Lesson Plan: Healthy Food Slide Rule

Subject Areas: Math and Science

Grade: 4thor 5th

Math Objectives:

  • Students will be able to measure food samples in ounces and cups.
  • Students will explore portion sizes.
  • Students will be able to compare the nutritional value of foods within food groups.

Materials for Math Lesson: measuring cup, scale, food model cards, comparison food cards,foods to measure such as cereal, beans, fruit, and nuts

Math Activity:

1. After introducing students to the concept of ounces, hand out Healthy Food Slide Rules to students and have them analyze what food groups have portion sizes that are measured in ounces. Ask "How do we know how many ounces of grains we should have every day? How about meat and beans? Should we have more if we are really active?" (For example, we have soccer practice after school.)

2. Take out the food samples and measure the various ounce amounts with the scale. Ask kids, "Is it possible to use a scale all the time to figure out how much we should eat?" Teach students guides for measuring cups and ounces. (An apple is close to a cup, a deck of cards is close to 3 ounces of meat, 1 slice of bread = 1 ounce, hands cupped= about 1 cup.)

3. Ask the students "Are some foods better for us than others?" Use the comparison food cards to illustrate nutrients supplied for foods from the food groups on the Healthy Food Slide Rule (Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk, and Meat & Beans). Compare three foods from the same food group (e.g. apple, orange or banana; zucchini, green beans or carrots; milk, yogurt or ice cream; and cornflakes, oatmeal or whole wheat bread).

Plan a Meal for an Astronaut – Incorporating in a Science Lesson

Science Objective:

  • Using the Healthy Food Slide Rule, students will learn how to plan menus using portion sizes on the Healthy Food Slide Rule (ounces and cups).

Materials for Science Lesson: Healthy Food Slide Rule, comparison food cards, paper, food model cards

ScienceActivity:

1. Tell students since we've been studying the solar system, we are going to be designing a space station on the moon. Since astronauts aren't close to the grocery store and have limited space in the rocket, they will need to plan a careful menu for the astronauts to stay healthy.

2. Pass out paper and have students get with a partner. Allow them to look at the food model cards, the Healthy Food Slide Rule, and the comparison food cards to help them plan their menu. Have students plan a week menu for an astronaut. Compare and contrast students' menus. Have students vote on the healthiest.

Lesson submitted by Melody Craw, Purple Sage Elementary School, 3rd Grade, Middleton, Idaho

Lesson Plan: Healthy Food Slide Rule

SubjectAreas: Math (Weights and Measures), Art, and Language Arts

Grade: 3rdor 4th

Objectives:

  • Students will learn about MyPyramid and gain an understanding of how to use the Healthy Food Slide Rule in order to help their bodies grow.
  • Students will see how food intake relates to physical activity in order to give their bodies the proper amount of fuel and energy needed for work and play.
  • Students will use both MyPyramidand Healthy Food Slide Rule to make healthy choices from the foods groups for their individual needs.
  • Students will develop visual learning and gain understanding of mathematical units of measurement to include cups and ounces from the Healthy Food Slide Rule.

Materials:

  • Picture of MyPyramid (provided by Idaho Dairy Council
  • Healthy Food Slide Rules
  • Paper plates
  • Crayons (colors to matchMyPyramid) orange, green, red,blue,yellow and purple
  • Old Magazines (cut out pictures of foods from MyPyramid)
  • Pencil
  • Glue
  • Ruler
  • Index cards
  • Construction paper
  • Examples of food – if completing anticipatory set
  • Examples of physical activity – if completing anticipatory set

Anticipatory Set:

In order to grab my second graders attention I set up a table with six different colors of construction paper to match MyPyramid from the Idaho Dairy Council and on each piece of paper was a food item. My intent was to get them engaged and excited about the lesson and set behavior expectations and goals to earn the opportunity to taste something from each food group after the lesson as a reward.

  1. Orange/Grains/bowl of popcorn
  2. Green/Vegetables/bag of baby carrots
  3. Red/Fruits/sliced pieces of apple
  4. Purple/meats/pieces of beef jerky
  5. Blue/Milk/cheese sticks

On a second table I set up three colored pieces of construction paper representing the activity levels of the Healthy Food Slide Rule and set objects representing each group.My intent of this visual set up was to open the discussion and brainstorm other activities in each level. I wrote the other activities listed on the Healthy Food Slide Rule onto index cards and asked the students to place them on its matching colored construction paper green/vigorous exercise, yellow/moderate exercise, pink/light exercise. The students also came up with some of their own activity examples for each group examples included: skipping rope as a vigorous activity, walking as a moderate activity, and playing chess as a light activity.

