Health+and+Wellness

Third Grade Overview:

I have chosen Health and Wellness for this project, specifically using the Food Guide Pyramid. Health is a very important part to school and learning, but is not utilized a lot in elementary school. In this lesson, the students will be learning about the food groups and how to use the Food Guide Pyramid. Since third grade is a grade where students need teacher guidance, but can also begin working on their own inquiry, this lesson will be showing both.

Health Standards Addressed:
 * 3.1.1 Identify the link between healthy choices and being healthy.
 * 3.5.5 Identify a healthy choice when making a decision.
 * 3.6.1 Select a personal health goal and track progress.

Information Standard Addressed:
 * 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.

//Lesson Plan://

Objectives:
 * The students will identify the nutrients their bodies need.
 * The students will discover what foods are food groups.
 * The students will evaluate how to use the Food Guide Pyramid to make healthful food choices.

Materials:
 * Food Pyramid model
 * Dictionaries
 * Progress sheet

Content and Procedures:
 * Begin the lesson by discussing some vocabulary words with the students. Have them work in groups, using a dictionary to define the words and write them in a sentence on a sheet of paper.
 * Words to define and discuss: energy, diet, and nutrient.
 * After defining these words, bring the class together and have flip chart paper ready with the words on it. Ask the groups to share their definition and sentences then explain how they are important to food.
 * Next, I will have the students gather around and have a food pyramid model available. We will discuss the different food groups that are available and how many servings they should be eating. With this model it has the pyramid and different foods to show the groups.
 * After discussing the food pyramid, I will give each student a piece of construction paper to make the Food Guide Pyramid and have a variety of magazines that will have pictures that the students can cut out and paste, or the students can draw food.
 * After they have completed this assignment, I will hand them a progress tracking sheet to keep track of their foods for a week. When they have completed the tracking sheet, we will come back together and see if they are eating according to the Food Guide Pyramid.





Sixth Grade Overview:

Since sixth grade is an important age for students to be working on their individual inquiry. This lesson is going to more student led and less focus on the teacher.

Health Standards Addressed:
 * 6.1.7 Identify the benefits of practicing healthy behavior.
 * 6.6.3 Develop strategies to achieve a personal health goal.

Information Standard Addressed:
 * 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
 * 4.1.8 Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.

//Lesson Plan://

Objectives:
 * The students will discuss the six different nutrients needed.
 * The students will utilize the Food Guide Pyramid.
 * The students will evaluate their choices.

Materials:
 * Website: http://msucares.com/pubs/misc/m1429.pdf
 * Rubric
 * Review sheet

Content and Procedures:
 * I will have the students review with a partner the five food groups and the food pyramid with a provide sheet. Once this is completed, they will then review the six nutrients website: http://msucares.com/pubs/misc/m1429.pdf. They will then use their food group sheet to apply this to the six nutrients.
 * After they have completed this task, the students will be divided into 6 groups, one for each nutrient. Each group will create a project of their choice to share information they have learned about their nutrient within the food pyramid, i.e., a menu.
 * The students will be given a rubric that grades them based on their group work and final product (see below).





Inquiry Skill:

The inquiry skill that I am choosing to evaluate is utilizing previous knowledge to add onto new knowledge. The students begin at the novice stage and work slowly up to expert, this is not an overnight accomplishment. Annette Lamb states, “Although we don't expect our students to become expert information scientists, they can begin developing and applying the strategies used by professionals.” Teaching inquiry lessons is the first step to this success. In the third grade lesson, the students are working closely with the teacher, she gives them the resources to use, what to look up, reviews the information in more depth, and gives them a specific assignment. This is more controlled, due to the fact that the students at this age are not “experts.” However, look at the sixth grade lesson, the students are working with partners/groups throughout and are just given some resources to review and learn. The teacher is not working directly with all of the students and are able to evaluate themselves given the rubric. In order for the students to reach this level, the teacher must develop assignments that rely on the existing knowledge and help them master more complex skills (Callison and Preddy).

Lesson Comparison:

Think back to a time when you were in the third grade and when you were in the sixth grade? These are two completely different age groups that learn at different levels and require different needs. In the lessons presented, the third graders are working closely with the teacher, where the sixth graders work without the teacher. In fact, in the sixth grade lesson the only thing the teacher gives is the assignment and a resource for the students. Otherwise, it is completely student-directed. At that point on school, sixth graders are more mature and can learn concepts on their own, without always having to ask the teacher questions and having less needs overall. For example, in the third grade lesson the teacher gives the students the resources needed to learn about the food groups and vocabulary, uses a model to show how real food fits in, and then gives the students all the materials that they need to complete the project. However, in the sixth grade lesson, the teacher gives them a website to read and learn about nutrients, then the rubric on their created product. The teacher does not “teach” the students anything and the students work with peers to complete their assignment. The change/growth in the students levels is apparent through the information standards that are addressed. For example, the third graders are using the prior knowledge and background, just as the sixth graders are, but know less. The sixth graders already know the information and move onto more complex information to add on. While both lessons are based on the food pyramid, the difference is shown through the complexity of the ending product.

Resources:

Callison, D. & Preddy, L. (2006). The Blue Book on Information Age Inquiry, Instruction and Literacy. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Lamb, A. (2006). Expert vs. Novice Information Scientists. http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/scientist1a.htm.

Ward, J. & Allen Haynes, S. The Six Nutrients. http://msucares.com/pubs/misc/m1429.pdf

Optional Lesson for preschool and kindergarten. I tend to always think of lessons to do for the younger children. I think for this lesson, you can teach preschool children and kindergateners about health and nutrition. One thing you can do for the preschool level is introduce "good" foods versuses "bad" foods. You can demonstrate this through pictures, plastic foods that they sell in the toy section, or real food. Have fruits and veggies, and junk food such as pizza, candy. Ask the children which foods they think are healthy for them. You can have them talk about what they eat if they think its healthy or not. you can extend this by showing the food pyramid to kindergarteners. Make it fun for them and turn it into a game. melody

Here is a link to a high school level health lesson. Kristi Lee