Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.1C Grade 4 CPI 1

 

Standard: 2.1 - Wellness

 

Strand: C - Nutrition

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 1 - The student will differentiate between healthy and unhealthy eating patterns.

 

Grade: 4

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        SUPER HERO FOODS - Write the words “super heroes” on the board and ask what these heroes do. One of the ideas should be related to protection or protecting people from the “bad guys”. Tell students that we call things that keep us safe protectors. Explain that there are certain foods that protect our bodies from diseases, such as cancer or heart disease, and that healthy people eat more of those foods for added protection. Divide the class into two teams. On chart paper, one team writes the names of as many vegetables as they can think of while the other team lists as many fruits as they can think of. Give each team about 3 minutes, verify the responses, and post the lists. Draw attention to some of the less-common fruits and vegetables on the list. Provide students with resource materials so each team can review their lists and indicate if the fruit or vegetable is high in vitamin C or vitamin A. Discuss which fruits and vegetables are the best protectors and why. Poll the class to determine how many students actually eat at least one serving of fruit and one serving of a vegetable per day. Relate the discussion to a review of the Food Guide Pyramid.

 

·        THINGS THAT INFLUENCE WHAT YOU EAT -  Brainstorm the reasons why people eat (e.g., they’re hungry, it feels good, mom makes me) and list on the chalkboard. Tell students that all of these are very real reasons why people chose to eat but they might not always be the best reason to eat. Explain that all of us experience both internal and external influences that cause us to do the things we do (define the terms). Develop two graphic
organizers, one describing the external influences (e.g., food supply, income, social settings, ads, culture) and the other the internal influences (e.g., hunger, nutrition, exercise, rest, general health, smell, taste, texture, shape, temperature, family preferences, peer preferences, appetite, feelings, body image, attitude). Discuss situations in which these influences play an important role in the selection and consumption of food. Students keep a food log for 5 days. At the end of 5 days, divide the class into small groups and allow students to discuss the most common influences on their food decisions. Each group tabulates the most common foods eaten, the most common location, the most common time, and most mentioned feelings associated with eating. Reconvene the entire class and discuss the findings, relating the ideas to the impact of external and internal influences on food choices. Students conclude this activity by writing a paragraph on how they will use this information to make better and healthier food choices.