Thomas Johnson Middle School
Interdisciplinary Project 2011
This year’s interdisciplinary project stems from our First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama’s call out to our teens. This year’s theme:Teen Obesity; Where are our Nutritional Values? Our teens seem to have lost their control over their physical and emotional well-being. Join us in the fight for teen awareness. Students are to read two research-based articles and complete the content area assignments based on what they read and their background knowledge.
Research-based articles:
Cutting Weight, Saige R. Loma, CO; Teen Ink Magazine; 1989
Cultural Attitudes toward Weight, Diet, and Physical Activity among Overweight African American Girls; Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy; volume 5: no. 2; April 2008
Activities: RELA-Informational text
Compare / Contrast main ideas and author’s purpose within the two texts.
Write a summary or paraphrase one of the texts.
What additional text feature or graphic aid would you add in order to help the reader better understand the text?
RELA FAQs
- What is author’s purpose?
Answer: Author’s purpose is the reason for which the text is written: to entertain, persuade, or provide information
- What is a summary? And to paraphrase?
Answer: A summary is a brief description of the main points in an article or piece of text; usually including but not limited to the 5 W’s and how
To paraphrase is to read a piece of text and restate the author’s ideas into your own words to develop meaning
- What are text features and graphic aids?
- Text features are: headings, tables of contents, italics, etc. and graphic aids are: charts, tables, time lines, bullets, and captions.
- Who do I contact if I have questions on this assignment during the summer?
Answer: Since teachers work outside of the school during the summer, please do not call the school. Instead, for the RELA assignment in this project, email Mrs. Winkler at
Social Studies – Cultural Diversity
Choose a country from either the Eastern or Western hemisphere and create a timeline about history of teen physical well-being/obesity or two-page research paper on the history of teen obesity in your country of choice inclusive of a map and chart showing the areas affected. Provide possible solutions for the issue.
Social Studies FAQs
- What graphic organizer do I use to organize my information?
Answer: Use the same Venn diagram that is provided for the RELA portion of this project
- Who do I contact if I have questions on this assignment during the summer?
Answer: Since teachers work outside of the school during the summer, please do not call the school. Instead, for the SS assignment in this project, email Ms. Cleeve at
Mathematics: Percentages and Evaluation
Find the total number of calories you intake over a period of two weeks; what percentage of your total intake of calories are proteins, carbohydrates, sodium, or fat. What is the affect on your energy level and overall well being? For example, the higher your caloric intake of protein the better you feel.
Mathematics FAQs
- What is percent?
Answer: a ratio that compares a number to 100.
- How do I find the percent?
Answer: Divide the part by the total.
For example: You consumed 500 calories (the total); 175 of your calories were comprised of protein (the part). To find the percent of calories that came from protein:
Part/Total = 175/500=7/20=.35=35%
- What is mean?
Answer: the sum of the data provided by the number of items in the data set.
- How do I change a decimal to a percent?
Answer: To write a decimal as a percent, multiply by 100 and add the percent symbol.
A short cut: move the decimal point 2 places to the right and add the percent symbol.
- How do I find the mean?
Answer: Example: 11+4+6+9+5=35
- Divide 35 (the sum of the data) by 5 (the number of items in the data set) 35/5=7 (the mean, or average)
- Who do I contact if I have questions on this assignment during the summer?
Answer: Since teachers work outside of the school during the summer, please do not call the school. Instead, for the Math assignment in this project, email Mrs. Miller at
Science: Caloric Count and Nutritional Value
Measure your caloric intake over a two-week period of time, and keep a daily calendar of the types of calories you take in based on the labels from the meals you eat. Some foods don’t have labels on them like fresh fruit, so you’ll have to find this information on the Internet or by using some other source. Analyze your caloric and nutritional intake and the effects your diet has on your energy level and well-being. How well balanced are your nutritional values?
Science FAQs
- How do I keep track of my caloric and nutritional intake?
Answer: Read the attached sheet and learn how to read food nutritional labels. Many foods don’t come with a label, such as fresh fruit, vegetables, poultry, and meat, so you‘ll have to find the nutritional values for these foods using other resources, such as the Internet. At the end of each day, total all of your values and fill in the information on the chart in this packet that is labeled, Part I: Two Week Nutrition Calendar for Science.
- Who do I contact if I have questions on this assignment during the summer?
