UNIT OUTLINE

UNIT NAME: Nutrition Concepts

AUDIENCE: 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at St. Clair Middle School
TIME
FRAME:
4
lessons
of
45-50
(3 pts)
DESIRED RESULTS
ESTABISHED GOALS (5 pts):

minutes

Create a learning environment that encourages participation and activity

while enabling the students to understand nutrition concepts
Encourage further learning and curiosity about whole foods including the
benefits they provide for the body
Demonstrate enthusiasm about topics to encourage attained knowledge
Encourage students to compare their diet to a recommended diet and make
appropriate changes
4.4.1., 4.5.3, 4.6.4, 14.1.1, 14.2.1, 14.2.4 MOSTEP Standards
Standard 1, 2, and 5 of National & State Standards

UNDERSTANDINGS (6 pts.):
Crops are much more beneficial for
the body
How to read a nutrition label
Hydration is essential for health
Caffeinated and sugary drinks are
damaging to the body
There are five dimensions of My
Plate
Nutrition is an important factor in a
healthy lifestyle

STUDENTS WILL KNOW (7 pts.):

At the end of this unit, students will
understand the history of crops
At the end of this unit, students will
know how to critique a food label
At the end of this unit, students will
know the effects of a high sugar
intake
At the end of this unit, students will

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS (6 pts.):

What meals have your parents
cooked with produce?
How can you choose the more
nutrient-dense food based on the
nutrition labels?
How much water do you think you
drink in a day?
What drinks do you think are high in
sugar?
What do you think a balanced plate
looks like?
How can you alter your diet to be
more nutritious?
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO (7 pts.):
At the end of this unit, students will
be able to group crops and foods
produced in a factory
At the end of this unit, students will
be able to select foods based on the
nutrition facts label that better fit
their nutrient needs

UNIT OUTLINE
be able to recreate the My Plate
structure
At the end of this unit, students will
know what nutrient-dense foods are

4
At the end of this unit, students will
be able to choose the heathier food
or beverage given choices
At the end of this unit, students will
be able to recreate the My Plate
structure
At the end of this unit, students will
be able to alter their diet to become
more nutrient-dense

ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
ASSESSMENT TOOLS (5 pts.):
Verbal questions assessing knowledge
Activity organizing pictures of food
Activity comparing food labels on items commonly consumed
Activity measuring sugar in Dr. Pepper
Activities using physical activity and MyPlate components
Assessing knowledge attained by asking how students are going to alter their
decisions based on the information learned in the lesson
Class participation
LEARNING PLAN
LEARNING ACTIVITIES (15 pts.):
Introduction

Agriculture

List the objectives of the lesson

What is a farm?
Review facts about Missouri and U.S. farms
Explain the crops grown in the U.S. and the different ways crops are grown (give
examples)
Whats the difference between food from a farm and food produced in a factory?
Activity- sort the printed pictures of foods into groups of processed foods and raw
produce
Explain the benefits of eating raw produce or conventional foods
Explain a farmers market
Show the seasonality of fruits and vegetables

Conclusion
What is the impact of agriculture in your life?
What foods have you consumed today that were produced from a farm?

Introduction
List objectives of the lesson
What foods must contain a food label? (USDA description)
Label Reading

UNIT OUTLINE

Conclusion

Review required components of a nutrition facts label

Compare and contrast nutrition labels
Analyze and explain reasoning for which is the better option
How are you going to use your knowledge with label reading to enhance your diet
with more nutrient dense foods

Introduction
Review objectives for lesson
How many sodas are consumed on a daily basis?
How does this affect your body?
Sugar/Hydration
Show video on pertaining to sugars effects and facts
Activity- True/False with sugar information
Explain items that have hidden sugar content
Activity- measure out how much sugar is in a selected item (soda bottle)
Explain how sugar and water are correlated
Show benefits of drinking enough water
Conclusion
How has learning more about sugar changed your perception?
On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to cut down/monitor your sugar
consumption?
Using the same scale, how likely are you to strive to increase your water
consumption?
Introduction
Raise your hand if youve heard of My Plate
What do you know about it?
What do you think a balanced plate should look like?
My Plate/Portions
Review food groups, provide visuals for correcting portion sizes
My Plate activities: Red Light, Green Light & Foods on Five
Conclusion- attain knowledge reached with asking how the students plan to make their
plates match the MyPlate structure
Explain how to create color, variety, and increase nutrients by using their favorite foods
Conclusion
How can you alter your plate to make it look like the My Plate picture?

UNIT OUTLINE

Resources
Joint committee on national health education standards. (2007). National Health Education Standards,
Second Edition: Achieving Excellence. Retrieved from
http://www.shapeamerica.org/standards/pe/index.cfm
National standards for family and consumer sciences education. (2008). National Association of State
Administrators of Family and Consumer Sciences. Retrieved from http://www.nasafacs.org/nationalstandards-and-competencies.html