Nutrition Unit

By: Brittany Mayer

Nutrition Unit

Grade Level: 5th

Subject Areas: Science, English, and Mathematics
Duration: 3-4 weeks
Description of the School and Students:
This elementary school is located in a middle class, suburban neighborhood. The students
have access to computers and smart boards in their classrooms as well as an adequate
library and computers labs. All of the students speak English as a first language and there
are 24 students in the class. Academically the students range in ability, but there are no
special education students.

Content Overview:
Nutrition:
Nutrition is the science or study of the process by which organisms take in and utilize
food material. Nutritional science studies how the body breaks down food and repairs and
creates cells and tissues. It also examines how the body responds to food.
Nutrition is present in all processes of life from birth till death. Even after death the
human body serves as nutrition for other organisms. Anything that lives is dependent on
energy, which results from food.
The human body requires seven major types of nutrients. A nutrient is a source of
nourishment in which the body cannot make on its own. The seven types of nutrients are
protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamin, mineral, fiber, and water.
Food groups:
Foods are grouped together when they share similar nutritional properties. Depending on
each persons individual plan, the food groups may be arranged slightly different. The
food groups consist of grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and lean meats, poultry, fish, nuts,
and seeds.
Food pyramid:
The food pyramid is a triangular or pyramid shaped nutrition guide divided into sections
to show the recommended intake for each food group. The pyramid is divided into
breads, cereals, and potatoes at the bottom, fruits and vegetables in the next column, dairy
products, which consist of milk, cheese, and yogurt in the next column, meat, fish, eggs,
and beans in the next column, and the last column at the top consists of butters and oils.

Water:
Water is essential for our bodies because it is in every cell, tissue, and organ. This is why
getting enough water everyday is important for your health. People who keep healthy
meet their fluid needs by drinking when they are thirsty and drinking with their meals.
However, if youre in hot weather for most of the day or doing vigorous physical activity,
you will need to drink more fluids. Water is also important because it helps get rid of
wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements. At least eight cups of
water is recommended to drink per day.
Protein:
The body uses protein for growth and repair of new and damaged tissues. Skin, muscles,
hair, fingernails, and blood clots are all made of protein. Protein is also used in regulating
all body functions through the actions of enzymes, hormones, and other functional
molecules. Protein transports other nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. Protein
also supplies energy when carbohydrates and fat do not supply adequate amounts of
energy. Providing immune system defenses antibodies are made of proteins.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are the bodys preferred source of energy; the other potential energy
sources being proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are broken down in the body into sugars,
starches and fiber. The sugars are known as simple carbohydrates, and the starches and
fiber are known as complex carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates perform three important functions in the body:
Supply energy
Supply fiber
Aid in the digestion of fats
Fats:
There are many different functions of fat in the body, they include:
Provide energy
Transport and absorb fat-soluble vitamins
Cushion vital organs in the body

 Important part of the membranes of cells

Supply essential fatty acids
Add flavor to foods
Satisfy the appetite by delaying hunger
Insulate the body
Serve as protection for nerves and blood vessels
Fats come in different forms including saturated, unsaturated, and trans fat.
Calories:
Foods have six different kinds of nutrients in them. The nutrients are protein,
carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Energy or calories are only found in
protein, fat and carbohydrates. Both protein and carbohydrates provide four calories per
gram. Fat has more energy and provides nine calories per gram. Food gives people
energy. We measure energy in calories. Calories are the potential energy the body can
receive from a food. Our bodies use food for energy to maintain all body functions both
voluntary and involuntary; in other words, to move, act, grow and mend from an injury.
Minerals:
Minerals perform a number of functions in the body including, using calcium to make
bones and teeth, and using iron to make the hemoglobin in red blood cells. Minerals
become part of tissue structure, like in bone and teeth. Minerals help maintain acid-base
balance, to keep the body pH neutral. Minerals help regulate body processes, such as in
enzyme systems. Minerals function in nerve impulse transmission and muscle
contraction. Minerals help release energy from food.
Vitamins:
Vitamins are organic compounds necessary for normal growth, maintenance of health and
reproduction. There are currently thirteen types of vitamins identified as essential for
maintaining good health; the body cannot survive without them. Vitamins help the body
convert carbohydrates and fat into energy and assist in the formation of bones and tissues.
Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins cannot be dissolved
in water, so they are stored in the body fat until they are transported to the cells by the
blood. These vitamins can accumulate in the body, so it is especially important for a
persons regular daily nutrient intake of fat-soluble vitamins not to exceed the Tolerable
Upper Intake Levels (UL). Water-soluble vitamins are easily dissolved by water and
therefore are not significantly stored by the body. Water-soluble vitamins must be
replenished frequently.
Reading food labels:
Learning how to read and understand food labels can help you make healthier choices.
Most nutrients are measured in grams, also written as g. Some nutrients are measured in
milligrams, or mg. Food label percentages are bases on a 2,000-calorie adult diet. The
nutrition label always lists a serving size, which is an amount of food, such as one cup of
cereal. Labels also tell you how many servings are contained in that package of food. If
there are 15 servings in a box of cookies and each serving is two cookies, you have
enough for 30 people. The number of calories in a single serving of the food is listed on

