Standard 1: Comprehend health promotion and disease prevention concepts.
By the end of grade five, students should be able to:
classify foods by their type, function, and nutritional content;
explain the short and long-term benefits and risks of nutritional choices;
explain the structure and function of the digestive system;
recognize the relationship among food intake, physical activity, and health.
Lesson can be integrated with Science and Language Arts.
Grade Focus: 3rd
In this lesson, the students will understand how a healthy diet and exercise can increase the likelihood of physical and mental wellness. There is an activity with the food pyramid and foods are compared. The students will recognize how certain foods have nutrients that our bodies need.
Standard 2: Access valid health information, products, and services.
demonstrate the ability to locate valid nutrition information (e.g., food labels, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Food Guide Pyramid, school nutrition services).
use the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid as guides for making healthy food choices;
describe reliable sources of nutrition information;
demonstrate the ability to locate community nutrition-related resources.
Lesson can be integrated with Science and Language Arts.
Grade Focus: 3rd
The lesson from the Utah Education Network involves students in reading "Behind the Scenes at the Hospital" by Marilyn Miller. Students will summarize the roles of several health services in their community. Students will also research a particular health or safety worker, and compare the tools and methods of health workers today and those in the past.
The second lesson allows the opportunity to explore ways in which food provides energy and materials for our bodies and the physiological mechanisms of digestion. The lesson is part of a series and works in conjunction with another lesson on the digestive system.
Standard 3: Demonstrate the ability to practice behaviors that enhance health and reduce risks.
By the end of grade five, students should be able to:
explain the relationship between food selection and oral health;
demonstrate safe and sanitary food handling procedures that prevent disease;
demonstrate the ability to practice appropriate nutrition behaviors and make healthy nutritional choices.
Lesson can be integrated with Science.
Grade Focus: 2nd - 5th
This lesson alerts students that tooth decay is a common disease. In this lesson, students will begin to understand the causes and implications of tooth decay. A hands-on activity involves the students.
Standard 4: Analyze the influence of personal beliefs, culture, mass media, technology, and other factors on health.
By the end of grade five, students should be able to:
relate examples of how parents, family, culture, peers, and personal preferences influence food choices;
explain how technology influences food availability and selection;
explain how mass media influence the selection of nutrition information, products, and services;
describe marketing and advertising techniques used to influence food selection and body image.
Lesson can be integrated with Language Arts and Social Studies.
Grade Focus: 3rd
In this interdisciplinary lesson, students explore the concept of global interdependence by investigating the origins of the foods they eat. Students will recognize the fact that many of the foods they eat, and the ingredients that go into making them, are produced in other countries. They will speculate about why certain foods are produced in different regions of the world, and what might happen if the production and/or distribution of these goods was to stop.
Standard 5: Use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health.
By the end of grade five, students should be able to:
demonstrate the use of effective communication skills to express nutritional needs
demonstrate ways to communicate consideration and respect for self and others as related to body composition and shape and dietary choices.
Lesson can be integrated with Social Studies.
Grade Focus: 4th
This lesson involves students in becoming aware of various appearances. The students will learn about height and weight. Students will be encouraged to become very sensitive to feelings. Value cannot be placed on body size or appearance. Only appropriate health habits (not the results) can be questioned. The given activities will influence that it is fun to see people of different shapes and sizes. It makes the world more interesting.
Standard 6: Use goal-setting and decision-making skills to enhance health.
By the end of grade five, students should be able to:
demonstrate the ability to apply a decision-making process to nutrition issues and problems;
predict risks and consequences of positive and negative nutrition decisions;
set a personal dietary goal and track progress toward its achievement.
Lesson can be integrated with Language Arts and Science.
Grade Focus: 5th
This lesson will only need some minor modifications in order to adapt for a fifth grade classroom. In this lesson, students evaluate their eating habits, focusing on the ways in which one assesses whether or not his or her diet is nutritious. Students work in small groups to design a menu for a healthy lunch and write a paragraph justifying their choices. For homework, students maintain a food diary over the course of a week and write a reflective essay discussing their food intake and proposing ways to make their diet healthier.
Standard 7: Demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.
By the end of grade five, students should be able to:
demonstrate ways to influence and support others in making positive nutritional choices
define nutrition issues that affect health in the school and community.
Lesson can be integrated with Science, Math, and Language Arts.
Grade Focus: 1st - 5th
This link provides students with information about eating properly for sports activities. Students are encouraged to use the food guide pyramid and stay hydrated. Students are also provided facts on the necessary foods vs. unnecessary supplements. The teacher can adapt various activities to check student understanding. The students can create a nutrition guide full of positive nutritional choices that they can pass out to peers in the school, family, and/or community. The “Kids Health” website also contains other pertinent information about nutrition, such as learning about food labels.
