Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.1C Grade 8 CPI 1

 

Standard: 2.1 - Wellness

 

Strand: C - Nutrition

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 1 - The student will analyze how culture, health status, age, and eating environment influence personal eating patterns and discuss ways to improve nutritional balance.

 

Grade: 8

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        NUTRITION AND GROWTH - Brainstorm answers to the following question: “When is good nutrition especially important?” Using the students’ answers, divide the class into small groups and assign each group a time or condition that requires healthy eating (e.g., infancy, puberty, pregnancy, illness, injury). Each group researches the rationale for healthy eating and develops a healthful eating plan noting the impact of diet on the body systems. Groups present their plans.

 

·        FAST-FOOD - Divide the class into five groups. Give each group a “fast-food scenario”—a description of a teenager’s fast food eating habits. Each group discusses their assigned scenario and decides whether the teen made a wise food choice. Give the students information about the costs of the selections, and encourage the use of additional resources (e.g., pamphlets, articles, Internet sites) to investigate the nutritional content of the choices. Each group develops three to five recommendations to improve the teen’s food choices. Examples of fast-food scenarios might include the following:
-        Freddie stops at his favorite fast-food place every day after school for fries and a shake.
-        Sally is watching her weight; she selects a salad and lowfat dressing when she eats there with friends.
-        Harvey buys the largest cheeseburger they sell (according to the ads, Harvey has a “man-sized” appetite) and combines it with a super soda and giant fries.
-        Bonnie never chooses the same thing on the menu—sometimes she’ll eat a burger; the next day a fish sandwich.
-        Malik always orders his burger plain—no catsup, pickle, tomato, or secret sauce for him.

Variation: Students outline their typical fast-food diet, analyze the nutritional content and calories, and offer suggestions to improve selections.