Answer: Since teachers work outside of the school during the summer, please do not call the school. Instead, for the Science assignment in this project, email Mrs. Irvin at .
Vocabulary
Calorie – a measurement of the amount or heat or energy produced by food
Caloric count – the total number of calories consumed by a person on a daily basis
Compare – to note similarities or likenesses between two or more objects
Contrast –to note differences between two or more people or objects
Summarize – a statement covering the main points; 5W’s
Obesity – very fat; extremely overweight
Epidemic – breaking out suddenly and affecting many individuals at the same time in a particular area; temporarily widespread
Aesthetics – the study of the nature of beauty; pertaining to looks
Body Mass Index(BMI) – the relationship between weight and height that is associated with body fat and health risks
Dyads – two units or individuals regarded as a pair
Unscrupulous – without morals, guiding principles, or rules
Well-being- the state of being healthy, happy, or prosperous
Energy level- the capacity for doing work; vigor; strength
TJMS Interdisciplinary Project
General Info:
This project is posted on the Thomas Johnson Middle School website. Available for downloads, standards, rubrics, helpful hints, graphic organizers, FAQ’s, and contact information. Please do NOT call the school for information and/or copies of the project. Please use the contact information provided here for any and all questions or concerns. Thank you.
Standards addressed:
RELA(Reading/Language Arts)
1D1a – Develop and apply new vocabulary through exposure to a variety of text; acquire new vocabulary through listening to, independent reading, and discussing a variety of informational text
1D3a – Understand, acquire and use new vocabulary; use context to determine the meanings of words
2A2f – Analyze text features to facilitate and extend understanding of informational texts; analyze the relationship between the text features and the content of the text as a whole
2A4c – State and support main ideas and messages
2A4d – Summarize
2A4f – Analyze relationships between and among texts
SS(Social Studies)
3A1a – Use geographic tools to analyze geographic issues and problems
3B1a – Analyze how geographic characteristics influenced population, economic growth, and the way people live
Mathematics(Math)
8.6. C.3.b – determine or use percents, rates of increase and decrease in the context of a problem; use positive rational numbers
Science (Sci)
3B – life science: scientific skills and processes to explain the dynamic nature of living things, their interactions, and the results from their interactions that occur over time.
2B –recognize and provide examples that human beings, like other organisms have complex body systems of cells, tissues and organs that interact to support an organism’s growth and survival; select several body systems and explain the role of cells, tissues, and organs that effectively carry out a vital function for the organism, such as, obtaining food and providing energy (digestive, circulatory, respiratory)
Part I: Two Week Nutrition Calendar for ScienceName ______Grade ______Science Teacher ______
Day 1
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 2
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 3
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 4
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 5
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 6
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 7
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being:
Day 8
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 9
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 10
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 11
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 12
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 13
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being: / Day 14
Total Calories:
Total Fat:
Total Carbohydrates:
Total Protein:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
Overall well-being:
Part II: Analyze your caloric and nutritional intake and the effect it has on your energy level and overall well-being. Then, in an essay form, draw conclusions about how well-balanced your diet is. Write or type your essay on your own paper and attach it to this page.
How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
Learn how to understand and use a Nutrition Label at:
Total Calories:
1300 Calories
Total Fat:
25g
Total Carbohydrates:
64g
Total Protein:
45g
Vitamins and Minerals:
Vitamins A, C, K, E, B
Iron, Calcium, Potassium
Energy Level:
(on scale of 1-10)
6
Overall well-being:
fairly well, happy, feel balanced
RELA Task I
Venn diagram to be used for Compare / Contrast
Main Idea and Author’s purpose
**Must include information from both texts to support your Venn diagram
Information in eachindividual circle is for things that are different and unique to each individual article; and information in the middle is what is common or similar to both articles.
Interdisciplinary Math Assignment
- According to a report by the USDepartment of Health and HumanServices teen obesity has grown to epidemic proportions in the United States. Approximately 19% of children (ages 6-11) and 17% of adolescents (ages 12-19) are considered to be obese. Reason being, our diets have changed to one of processed foods which lack fiber and tend to be high in fat.
Daily Calorie Requirement – 2300
1 gram of fat = 9 calories
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
Below is nutritional data for a hypothetical meal from McDonalds. Use the data provided to answer the questions.
