Unit Summary
Through this lesson, students study about food and nutrition, balanced diet, deficiency diseases and food adulteration. As dieticians, they will observe and record their food habits in food journal and reflect upon whether they eat healthy meal. Students develop weekly menu for their school, grandparents, athletes and people with minor illness. Students arrange food festival to give message – We are what we eat to community.

• Essential Question
  How can we remain healthy?
• Unit Questions
  How do we plan our diet?
  Is tasty food, healthy?
• Content Questions
  What is food?
  How does food keep us healthy and fit?
  What are the different food types and their nutritive value?
  What is balanced diet and its role in good health?
  What are deficiency diseases?

Assessment Processes
View how a variety of student-centered assessments are used in the Unit Plan. These assessments help students and teachers set goals; monitor student progress; provide feedback; assess thinking, processes, performances, and products; and reflect on learning throughout the learning cycle.

Instructional Procedures
Class wise activity:
Introduction
Start the class by distributing the My Favourite Food sheet (DOC 121KB). Instruct the students that they have to write the name of their favourite food items, rank them and write the reason for the same. Divide students in small groups, ask them compare their favourite food items and work out a list of favourite food items of the group. Encourage each student to participate in the discussion. Observe the group work closely. Use group dynamics (DOC 37.5KB) sheet to observe and record the identified skill development throughout the project.

Have each group present their group’s favourite food item. Ask students to check which food items are liked by most of the students and work out the favourite food item of the class. Pose the question; Is your favourite food item healthy? Ask students to note down their responses with reasons in their books as take home activity.

Explore Food Pyramid
Have students sit in same groups and discuss their responses. Randomly ask some students to share their responses. Relate the next topic, food pyramid with the responses. Pose essential question, How can we remain healthy? Have students note down their responses in their journals.

Distribute Food pyramid sheet (DOC 25.5KB)to each group. Provide time for students to go through the pyramid and discuss the different layers of food pyramid. Have students write their responses in the sheet. Randomly select any group to share their responses. Have other groups share their responses, if the presenter group has missed out any point.

Introduce the concept of nutrients to students. Explain the meaning and different nutrients. Distribute Food pyramid-2 sheet (DOC 58KB)to students and have them discuss each food category in detail. Randomly select any group to share their responses based on their understanding of the food pyramid. Have other groups share their responses, if the presenter group has missed out any point.

Ask students to compare the sheets and draw conclusions. Have them prepare a new pyramid incorporating the contents of the two food pyramids. Pin up the food pyramids created by students on the class display board.

Have students note down their responses for – How can we remain healthy? in their journals.

Food Journal
Ask students to observe their food intake and record the serving size and the food items in the food journal (DOC 38.5KB). Have students do previous day entry in the class and guide students accordingly.

Project Scenario
Introduce the project scenario through a poster (DOC 118KB). Have students read the poster. Randomly ask students to share their feelings about the same. You may divide students in new groups. Provide project planning sheet (DOC35KB) and ask students to plan what needs to be done for planning school weekly menu, weekly menu for their grandparents, weekly menu for people with minor illness and weekly menu for athletes. Ask each group to share their plan with different stages. For eg. For planning weekly menu, students feel they need to do more study about different nutrients and how to find out which nutrients are present in different food item. Have each group share their stages and adjust the instructional procedures accordingly.

As take home activity, ask students to observe their food intake and record the serving size and the food items in the food journal.

Nutrients Study
Provide more time for studying nutrients in detail. Provide research time and research guide (DOC 26KB)for supporting student’s research. Ask students to fill in the details in the table. This will help students to plan their weekly menu.

As take home activity, ask students to observe their food intake and record the serving size and the food items in the food journal. Ask students to bring the packets or wrappers of different food items – biscuits, ready- made soups, chocolates, noodles, ice-creams, etc.

Nutrient Contents Study
Make students check the packets or wrappers of different food items to note down the details of nutritional value of the food items printed on the packets. The study of nutrients will help students understand the nutritional value of different food items and inculcate habit of checking the same for deciding their diet.

Extension: Students can be asked to calculate the nutritional value of the number of biscuits consumed by using their mathematical concepts of fractions and measurement. Have students calculate the nutritional value of the food items consumed every day in their food journals.As take home activity, ask students to observe their food intake and record the serving size and the food items in the food journal. Ask students to reflect on the essential question, How can we stay healthy? and add any new learning.

Concept of Balance
DietOrient students about the concept of balanced diet. Provide different examples of balanced meals. Remind students to consider the concept of balanced diet while preparing weekly menu.

As take home activity, ask students to observe their food intake and record the serving size and the food items in the food journal. Ask them to bring food and food products like a laddoo (Indian confectionery), turmeric powder, milk, butter /ghee, tea leaves, green vegetables etc.

Know more about your food
Arrange a class with the chemistry teacher in the lab to identify adulterants in the food. Follow the table (DOC 29.5KB) to test the various products. Share guidelines for lab use with the students before using the lab. Ask the students to note down their observation in an observation sheet (DOC 35KB).

Have students answer the question, Is tasty food, healthy? in their journals.

Present School Weekly Menu
Provide time for students to prepare their weekly menu. Have them use the technical knowledge - applications of Microsoft Word* and editing of Microsoft Word* while preparing weekly menu. Provide weekly menu checklist (DOC 29KB) to consider while preparing their weekly menu.

Have students pin up their weekly menu (DOC 154KB) on the display board and each group provide comments on the space provided.

As take home activity, ask students to observe their food intake and record the serving size and the food items in the food journal.

Deficiency Diseases
You may divide students in new groups. Pose the question:

• Do we follow the pyramid and the serving size recommended daily?
• What will happen if we do not follow it for long time?

Randomly ask some students to share their responses. Based on the responses, introduce the concept of deficiency diseases. Provide Know about deficiency diseases (DOC 43.5KB) sheet to each group. Ask the group to read the sheets and discuss the assigned deficiency disease in their groups. Have each group present the assigned deficiency disease in the class?

Food Festival
Have students organise a food festival in the school. Prepare invitation cards for parents and other classes. Ask each group to orient other classes by an interesting short speech/poem inviting them to the food festival. Ask students to think about the healthy food items they would like to keep in the food festival. Encourage students to reflect on the learnings of the project and think about the healthy food items. Have students orient the audience on, How can we remain healthy?, Is tasty food, healthy? and How can we plan our diet? Put up food pyramid made by students, weekly menus, food adulteration observation sheets and know about deficiency diseases for display during food festival. Support students in arranging the food festival.

Prerequisite Skills
Conceptual Knowledge

• Concept knowledge of healthy food

• Basic operations on the keyboard
• Application of Microsoft Word* and editing of Microsoft Word*
• Application of Microsoft PowerPoint*
• Basic knowledge of Internet

Differentiated Instruction
Resource Student

• Students work in groups under the guidance of the teacher and the peer group
• While working on food pyramid, they will identify nutrients
• Provide enough time for students to comprehend concepts

• Provide Challenging tasks
• Have them present group work / discussions
• Assign responsibilities during food festiva

Credits:
This project idea has been developed Ms. Yogini Punjabi. A team of teachers expanded the plan into the example you see here.