Roberta A. Mazzucco
The unit You Are What You Eat: How Food Quality Affects Your Health is intended for a third grade class. However, it could be utilized in grades two through five. The unit begins with students looking at what they eat by keeping a food diary. They then consider what things influence what they eat such as customs, region they live in, family traditions and religion. Students are asked to taste foods from other cultures that they may or may not be familiar with. Students then consider why we need food and how it affects us nutritionally. Students look at the food pyramid and use it to reconsider their own food choices. Students then consider where the food supply for their community comes from. The local state and international variety of the food supply is explored. The unit then considers hazards to food quality like pesticides, food additives, the proliferation of fast foods and high fat, salt and sugar filled foods. The unit considers the importance of understanding the food labels and making better choices. Students are urged to get involved with issues concerning the environment and to understand how to encourage government to continue to stress food quality and nutrition. The unit includes a bibliography for teachers and students.
(Developed for Elementary Science and Social Studies, grade 3; recommended for Elementary Science and Social Studies, grades 2-5)
