Lesson 5.1: Eating Well Across the Lifespan

Overview

This lesson focuses on learning about and identifying the importance of meeting nutritional needs throughout the lifespan.

Learning Targets

  • LO1: Compare and contrast the nutritional needs of people across the lifespan.
  • LO2: Identify strategies that encourage children to eat healthy.
  • LO3: Explain why calcium is important during the teen years.
  • LO4: Use communication skills to make healthy nutrition decisions.

Preparation

Chapter Opener: Use the chapter 5: What Influences My Eating Behaviors? self-assessment as a reflective introductory activity to start the chapter. This activity will allow students to reflect upon the factors that influence their diet to evaluate how healthy their diet currently is.

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the Journal Question on the board or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use:

For the Content Focus: Make copies of the Lesson 5.1 Note-Taking Guide. Project the Lesson 5.1 PowerPoint slides.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Lesson 5.1 Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Healthy Communication.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Self-Assessment: Have students complete the What Influences My Eating Behaviors? self-assessment as a chapter opener.
  • Journal Question: In what ways have your eating habits changed since you were a young child? Do you ever think about how nutrition might affect the way you age?
    • Option: Write or project the question and have students respond in their journal or on their “bell ringer” sheet as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to complete the Lesson 5.1 Vocabulary Review Worksheet.
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Lesson 5.1 Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quiz and use it alongside a posttest to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Lesson Focus: Healthy Communication

  1. Give each student a copy of the Lesson 5.1 Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Healthy Communication.
  2. Have students work individually to identify the nutrition issue they want to work on.
  3. Once students have completed the worksheet, tell them to partner up with another student. Once partnered, tell students to share their response with each other. Prompt students to evaluate the effectiveness of the communication strategy they each wrote.
  4. When pairs are finished discussing, ask for volunteers to share their response. Start by sharing answers for Scenario A and then move to Scenario B.

Challenge Activity

Have students needing an additional challenge work on the following Thinking Critically task.

Read through the opening paragraph of this lesson again. What parts of Quinn’s diet might be contributing to her calcium and iron intake? What recommendations would you make to Quinn to improve her intake of these minerals?

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you...

  • Compare and contrast the nutritional needs of people across the lifespan?

    Students should be able to express differences and similarities as shown in table 5.1 in the text.

  • Identify strategies that encourage children to eat healthy?

    Learning to communicate your nutrition needs by saying no, asking for help, and negotiating are important skills for you to have so you can make healthy choices.

  • Explain why calcium is important during the teen years?

    If you don’t get enough calcium and Vitamin D during this time, your bones will not reach their peak bone density. This increases your risk for fractures and other serious issues later in life.

  • Use communication skills to make healthy nutrition decisions?

    Say no to unhealthy food choices, ask for help, and negotiate healthy food choices.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

Take It Home

Make a list of snacks and lunch items you like that are high in calcium and iron. Share your list with your parent or guardian. Set a SMART goal together to help increase one or both of these minerals in your diet.

Option: Assign the What Influences My Eating Behaviors? self-assessment as a homework task if it was not used at the start of this lesson.