Disciplinary Structure:
Students are becoming more interested on what they are putting into their bodies and what effect it has on their health. Students will learn the nutritional needs and healthful eating habits and how they can make a difference in their school by informing their peers on healthful eating.
Disciplinary process:
(1). Students will perform online research on the obesity rate among elementary children and healthful eating habits options.
(2). Students will use the KWL chart during their project to log on what they know about nutrition, what they need to know on strategies to use to assist on lowering the obesity rate among elementary students and how to implement a healthy eating program within their lunch program.
(3). Students will work in groups to interview and inform the student body on healthy eating. They will begin a campaign to voice their opinion and thoughts on the proper foods to eat and vote on a food item to have during one day of the week lunch hour.
Disciplinary Discourse:
(1). Obesity & Healthy Eating Campaign: Students will form groups to interview the individuals involved in selecting lunch meals for students, such as the cafeteria manager, school nurse, and the director of the health committee.
(2). Students will research online data on the obesity rate among elementary students and create a graph illustrating the data.
(3). Students will develop strategies based on the interviews on how to combat the obesity and unhealthy eating habits of elementary students.
(4). Students will begin a campaign project to voice their opinion and thoughts on healthy eating and food choices.
(5). Students will collaborate with the school principal on the campaign and vote for a food item of their choice to be provided one day of the week.
Knowledge and skills.
(1) Health information. The student knows ways to enhance and maintain personal health throughout the life span. The student is expected to:
(A) examine and analyze food labels and menus for nutritional content;
(B) apply information from the food guide pyramid to making healthy food choices;
(C) identify foods that are sources of one or more of the six major nutrients;
(D) calculate the relationship between caloric intake and energy expenditure;
(E) differentiate between health-related and skill-related physical activities; and
(F) analyze the components of a personal health maintenance plan for individuals and families such as stress management and personal safety.
(8) Influencing factors. The student knows how various factors influence individual, family, and community health throughout the life span. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the importance of communication skills as a major influence on the social and emotional health of the individual and family;
(B) describe daily and weekly activities that promote the health of a family;
(C) describe how a safe school environment relates to a healthy community; and
(D) identify environmental protection programs that promote community health such as recycling, waste disposal, or safe food packaging.
Authentic Problem:
According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention (CDC) and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health ( 2008), the obesity rate among children aged 6 to 11 had more than doubled in the past 20 years. Based on CDC's report, young children are becoming obesed due the unhealthy lifestyle habits, lack of physical activity, and the increase in calories that are taken in. Educators, parents, and students need to seek a solution to this epidemic to prevent the diseases that can occur such as heart disease, psychological problems, diabetes, stroke, and a risk of bone and joint problems.
Elementary students can make a difference by participating in a campaign to prevent obesity and learn more about healthy meal choices in their school. Students in the 5th grade will take part in a campaign to aware students of making wise choices in their foods and what they should and should not eat. Students will begin first in gathering data from important sources within their schools such as the Cafeteria Manager, School Nurse, Physical/Health Educator, and a member of the School District's Health Committee. Questions will be developed among the students by researching information on healthy choices and food items within the internet. Once students have gathered their data, they will discuss their research and develop 10 questions for the interview process. Based on the interview data, students will then begin to organize their campaign for promoting and informing their student population within their school on the types of foods they can eat and should have in their lunch meals. Students will organize their campaign similar to an election where students will have an opportunity to voice their opinions and provide an argument on why they should have a say on what types of foods they should eat. Once they have voiced their thoughts, the student population will vote on the food item they will have during one day of the week during their lunch time. A final decision will be based on the number of votes towards a popular food item.
(1). Authentic Activities:
Students in the 5th grade will become Health Activist by gather and processing information, drawing conclusions, and recommending solutions to combat obesity and select foods that will lead to healthy eating habits among elementary students.
(2). Background Building Activities:
5th grade students will use the KWL Chart throughout the project to log in their current knowledge on nutritional foods, on what they need to know about the value nutrients of foods and what's healthy to eat, and what they have learned by the interviews and research they will perform throughout the project.
Students will also research online data on the obesity factors among elementary students and create a graph illustrating the data.
Students will also form groups to begin a campaign on informing their student body the importance on eating healthy and also their vote on the food selection they would like to have during their lunch hour.
(3). Constructing Activities:
(1). 5th Grade students will begin their Healthy Eating Campaign by researching the data on the obesity rate among elementary students and creating a graph illustrating the numbers.
(2). Students will form groups of 5 and begin researching data to create interview questions they may use during their interviews.
(3). Students assign groups to interview an individual that works with closely in developing lunch meals, for example cafeteria manager, school nurse, and the head of the health committe.
(4). Students will meet as a team to present their data to their school principal to begin a Healthy Eating Campaign within their school.
(5). Students will create campaign signs to post throughout school hallways and cafeteria to voice their thoughts and strategies to combat obesity and selection in foods to have during their lunch.
(6). Students will vote on their food selection they will have one day of the week based on the student body selection.
(4). Sharing Activities:
Students will share their data through graphs and a powerpoint presentation to their school principal, cafeteria manager, health committee, and their student body.
Symbols: Symbols will play an important role why studying the nutritional value of foods that are provided in school lunch meals. Students will develop skills in the use of symbols while analyzing advertisements of food products, advertisements, and statistical analysis.
Discourse: Students will use advertisements on food products, food labels, the internet, TV, and people as forms of discourse.
Cognitive processes: Students will be able to analyze writing by examing data from statistics, food labels, advertisements, and media sources and draw conclusions. this will allow students to be able to make the connection on how media and personal choices can affect their health and nutritional well-being.
Searching for Information:
Students will use the internet to search for data and statistics on obesity among elementary students and nutrition. Students will concentrate on gathering data that relates to obesity among elementary students to compile the most accurate data. Students will search within the google search engine for their data.
Sorting and Judging Information:
Students will interview individuals that have experience developing the lunch menus and deciding the nutritional foods that are required for elementary students in the school. Individuals will consist of the school nurse, cafeteria manager, and health committee member to gather the most accurate information. Based on the online data on obesity among elementary students and their nutritional habits, students will compare the media tatics and advertisements with the statistics on selecting material for their preparation for their school campaign.
Creating and Communicating:
Students will create a graph illustrating their statistical data on the obesity rate among elementary students and their nutritional habits.
Students will also develop a campaign promoting their knowledge on proper food choices based on their interviews and online research.
Students will create a final powerpoint presentation to present to their principal for final evaluation and decision on selecting a food item to have in their lunch menu.