Eating for Success

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Title (as applicable): N/A

  Course Title: Fundamentals of Careers in Education and Career Planning

  Course Number: 8409200

  Career Cluster: Education and Training

  CIP Number: 0713129906

  Course Type: Orientation/Exploratory and Career Planning

  CTE Standard(s) and Benchmark(s):

  06.01: Identify the nutritional needs of children.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson can be the first in a pair of lessons about nutrition for children. This lesson will focus on identifying nutritional needs, meal planning, and preparation. The following lesson can focus on the long-term effects of childhood obesity and foods that may be harmful to students.

• Career Connection

  
  

  This lesson supports students in developing/practicing the career-building skills of research, planning, and creating digital resources. All careers require some combination of these skills.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Research government standards for meeting nutritional needs.
  • Create a weekly menu of healthy meals (either breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack time) using digital resources.
  • Explain how their menu choices meet the nutritional needs of children.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • Conduct online research.
  • Work collaboratively with others towards a common goal.
  • Create a digital product.
  • An understanding that each type of food provides specific nutrients for the body.
  • The concept that the nutritional needs of children vary at different ages.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What is a meal plan?
  • What are the nutritional needs of children?
  • What are the government standards for healthy eating?
  • Where can I find reliable information about healthy things to eat?
  • Why is variety important when planning meals throughout the week?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce the lesson, post the following question on the board, “What foods should be included in a weekly menu to meet the nutritional needs of children?”
     • Facilitate a quick discussion and select a student to write responses on the board.
  2. Tell the students they will research the “What foods should be included in a weekly menu to meet the nutritional needs of children?” using government standards for healthy eating. They will use this information to create a weekly meal plan for either breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack to present to the class. They will also explain how their menu meets the nutritional needs of children.
     • Divide students into pairs or small groups to work together.
       • Give each group a different meal to research: breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack.
       • Have students focus on the nutritional needs of children and healthy meals for early adolescence (or adjust for the ages of study in the class).
     • Digitally share (or distribute a hard copy) the attached Eating for Success Graphic Organizer.
       • Review the graphic organizer with students and answer questions as necessary.
         • The graphic organizer contains two tables. The first table is to record healthy foods to eat during this meal.
         • The second table is for students to distribute these healthy foods throughout the week by designing creative meals and recipes from Sunday to Saturday.
         • This information is then put into a visually appealing presentation.
       • Provide ample time for students to research and fill in the graphic organizer.
         • Pairs of students can divide the work, and each can fill in designated parts of the graphic organizer.
         • Depending on student skills, choose how to split the work between group members.
  3. After students have filled in their graphic organizer, distribute the attached Eating for Success Rubric to students.
     • Review the rubric with students and answer questions as necessary.
     • Remind students about citing all images used.
     • Remind students to use the rubric as a guide when designing their digital presentation.
  4. Tell students to select a digital resource (using available programs/software) and start designing their presentation.
     • Provide ample time for students to use their graphic organizer and the rubric to create their digital presentation.
       • Pairs of students can divide up parts of the presentation to draft individually. Partners can review each other’s draft and suggest revisions before combining to make the final product.
  5. To bring the lesson to a close, direct student groups to present their meal plans to the class.
     • Students should justify their food choices based on the nutritional needs of children.
     • Review the guiding questions.
     • Collect the graphic organizers to use a formative assessment.

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Before the lesson, decide if the attached graphic organizer and rubric will be completed digitally or if copies will be needed. Make copies as necessary.
  • Prepare the opening question to be posted on the board.
  • Make sure students are using reputable websites promoted by the government. Here are a few examples.
    • https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-plan/results/1600-calories-ages-9-13
    • https://www.myplate.gov/life-stages/teens
    • https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/
  • During the lesson, circulate the room and provide support as necessary.
  • If necessary, adjust the target age to align with the ages of the students in the class.

• Optional

  
  

  Formative Assessment Ideas:

  • The graphic organizer can serve as a formative assessment, meals that show variety and balance throughout the week communicate an understanding of the nutritional needs of children.

  Summative Assessment Ideas:

  • The completed digital artifact can serve as a summative assessment. Use the rubric provided for grading. Include feedback.

  Accommodation Suggestions:

  • Students can be provided a word bank containing terms such as healthy, nutritious, meal plan, and sanitary meal preparation.
  • Students can be pre-selected into groups and assigned a role (researcher, recorder of information, presentation designer). Each student’s starting role should be a strength. Students should switch roles periodically to balance responsibility and develop skills.

  Extension Ideas:

  • After students complete their digital artifacts, they can present them to the class and receive feedback. The teacher could create a peer review sheet as a guide. Students can receive the peer review sheets as feedback and be allowed time to adjust their presentations as needed.
  • Students can present their meal plans to the principal and cafeteria supervisor as suggestions for the school lunch menu. Other adult groups that could be invited would be the PTA or PTSA.
  • Students can present their meal plans to the lower grades to influence their meal choices at home and school.

  • Students can bring nutritious snacks to school the following day. At home, students prepare the snacks using sanitary methods (a clean working surface, wearing food-safe gloves, hair pulled back, etc.). While students are eating the snacks, they can discuss the process of making them.

  • Students can research free food services in their area. Students can learn about food programs available during the summer.