Life Skills:

• Thinking & Reasoning

Curriculum Tie:

• Mathematics
  4th Grade
  Standard 4
  Objective 1
• Mathematics
  4th Grade
  Standard 5
  Objective 1

Time Frame:
2 class periods that run 30 minutes each.

Group Size:
Small Groups

Summary:
Students graph their estimations of caloric intake and caloric expenditures

Main Curriculum Tie:
Health Education - 4th Grade
Standard 6 Objective 2
Determine the relation between food intake and activity. (PE) *NU

Career Connections:

• Dietician
• Fitness instructor
• Parent
• Doctor

Materials:

• Calories Used Table
  
• Internet links

Background For Teachers:
Definitions:
Calories are measured units of energy provided by food.
Calories are the measurement which various nutrients can supply your body.

Web Sites

• Learning About Proteins, Carbohydrates, Calories, and Fat
  This site for students explains what calories are and gives formulas for converting proteins, carbohydrates, and fats into calories.
• Caloric Needs Calculator
  These are averages and do not take into account every factor for every individual.
• Calories
  This is information for teachers about calories, basal metabolic rate, physical activity, and thermal effect of food.
• Caloric Needs Calculator
  Estimate the vitamins and calories used in a day.
• Kids Excercise
  This is information for students about excercise.

Student Prior Knowledge:
Numeric order
Height and weight (this can be done discreetly by a parent volunteer.)
Familiarity with line graphs

Intended Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to graph their estimations of caloric intake and caloric expenditures.

Instructional Procedures:
Food changes to energy when we eat it. When we measure the energy we receive to make our body work, we call that measurement 'calories'.

Have students write on a small slip of paper how many calories they think they need for basic growth and body function. Have students stand in a line according to the estimate they wrote on the piece of paper. For a written record of their estimates, glue the papers to a chart to make a line plot.

Have students use a caloric needs calculator (see web site listed below) to calculate their caloric needs.

Give the students a line graph of resting body functions, such as sitting or watching TV. After referring to the Calories Used Table, have students plot the caloric expenditures for activities such as, running, swimming, or bicycling. Have them compare their graphs with the resting body functions graph. Then have them compare graphs in their small group. Have them discuss the differences in their graphs and justify their responses.

Attachments

• Calories_Used_Table.pdf
  

Strategies For Diverse Learners:
Work with a partner.

Use a calculator for extension activities. Allow students to experiment with a scale that measures in grams, ounces, pounds, or kilograms.

Extensions:
Calories are the measurement which various nutrients can supply your body. A gram of protein or carbohydrate provides 4 calories. However, a gram of fat provides 9 calories.

1 cup of milk = 8 grams of protein, so: 8 grams X 4 calories = 32 calories from protein.

1/2 cup of cooked spaghetti = 17 grams of carbohydrate, so: 17 grams X 4 calories = 68 calories from carbohydrate.

1 order of "large fries" = 22 grams of fat, so: 2 grams X 9 calories = 198 calories from fat.

Have students use calculators to calculate the calories in:
2 cups of milk
1 cup of cooked spaghetti (2 halves)
2 orders of fries
etc.

Web Sites

• Calories in Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats
  

Assessment Plan:
Students rate their graphs using the Caloric Intake and Expenditures Rubric.

Rubric:

• Graphing Caloric Intake & Expenditures
  

Bibliography:
Olsen, Larry K.; St. Pierre, Richard W.; & Ozias, Jan M. PhD., R.N. Healthy For Life. Orlando: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1994.

Author:
MARIANNE AMATANGELO

Created Date :
Jul 13 2002 11:45 AM