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.

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.

Strategies:

(1). 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.
(1a). Students will gather lunch menus from the cafeteria manager.
(1b). Students will gather data about strategies the school nurse and health educator are implementing throughout the school to combat obesity.
(1c). Students will gather data from the School District's Health Committee on their school-wide plan for decreasing obesity and structuring the school lunch menus.

(2). Students will become knowledgeable in nutritional education through online research.
(2a). Students will view an online local educational resource to learn on nutritional information on food labels and nutritional value concepts.
(2b). Students will view an online educational video within the local resource to view how to use the facts learned on food labels and nutrient concepts.

(3). Questions will be developed among the students by researching information on healthy choices and food items within the internet. 
(3a). Students will come up with at least 10 questions to ask from the data provided from school personnel and online resource.

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. 

(1). 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.
(1a). Students will view an online example of a campaign on nutrition created by students as a guide.
(1b). Students will create posters on the food items they have selected as a group with nutritional data and post them throughout the school for student input.
(1c). Students will then setup voting booths for students to vote on their food item during their lunch hour.
 
(2). Once all students have voted for their food item, all votes will be counted and a final decision will be made.

(3). Students will then announce the winning food item and present data to school principal and student body in order to have the item added to the lunch menu.
 

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: 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. Disciplinary Discourse: 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.

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 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 use Region One School Health Section to view a lesson on Nutritional Labels and Food Facts.  The lesson will provide students knowledge on reading food labels and nutritional concepts such as carbohydrates, fat, and protein calories. 
Students will also view a video on how to use the information to their real life grocery shopping.
Students can view the Region One lesson at :  http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html#see2S

Students will evaluate example student campaigns online to create their school nutritional campaign by evaluating the following online resource: http://docs.schoolnutrition.org/meetingsandevents/nslw2008/

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.

(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.

(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.

(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.