Grade 2: Food for Thought
A Sample Unit on Nutrition

Information sheet 2.2 — Balanced meals

A well-designed plate Divide the students into groups of two or three. Give each group a paper plate and pictures of different kinds of food. Ask each group to follow these steps: plan a balanced meal (any meal); paste the foods for this meal on the plate; present the planned meal to the class, explaining why it is balanced.      Variation: Distribute three plates to each group and have the students plan the meals for a whole day. A balanced menu Divide the class into groups of four. Ask the students to draw up a restaurant menu with varied selections. How was your lunch? At the beginning of the afternoon, have the students list what they ate for lunch. Ask them whether their lunches were balanced, and why. An invitation to a healthy snack break The students might invite the school's teachers to a healthy snack break. They might plan and prepare a snack with items from each of the four food groups. A project of this kind may involve a number of different learning experiences. Have the students design and decorate invitations and a menu. Discuss various aspects of planning the snack. Will we use raw or cooked foods? Could we use foods of different colours? How could we present the foods? Should we try some less common dishes? Should we include foods from various cultures (Aboriginal dishes such as bannock; cheeses from a variety of countries, such as feta or Gouda; fruits from other lands, like mango or lychee fruit)? Should we be creative with certain recipes, for instance by putting berries, cheese or raisins in the bannock? Have the students read and select recipes from recipe books for children. Write recipes and compile a class recipe book. Collect donations from parents. Ask the students to calculate the total amount raised, then take them shopping to buy the food and materials they will need. Alternatively, parents might be asked to contribute a specific food or ingredient. Plan a short presentation, in which the students could read poems or stories that refer to food, tell jokes about food, do a choral speaking or choral reading activity, sing a food song, etc. Have the students calculate the proportions for doubling or tripling a recipe. Discuss health and safety measures for preparing and eating food. These include: wash your hands before handling food, wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly, be very careful when using knives, do not share utensils that have been used to sample a food or a dish; keep perishable food in the refrigerator; use oven mitts to take hot food from the oven; make sure that pot handles do not stick out when they are on top of the stove, a table or a counter; eat calmly to digest properly; chew your food thoroughly and remain seated while chewing food to avoid choking, etc. Ask the students about the consequences of not following such safety guidelines. Discuss the importance of good table manners, or how manners differ from one culture to another; have the students draw up a list of good table manners: do not speak or drink with your mouth full; chew discreetly; wipe your mouth and hands with a serviette; say "please" and "thank you".

Grade 2: Nutrition: Lesson 5
Topic: Nutrition			Activity: What is a serving?
Decision-making Process Stop!			Resources Canada's Food Guide for Healthy Eating. The Northern Food: Tradition and Health kit (optional). Food from the four food groups in the Food Guide. Measuring cups, measuring spoons.
General objectives Students will increase their knowledge of the human body Students will describe a decision-making process (CCT, IL) Students will act on their knowledge about maintaining or improving their health			Learning objectives Students will: gradually incorporate the vocabulary related to nutrition into their talk and writing (C) recognize possible sources of information on nutrition questions (IL) make eating choices based on Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating
Procedure Project an overhead transparency of information sheet 2.3. Ask the students to read the two paragraphs, and have them compare the two descriptions (draw a Venn diagram and ask what Jolene and Amy have in common and how they differ). Discuss the importance of physical activity. Explain that the more active we are, the more physical energy we expend. It is important to balance the energy we use up (when we are active) and the energy we acquire (when we eat). When we are very active, we need to eat foods that will give us energy. Ask the students if they remember which food groups provide lots of energy (grain products and vegetables & fruit). In the Food Guide, show the boxes indicating the recommended number of servings per day. Explain that a "serving" is a reasonable amount of a specific food. Ask the students if they know what a "reasonable amount" means. Demonstrate the meaning of this expression with examples such as the following: In a measuring cup, pour out one serving of apple juice (½ cup). In another measuring cup, pour out one serving of milk (1 cup). Explain that these are reasonable amounts. They are the suggested servings for apple juice and milk in the Food Guide. Show a measuring cup with one cupful of peanut butter. Ask if the students think this is a reasonable amount to eat at one meal? Why or why not? Would the students put that much peanut butter on a sandwich? What might happen if they did? Explain that the Food Guide suggests two tablespoons of peanut butter as one serving. Ask for a volunteer to come and put a serving of peanut butter on a plate. Explain that this is a reasonable amount of peanut butter. Fill a measuring cup with ketchup. Ask the students which group ketchup belongs to and whether this amount represents one serving (a reasonable amount). Discuss the "Other foods" category and explain that we should eat only a bit of them at a time and only occasionally. Ask a volunteer to help prepare five servings of grain products (the minimum quantity suggested in the Food Guide). Then show the students twelve servings of grain products (the maximum suggested in the Food Guide). Compare and discuss. Would an eight-year-old eat twelve servings of grain products a day? Why or why not? What quantity would be more reasonable? How about an athlete who trains a lot? Why? Display the following quantities of food: five servings of grain products; five of vegetables and fruit; two or three of milk products; two of meat and alternatives. Explain to the students that this represents approximately how much children their age should eat. Discuss what may happen if a child eats much less than this quantity. What may happen if a child eats much more than this quantity?			Notes For more information on Venn diagrams, refer to the Instructional Approaches section of this document. Venn Diagram printout Energy requirements depend upon the child's gender, age, body size and activity level. An active child, for example, is likely to need more than the minimum number of servings suggested in the Food Guide.
Online Resources			Extensions