the left of the label. The total fat is the number of fat grams contained in one serving of
the food. Total carbohydrates tell you how many carbohydrate grams are in one serving
of food. Protein tells you how much protein you get in a single serving of the food.
Vitamin A and C list the amounts of vitamins in a serving of food. Calcium and iron list
the percent found in that food. Calories per gram show how many calories are in one
gram of fat, carbohydrate, and protein.

Rationale:
The main purpose of this unit is to teach the students about how nutrition and exercise
affects our health. Students will become educated on the many dimensions of nutrition
and will be motivated to adopt healthy dietary patterns and healthy lifestyles. Being that
this is a fifth grade classroom, students are beginning to enter puberty. It is important that
as all of the self-consciousness and poor eating habits are developing, teachers help to
combat this by teaching healthy eating habits. This unit will help students to have a
stronger background on how to make healthy eating choices.

Standards:

Science Standards:
Key Idea 5: Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.
Students design and conduct a survey of personal nutrition and exercise habits,
and analyze and critique the results of that survey
Describe the importance of major nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in maintaining health
and promoting growth, and explain the need for a constant input of energy for living
organisms.
Major Understandings:
5.2a Food provides molecules that serve as fuel and building material for all
organisms. All living things, including plants, must release energy from their
food, using it to carry on their life processes.
5.2b Foods contain a variety of substances, which include carbohydrates, fats,
vitamins, proteins, minerals, and water. Each substance is vital to the survival of
the organism.
5.2c Metabolism is the sum of all chemical reactions in an organism. Metabolism
can be influenced by hormones, exercise, diet, and aging.
5.2d Energy in foods is measured in Calories. The total caloric value of each type
of food varies. The number of Calories a person requires varies from person to
person.
5.2e In order to maintain a balanced state, all organisms have a minimum daily
intake of each type of nutrient based on species, size, age, sex, activity, etc. An
imbalance in any of the nutrients might result in weight gain, weight loss, or a
diseased state.
English Standards:
1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and
information.
a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational
structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writers purpose.
b. Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details.
c. Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently,
specifically).
d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.

a. Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group
related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and
multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples related to the topic.
c. Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases,
and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or
explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or
explanation presented.
Mathematics Standards:
Represent and interpret data.
2. Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit
(1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Use operations on fractions for this grade to solve problems
involving information presented in line plots.

Goals:
As a result of the unit, students will:
Students will develop a thorough understanding of the nutritional value of foods, and
how to be healthy.
Students will understand the importance of eating healthy.
Students will understand how to read food labels, and make smart food choices.
Students will have a better understanding of the importance of drinking water.
Students will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to having a healthy lifestyle.