  1. Green/Vigorous/basketball
  2. Yellow/Moderate/skateboard (I used a toy finger skate board)
  3. Red/Light/book

Lesson Activities:

1.Discuss MyPyramidand recreate a pyramid ontoawhite paper plate. Students used a ruler to draw the pyramid on their plate and colored each of the sections according to their pictures of the MyPyramid from the Idaho Dairy Council

2.Math connection: review of 1 ounce and 1 cup using our hands, so students can visualize these two units of measurement. Point out the measurements on the back of the Healthy Food Slide Rule: 1 ounce=the size of child’s thumb (hold up one thumb) and 1 cup=child’s hands cupped together (cup hands). Askstudentsto write the measurement rules on the bottom of their paper plates under their pyramid.

3.Students manipulate the slider of the Healthy Food Slide Rule on their own according to age group and physical activity level in order to see what they should eat during a day to be healthy and give their bodies the amount of fuel needed.

4.Students use the Healthy Food Slide Rule to write the units (ounces or cups) of food needed in each section of his/her pyramid.

Assessment:

  • Ask students to cut out one picture representing each food group from old magazines to glue on the back of his/her plate in order to asses understanding of the six sections ofMyPyramid.
  • Ask students to write a list in their writing journals describing physical activities they can pledge to do at home regularly to assess their understanding of the importance of physical activity.

Example modeled by teacher:

Make physical activity a regular part of your day-EVERY day! Being physically active is important for me to live a long and happy life. It can help me relieve stress, lower my risk of disease and help my body stay strong. Physical activity increases the amount of calories my body can burn and will help me stay at a healthy weight.

Here are some activities that I pledge to do at home and school regularly!

At Home:

Walk my dogs

Work in my garden

At School:

Walk on Friday Fitness Days

Sit on the floor with my students to keep my flexibility

  • Oral assessment:

Ask students what happens if you are at a vigorous activity level and you eat the food group amounts for a light activity level?

Ask students what happens if you are at a light activity level and you eat the food group amounts for a vigorous activity?

Closure/Check for Understanding:

  • Ask students to share with a friend one new thing they learned in the lesson today.
  • Ask students to raise their hands and volunteer to share what their friend shared.

Lesson Submitted by Laila Hedberg, Mill Creek Elementary School, 2nd Grade, Middleton, Idaho

Lesson Plan: Healthy FoodSlide Rule Nutrition Raceway

Subject Area: Physical Education

Grade: 4thor 5th

Objectives:

  • Students will be able to determine the recommended food servings from each food group.
  • Students will be able to determine which foods are in each food group.
  • Students will develop locomotor skills as well as fine motor skills.

Materials:

  • Healthy Food Slide Rule(5)
  • Food Group Pocket Charts (5)
  • Food cards (5 sets)
  • Hula Hoops (5)
  • Scooter boards (5)

Set up:

Put the Food Group Pocket Charts, Scooter boards, and Healthy Food Slide Rules on the sideline of the basketball court. Place the hula hoops on the other sideline opposite the Food Group Pocket Charts. Place a set of food cards inside each hula hoop.

Activity Description:

Have students get into groups of 4 or 5. Once in groups, the students will use the Healthy Food Slide Rule to determine the number of servings from each food group for their age group. Teams will start at the Food Group Pocket Charts. The teacher will specify thescooter board position (i.e., sitting on bottom, lying on belly, pushing scooter, etc.). On “go”, the first student in line will race down to the hula hoop using the specified position and retrieve one food card that is necessary for a person’s daily consumption. The student will race around the hula hoop and then back to the Food Group Pocket Chart placing the food card in the correct food group slot. Once the first person is back to the food chart, the second student will take a turn to get another food card from the hula hoop. All students will travel in the same manner until their food chart is filled. The team that finishes first and has the correct number of servings wins the activity.

Variations: Use a variety of locomotor skills (skipping, galloping, runnings, crab crawl, bear walk, etc.)

Lesson Submitted by Tessa Howard, Physical Education and Health Specialist, Mill Creek Elementary School, Middleton, Idaho
Lesson Plan: Healthy Food Slide Rule

Subject Areas: Language Arts, Science, and Health

Grade: 1stor 2nd

Objectives:

  • Students will understand making healthy food choices will enhance and maintain their health and well-being.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to utilize and identify foods usingMyPyramid.
  • Students will learn to maintain their health and overall well-being.