 

Grade 2: Nutrition: Lesson 6
Topic: Nutrition			Activity: How are we doing?
Decision-making Process Explore...			Resources Canada's Food Guide for Healthy Eating. The Northern Food: Tradition and Health kit (optional).
General objectives Students will increase their knowledge of the human body Students will act on their knowledge about maintaining or improving their health Students will develop their ability to make decisions (CCT) Students will develop attitudes necessary for healthy living (PSVS)			Learning objectives Students will: gradually incorporate the vocabulary related to nutrition into their talk and writing (C) make choices about food based on the needs of their bodies suggest several possible courses of action and explore the long- and short-term consequences of these actions make decisions based on their analysis of the choices demonstrate respect for the needs of their body value behaviours which contribute to good health or which prevent disability or illness have confidence in their ability to make decisions
In grade two, students should make as least one health-related decision and carry out an action plan to implement that decision. Selection of the topic for this real life application of the Decision-making Process should be based on local needs. However, many young children have little control over what food is available for them at home and nutrition may be a very sensitive topic. If this topic is selected for a real life application of all three levels of the Decision-making Process, it may be preferable to have the students look at options for maintaining or improving their eating habits collectively rather than individually. Their action plan will be based on this collective decision.
Procedure Point to the Decision-making Process poster displayed since the beginning of the year. So far, the students have learned about good eating habits. This corresponds to the first thing to do before making a decision. What would they need to do next if they were to make a decision about their eating habits? They would need to look at options and consequences, and then choose one of these options. Suggest that the students practise making decisions for some of the characters encountered earlier in stories and case studies (such as Chris and Jolene). Invite them to list various options, look at their consequences, and choose one option. The students could also suggest how these characters might implement their decision and who might help them. Assemble the students' work into a big book to be shared with Kindergarten students. Or prepare a booklet and make copies for the students to take home and share with their families. Discuss food choices the students get to make. These might include choosing snacks, choosing from the foods available for breakfast (at home, at daycare, or through a community or school nutrition program), choosing to eat the apple in their lunch bag or to throw it away. Remind the students that when we get to choose what to eat, we can make good choices, and choices that are not so good: making healthy food choices means choosing foods from the four food groups. Suggest an activity in which the students would have to make actual food choices. For example, a breakfast party (or snack party) on the last Friday morning of each month. Ask the students what would be necessary for these to be healthy breakfasts (they should include foods from all four food groups and all students should eat foods from all four food groups). Some students may not like foods from a particular food group. For them, the challenge will be to try foods from that group. Others may not like specific breakfast foods. Invite those students to think of other healthy alternatives. Students who already eat balanced breakfasts might make a decision to try foods they have never tried before. They may also act as support persons to their peers. Prior to each breakfast party, have the students suggest the foods to be included in the menu. Teachers who are concerned about inadequate nutrition among students in their class should discuss this issue with the administration of the school. Chances are that this situation affects students in other classes as well. The school might work with the local liaison committee to set up a school-based nutrition program.			Notes Refer to the Decision-making Process sample unit for details. Assessment: Note the students' familiarity with the steps of the Decision-making Process. Reminder: Sections of the worksheet provided at the end of the Decision-making Process sample unit might be used for this activity. A letter might be sent home to present the booklet to parents and guardians. See example at the end of the unit. Situations will vary greatly. Some students have many opportunities to make food choices at home, others very few. The example provided in this unit creates a situation in which the students get to make food choices at school. However, some students might make personal decisions not to skip breakfast for instance. Adapt the example suggested here to better address local needs. Assessment: If applicable, refer to anecdotal records from the first activities in the unit, to help students identify weaknesses in their diet. Assessment: Observe how the students apply the knowledge and skills they have developed since the beginning of the unit. Can they identify eating habits that are not healthy? Do they refer to the Food Guide when they practise making decisions?
Online Resources			Extensions

Grade 2: Nutrition: Lesson 7
Topic: Nutrition			Activity: Here's our plan...
Decision-making Process Go!			Resources Canada's Food Guide for Healthy Eating. The Northern Food: Tradition and Health kit (optional).
General objectives Students will increase their knowledge of the human body Students will act on their knowledge about maintaining or improving their health Students will develop their ability to make decisions (CCT)			Learning objectives Students will: gradually incorporate the vocabulary related to nutrition into their talk and writing (C) make choices about food based on the needs of their bodies design and apply action plans evaluate their progress and revise their plans as needed
Point to the Decision-making Process poster, and ask the students what the next step should be. Involve the students in planning the breakfast parties. Discuss how students might implement personal decisions. At breakfast parties, encourage the students to implement personal decisions they made. After a few weeks, teachers might discuss the effects of the breakfast parties on various aspects of the students health (e.g., their level of energy, behaviour, attention span).			Assessment: Discuss progress with the students. Have them keep track of the foods they eat at each breakfast party. Suggest that they record their thoughts in their journals as they try new foods for instance. The students might use such journal entries to discuss reflect on their progress over time.
Online Resources			Extensions