Familiarizing Students with the 5 Food Groups

Summary

This unit can vary according to the teacher, the children and the time allotted. It can take up to two weeks or as short as 1 week. Each step can lead to other avenues. Feel free to eliminate or use what would be successful for your children.

Materials

• Food items
• pictures of food
• pictures of the food pyramid
• newspapers
• costumes
• access to grocery stores
• paper and glue

Background for Teachers

Knowledge of the local grocery stores, nutrition speakers, farm and local dairys and general knowledge of the food pyramid. Also, access to '5 A-Day' computer program, computers, Healthy Lifestyles video.

Intended Learning Outcomes

The children will become familiar with the food pyramid and be able to relate this to their everyday lives, through hands on experiences as well as creative experiences.

Instructional Procedures

Provide an assortment of food items that the children will need to identify after an intense discussion about foods. To initiate the lesson plan, show the students a variety of foods from all the food groups. Discuss in detail each type of food, the benefits, and what will happen to our bodies if we do not obtain these foods. Then classify them according to food groups. Reinforce the importance of all the food groups, and what they are. Then divide the children into five groups. Each group is assigned a food group to name as many types of foods that belong to that group as possible. When this discussion is complete, give each group an assortment of foods to classify according to food group, and approve it with you.

Show the children the video on Healthy Food and Lifestyles.

When video is over, have the children write a story related to having healthy bodies and its benefits.

The next day,review the various groups again, this time the teacher uses a variety of pictures and places them on a food pyramid. In addition give all the children a grocery store advertisement, do the same activity except have students cut the pictures out and arrange them on their own food pyramids. Food prices might be included with the picture. Calculate the cost of a healthy well balanced meal. Think of many variations that can be chosen.

This day, take the children on the computers in the computer lab, and show them how to play the computer game '5 A Day.'

Extensions

As stated, this unit can easily be linked to various areas of the curriculum. Further developing science, literature, math and reading areas, particularily in farm products and the positive effects on our bodies.The class can investigate the homogization of milk or even go on a field trip to a farm or a cheese plant.

Assessment Plan

Have just a simple test, oral or written. Could have them complete the computer program '5 A-day.' Another possibility is to have the children give an oral report on their favorite food and classify it according to its food group and create a poster showing the benefits of these foods. This could also be done on the computer projected onto the television, simple enough for first graders.