Materials:

  • Healthy Food Slide Rules
  • Healthy Choices Healthy Me!(Booklet from Idaho Dairy Council)
  • Healthy Choices Healthy Me! (Poster from Idaho Dairy Council)
  • Food Pictures (vegetables)
  • Measuring cup
  • Vegetables
  • Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens
  • Clear cups
  • Potting Soil
  • Seeds (variety of vegetable seeds)

Lesson Activities:

Day1

1. Encourage students to name a variety of vegetables. Make a list on the board.

2.Show the students pictures of vegetables. Discuss how they like to eat their vegetables (cooked, mixed, plain). Explain vegetables supply many nutrients, such as vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, protein, carbohydrate, and fiber.

3. Have students use their Healthy Me! Booklets to identify vegetables that they like and eat often. Ask students to them circle those vegetables (page 8).

4. As a class discuss, some of the vegetables they didn’t choose and suggest trying them when they have the opportunity.

5. Complete pages 8-9 from Healthy Me! Booklet together.

6.Ask students to write down their two favorite vegetables, using a complete sentence with capitals, spaces and a period.

7.Show students how to use the Healthy Food Slide Rule (select boy or girl, age and activity).

8.Ask students to manipulate their Healthy Food Slide Rule to find out how many cups of vegetables theyneed to eat each day. Explain that most of them should be eating at least 2 ½ cups of vegetables a day.

9.As students use their Healthy Food Slide Rules, show them a measuring cup. Fill the cup up with vegetables (baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc). Optional: Taste the vegetables.

12.Use your cupped hands next to a 1 cup glass measure as a visual. Mention their hands are smaller and measure about ½ cup. Go through a variety of vegetable combinations for meals and snacks. Have students name vegetables and amounts to eat and put them on the board.

Day 2

1. Read the story Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens.

2. Discuss the story and how the Hare outsmarted the Bear. Discuss vegetables that grow above the ground (lettuce, artichokes, etc). Discuss vegetables that grow below the ground (carrots, radishes, onions, potatoes, etc.)

Day 3

1. Review what students have learned about vegetables and explain that we are going to be planting a salad garden.

2. Give students a clear plastic cup with dirt and allow them to pick out a vegetable to grow.

3. Give each student three seeds to plant.

4.Have them plant the seeds close to the side of the cup so they can see the roots growing.

5. Water the plants and watch them grow.

6. Follow up with lessons on the life cycle of plants.

7. Encourage students to plant a vegetable garden at home with their family.

8. End the lesson by making salad with the vegetables.

Lesson submitted by Julie Bailey, Mill Creek Elementary School, 1st Grade, Middleton, Idaho

Lesson Plan: Healthy Food SlideRule

Subject areas: Math (Weights and Measures) and Health

Grade: 4thor 5th

Objectives:

  • Students will be able to keep track of the amount of foods they ate for one day.
  • Students will be able to use the Healthy Food Slide Rule to calculate how much food they should eat during the day to be healthy.
  • Students will be able to determine whether they are eating the appropriate quantities of food for a healthy diet.

Materials

  • Food Chart (attached)
  • Pretest (attached)
  • Healthy Food Slide Rules
  • Assorted nutrition posters to encourage healthy eating

Activities:

Prior to the lesson the student will keep a record of everything they eat and drink for a complete day.

  1. Pretest—to determine students’ concept of how much they should eat from each food group on a daily basis. (See attachment)
  2. Allow students to share their answers with class, noting the range of responses.
  3. Show students how much they should eat, based on the different activity levels.
  4. Have students tally the quantities they ate in each food group. Since they did not track the quantities they ate have students use “average” portion sizes. Record on food chart. (See attachment)
  5. Talk about activity levels and help students determine their own activity level based on what they do on an “average” day.
  6. Guide students in selecting their gender, activity level, and correct age category in order to determine the amounts of each food group they should be eating each day. Record on Food Chart.
  7. Guide students in determining if the amount of food they ate is over or below the amount they should be eating for a healthy diet. Record on food chart.
  8. In culmination, guide students in a discussion about how they can adjust what they eat to be healthier.

Teacher Comments about Lesson:

Students were excited about the content of the lesson and were eager to share what they learned about their eating habits. There is clearly enough interest to do a few follow up lessons on this topic.

The lesson took longer than anticipated because students needed extra help in determining how much they ate. There was a lot of discussion about how to determine quantities of small items like cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes on a taco because it would not be a full serving of each. They were also curious about the so called empty calories like pop and candy bars. The discussion raised awareness of the different foods and their nutritional value so it was worth the extra time.

Lesson submitted by Linda Dux, Mill Creek Elementary School, 4th Grade, Middleton, Idaho

Name ______#_____

Date______

Food Chart

Amount EatenAmount Needed+Over/-Under

Grains______

Vegetables______