Content Outline:
A. Definition of Nutrition
1. Nutritional Values of
a. Carbohydrates
b. Proteins
c. Vitamins
d. Minerals
e. Fats
2. Importance of Water
a. Drink eight cups a day
B. The Food Pyramid
1. Food Groups
a. Fruits

b. Vegetables
c. Meats
d. Grains
e. Dairy
C. Reading Food Labels
1. Understanding each label

Activities:
Nutrition Game:
In this activity, as a class, while we are studying nutrition, we will play a game on the
Smart board. The game has the students chose healthy foods to bring with them on their
trip and they have to choose the right amount in each food group. The purpose of this
activity is to give the students a better understanding of the food they should be eating all
the time and how they should balance the amount of food they eat.
Materials: Computer, Smart board.
Resource: http://www.fns.usda.gov/multimedia/Games/Blastoff/BlastOff_Game.html
Food Labeling & Serving Size:
The students will be measuring how much of the certain food they eat, and then they will
be reading serving sizes found in the nutrition facts label to see if they are eating the
correct portion size. The students will also be looking at the Percent Daily Value (% DV).
The students will then be creating a bar graph comparing labels, such as sugars, total fats,
and calories. The purpose of this activity is to have the students understand the daily
value they should be having and understand the importance of having the recommended
amount, while comparing it to what they actually do have.
Materials: Graph Paper, Pencils, Food Labels, Work sheets
Make Your Own Food Pyramid:
Each student will be given the template for a food pyramid. The students are to label each
column in order, as well as draw pictures within the columns of what they eat in one day.
The students should be creative. The purpose of this activity is to have the students be
able to put each food type in the right category. As well as understand the types of foods
they eat and compare what they eat to the recommended amount they should be eating.
Materials: Food pyramid template, colored pencils, markers.
Reading a Food Label:
The students will be given a handout of a food label, while a big version of the same food
label they have is shown on the smart board. One line at a time we will go through the
different things listed on a food label so the students get a general sense of what is in the
food they are eating. The purpose of this lesson is so the students are aware of what is in
their food and they know how to read the label to understand the importance of nutrition
in their everyday lives.
Materials: Label handout, Smart board.
Food Matching Game:

Students will be paired off. They will be handed a pack of ten cards. Each card is
different. There will be a card for each food group and a card for a food that corresponds
to that food group. Students then will place all the cards on a flat surface upside down.
They will flip them over and play the matching game. They have to put the food with the
correct food group. The purpose of this activity is for students to understand which foods
correspond with which food groups.
Materials: Matching cards.
Food Journals:
Students will be given a journal and will log all of their meals. They will calculate the
calories they intake and also log the amount of exercise they do. Each day they will be
required to write what they eat and write a short reflection each morning on their food
intake and exercise levels from the day before. Students should also include what healthy
changes they have made or any thing they have noticed about their eating habits. The
purpose of this activity is for students to take all of the information they had been
learning and apply it to their eating habits. Students also will see their choices and be
held accountable for what they eat through the written logs.
Materials: Math journals.
Matching Food Choices:
Students will receive five work sheets: one for each of the food groups. They will match
the name of a food to the picture, and then they will color the picture. This will show
them all of their options of food for each of the food groups.
Materials: Worksheets, crayons/markers. The purpose of this activity is for students to see
how many different food choices there are for each food group. This will help students to
vary their food choices.
Materials: Worksheets
My Plate Meal:
Students will do research online on My Plate. They will each receive a paper plate, which
they will divide into the appropriate sections. After it has been divided, each student will
use markers or crayons to color in a meal they think would be healthy. Then, with a
partner, students would share their plate and make corrections on each others meals. The
purpose of this activity is for students to make their own visual representation of what
types of food and how much of each they should be eating for a meal.
Materials: Paper plates, markers/crayons, computers.
Jump and Sing for Health:
Students will be broken up into groups in which each group will work together to come
up with a poem all about nutrition and staying healthy. Once the poems are finished, the
students must recite the poems while jumping rope. The purpose of this activity is for the
students to be creative with what they have learned throughout the unit and incorporate
exercise as well.
Materials: Jump rope, paper.

Evaluation/Assessment:

At the end of this unit the students will be taking a test. There will be multiple-choice
questions, matching questions and a short answer question. The short answer question
will be to describe an ideal healthy meal and to explain why those choices were made.
Multiple choice and matching will cover topics discusses in prior activities and lessons.
Students will receive a rule brick prior to the test of how their short answer question will
be graded.

Brainstorming Cognitive Map:

Cognitive Web

Map: