanding.
Websites:
· http://www.choosemyplate.gov/index.html
This website actually shows an image of a plate, broken into each of the five food groups. By clicking on a specific food group, you can explore the contents of that group through a limited food gallery. The food gallery shows images, portions, and equivalents for each food.
· http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/kids/nutrition-pyramid.asp
This website is specifically designed for kids and features an interactive image of the new food pyramid. By clicking on the food groups, students can learn about the food group, including essential nutrients we get from the food group and students are given a list of foods within the group.
· http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/kids/activities-main.asp
This interactive website has a variety of nutrition, health and fitness related games.
· http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/
This website can be used to create a variety of graphs. Kid-user friendly.
· http://www.brainpop.com/health/nutrition/ .
This website requires a subscription but there is a free trial available. The health section of this website offers many interesting topics for kids from food safety, to obesity to alcohol consumption. It’s a great resource if you are willing to pay for the subscription.
· http://www.freshforkids.com.au/index2.html
An excellent resource on all things nutrition for teachers and for students.
Community Resources:
· There is a small restaurant in our community called The Grainery, the owner and chef does a lot for our community and I believe I could get her to come in and do a demonstration for my class on how the grains they see in the wheat fields out our classroom windows become a loaf of her delicious, whole grain bread.
· Many of my students have families that are farmers or work in the farm fields, it would be excellent to have them come in and speak about what they do to raise healthy crops and how they harvest the different crops.
Visuals
· Food pyramid
o Visual of the new food pyramid
o This visual will be used to teach students the five food groups, the importance of eating a variety of the different types of foods and the need for exercise too.
o The purpose is to: Identify and describe the five major food groups including fruits, vegetables, grains, milk and milk products, meats/beans.
· Each of the food groups:
o Fruits
§ Visual of different types of fruits including fresh, canned, dried and frozen fruits.
§ This visual will be used to teach students about variety of fruits in the fruit group and also the importance of the food group.