Big Mac – 29 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbs, 25 grams of protein
Medium Fries – 19 grams of fat, 48 grams of carbs, 4 grams of protein
Milk Shake – 9 grams of fat, 68 grams of carbs, 11 grams of protein
- How many calories are in each of the above menu items?
- What is the total amount of calories in this meal?
- What percent of your daily recommended calories would be consumed with this meal?
- After consuming this meal how many more calories would you be allowed to have today, based on your daily recommended allowance of 2300 calories?
- Construct a graph, of your choice, that accurately illustrates the percent of the meal composed of fat, the percent of the meal composed of protein, and the percent of the meal composed of carbohydrates.
- Now track your caloric intake for a two week period.
- What was the total number of calories that you consumed;
- And what percent of your calories were composed of protein, carbohydrates, and fat?
- Based on a daily allowance of 2300 calories a day, how well did you do? How many days did you go over your allowance? On average (the mean), how many calories did you consume a day?
Interdisciplinary RELA Assignment Grading Rubric
Grading Rubric – A 4 will yield 25 points, a 3 will yield 21 points, a 2 will yield 19 points, and a 1 will yield 15 points.
4 / 3 / 2 / 1Venn diagram completed / All sections are answered
Completely and correctly. / Most sections are answered
Completely and correctly. / Some sections are answered
Completely and correctly. / Few sections are answered
Completely and correctly.
Summary / The summary is complete with all main points of both articles; and paraphrased in own words / Most of the summary is completed with main points from both articles; paraphrased in own words / Some of the summary is completed with main points from at least one article; somewhat paraphrased in own words / Little or no summary completed; few main points from either article
BCR / All information is relevant to the text and addresses the question
Demonstrates understanding of complexities of text / Most information is relevant to the text and partially addresses the question
Demonstrates general understanding of the text / Some information is relevant to the text and minimally addresses the question
Demonstrates minimal understanding of the text / The response is completely incorrect; irrelevant to the question or missing
Overall Neatness / Project is neat and complete / Project has one to two areas that are not orderly / Project has three to four areas that are not orderly / Project is unorganized
Interdisciplinary Math Assignment
Grading Rubric
Grading Rubric – A 4 will yield 25 points, a 3 will yield 21 points, a 2 will yield 19 points, and a 1 will yield 15 points.
4 / 3 / 2 / 1Questions Answered / All questions are answered
completely and correctly. / Most questions are answered
completely and correctly. / Some questions are answered completely and correctly. / Few questions are answered completely and correctly.
Graphical Data / The graph is correctly labeled and accurate. / Most of the graph is correctly labeled and accurate. / Some of the graph is correctly labeled and accurate. / Little of the graph is correctly labeled and accurate.
Calculations Shown / All calculations are shown. / Most calculations are shown. / Some calculations are shown. / Few calculations are shown.
Overall Neatness / Project is neat. / Project has one to two areas that are sloppy. / Project has three to four areas that are sloppy. / Project is unorganized and sloppy.
Interdisciplinary Math Assignment
Check List
Element / Possible Points / Completed(√)
All questions are answered completely and correctly / 25
All graphs are complete and accurate / 25
All mathematical calculations are shown / 25
All work is neatly presented / 25
Total / 100
Interdisciplinary RELA Assignment
Check List
Element / Possible Points / Completed(√)
Venn diagram completed and correct with information
From the texts / 25
Summary is completed with main points from both
texts / 25
BCR is completed and information is relevant to the texts / 25
All work is neatly presented / 25
Total / 100
Interdisciplinary Science Assignment
Check List
Element / Possible Points / Total Points EarnedPart I: Personal Nutrition Chart- completion: chart is complete / 25
Part I: Personal Nutrition Chart- quality of work, e.g. units used on numbers, etc. / 25
Part II: Essay- Analysis is well thought out. Student work shows understanding of personal nutrition. / 40
Parts I & II: All work is neatly presented / 10
Total / 100
Interdisciplinary Social Studies Assignment
Check List
Element / Possible Points / Completed(√)
Timeline completed and correct with information
from the texts (inclusive of name of country /hemisphere) / 25
Map is completed showing areas affected by issue
(must include key, labels, and compass rose) / 25
Chart is completed and information is relevant to the issue / 25
All work is neatly presented / 25
Total / 100