An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan
Date: 1994
Grade Level(s): Kindergarten, 1, 2, 3
Subject(s):
Objective:
To make students aware of ways newspapers can teach about nutrition and good health
Materials Needed: Newspapers, paper plates, scissors, glue, markers
To Start:
Ask students to explain what the old adage "You are what you eat" means to them. Ask them to give examples of "junk" foods and the reasons why they are considered "junk." Talk about the value of some foods over others.
Group Activity:
Challenge students to create a nutritious menu that they would actually eat. Separate the class into groups of two or three, and give each group a newspaper food section, three paper plates, and markers. (The plates should be marked to represent each meal of the day.) Using the food section, have the groups locate nutritious items with which to "make" breakfast, lunch and dinner. Students should clip names and pictures of these food items, and paste them on the appropriate plates. Post the grouped plates on the bulletin board for an eye-catching display. Go over each group's menus, discussing the healthy and not-so-healthy choices on each.
Follow-Up:
The food section and other regular newspaper features often carry nutrition news of importance to everyone. Start a class scrapbook of nutrition-related news and feature items, and ask students to add to it periodically. You might also want to feature a weekly "nutrition update," in which individual students report on nutrition news or related information found in the newspaper.