Water Intake & Wellness

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Course Name: Orientation to Health Science Professions

  Program Name: Health Science

  Course Number: 8400110

  Course Type: Orientation/Exploratory

  CIP Number: 03179999OR

  CTE Benchmark: CTE-HLTH.68.8400110.5.6 - Explore the need for proper nutrition and water intake to maintain wellness.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson should be used with the Case Study "Water and Wellness" (See CPALMS Resource ID 219137).

• Career Connection

  
  

  Knowledge of nutrients and their functions provides the foundation for careers in health and wellness.

  Durable Skills: Students will collaborate as they coordinate efforts to research how water is used by the body and create a poster of what was learned. Students will practice the skills of communication as they discuss the findings of their research.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • identify water as a nutrient that is needed for many bodily functions.
  • discuss how lack of food, nutrients, and/or water can impact health and how you feel.
  • research the roles/functions of water in the body.
  • create a poster of the roles/functions of water in the body.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • Some of our behaviors and choices impact our health.
  • The body needs a variety of nutrients to function properly (protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water).
  • Health problems may result from lack of proper nutrition, or not taking in enough of the nutrients the body needs.
  • Homeostasis is the process by which the body maintains stable internal conditions.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • Why is water important to health and wellness?
    
    
  • What are the roles/functions of water in the body?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. Pose the following bellwork/warm-up question: “What have you had to eat and drink today? How do you feel when you don’t eat/drink enough?”
     • Then, have students discuss these questions with a partner.
     • Call on students to share with the class.
       
       
  2. Provide the case study “Water and Wellness” (See CPALMS Resource ID 219037) to students.
     • Tell students that the case study will provide background/setting for today’s lesson.
     • Then, have students read it aloud with a partner or group.
       
       
  3. Then, discuss these questions (in groups or as a class):
     • What do we know about the lifestyle of the Johnson family?
     • We know proper nutrition is needed to be healthy. What concerns might a doctor have about Jake's eating habits?
     • What symptoms does Jake experience?
     • Is Jake right? Can lack of water cause the symptoms he experienced?
     • Why is water important and needed by your body?
       
       
  4. Tell students that although both food and drink both impact wellness, today’s activity will focus on the functions/roles of water in the body.
     
     
  5. Activity: Students will work in teams to research the functions of water in the body and create a poster to show what they learn.
     • This lesson is designed for students to work in groups. The teacher should set up groups of 2-3 students in advance.
       • Note: Please review guidelines for group work, such as remaining on-task, positive/encouraging team talk, flexibility, equal participation, etc.
         
         
     • Provide students a copy of the Water Roles and Functions Research Directions Poster Guidelines.
       • The poster should describe at least 7 uses/functions of water in the body and include an illustration for each one.
         
         
  6. Closure/Follow-Up Discussion:
     • Have students share what they learned with the class. Introduce/review the concept of “homeostasis.” (Homeostasis is the process by which the body maintains stable internal conditions.)
     • Relate functions/uses of water to homeostasis and how water is essential to wellness.
     • Ask students how this knowledge helps them take care of their health.
     • Then, ask students how medical careers might play a role in promoting, maintaining, and/or restoring health.

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Lesson pacing: 10 minutes for the warm-up and case study/discussion, 40 minutes to research and create a poster of the benefits of water, and 5 minutes for follow-up discussion/closure
    • Note: This lesson can be extended to a second day if students present their posters to the class.
      
      
  • The teacher should circulate as students are working to guide discussion and monitor behavior. Possible questions to guide discussion include:
    • Why is water important to health and wellness?
    • What have you discovered about how your body uses water?
    • How does your research compare to what you already knew about water?
    • How are you going to illustrate/show the uses of water on your poster?

  Assessment:

  • The teacher may informally assess learning through group discussion and observation of students during the group activity (research and poster project).
    
    
  • The posters can be assessed for completion (minimum of 7 uses of water in the body and corresponding illustrations of each concept) and accuracy of content. Functions of water in the body include: temperature regulation (homeostasis), lubrication of joints, a main component of blood, carries nutrients around the body, moisturizes skin, assists in waste removal (via kidneys), helps the digestive system absorb nutrients, moisturizes mucus membranes, impacts blood pressure, prevents constipation, etc.

• Optional

  
  

  Extension Activities:

  • The teacher could organize a lab activity on homeostasis and body temperature.
    
    
  • Students could create a PSA (Public Service Announcement) video to promote water intake, the roles/functions of water in the body, how much water the body needs, etc.