EAT TOGETHER MY PERFECT PLATE EAT BETTER TARGET AUDIENCE Grades 5 & 6 ESTIMATED TIME NUTRITION EDUCATION LEARNING OBJECTIVE 40 minutes By the end of this activity, students will be able to: Place food picture cards in the correct food group, Create a nutritionally balanced meal using MyPlate as the template. CURRICULUM INTEGRATION Communication Reading Health EALR/GLE INTEGRATION Communication CLASSROOM SKILLS BASIC NUTRITION CONCEPTS SUPPLIES Provided with lesson For display using document camera ACTIVITY TASKS SOURCE SA SUBMITTED BY 1.1.2 Applies listening and observation skills to recall and interpret information. 2.2.2 Contributes responsibly in a group setting. Cooperation Categorization Critical thinking skills/making personal application Planning healthy meals can be fun. Healthy meals include foods from a variety of food groups. There are many food choices within each food group. MyPlate provides a good template for meal planning. Dairy Council food model picture cards MyPlate visual Food group pictures Laminated food group name cards MyPlate template MyPlate food group pieces Scissors, glue and colored pencils See reverse. Carolyn A. Lee, MS, RD Family Meals Work Group
Activity Tasks for My Perfect Plate (Grades 5 & 6) 1. Place ten food model cards at each table group, two from each of the following food groups: vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein, and grains. 2. Tell students that you will be asking them to sort their foods by food group. Have students turn and talk with table group members about what they think the five food groups are. After about 30 seconds, invite students to share their thoughts. 3. Affirm correct responses. When all groups have been mentioned, show color visual of MyPlate as reinforcement. Keep this visual on the document camera. 4. Direct students to sort their cards into the five groups. 5. Now show visual with examples of foods from each group. Ask students to check their work. Did they sort correctly? Answer any questions that arise. 6. Place the five laminated group cards on the floor where there is some space. Students now place their food model cards by the correct food group name card. This visual will help in making their "Perfect Plates". 7. Distribute the MyPlate template and the MyPlate food group pieces. Refer students back to the MyPlate visual and ask them to turn and talk about what they notice about the food groups. After one minute, have students share with the class. (Answers may include: vegetables & grains are the larger portions, fruits & vegetables together are half of the plate, vegetables & grains are the same size as each other, fruits & protein are the same size as each other, fruits & grains are about ¼ each, dairy group is a circle.) 8. Students now cut out their MyPlate pieces and place (not glue) on their MyPlate. Next, they create a meal with healthy foods. Students should consider healthy choices like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources, etc. Students draw and label each part using the correct food group piece. Labeling should include the name of the food and the food group name in parenthesis. For example, Whole Wheat Bread (grains). Again, place on the template. Refer to the MyPlate visual if needed. 9. Invite students to walk around the room, looking at different plates. 10. Finally, students place their drawings with the food model cards by the correct laminated food group name card. After all have been placed, students create another meal by selecting another set of foods from what their classmates have created. They are invited to mix and match while keeping the parts of the plate like the MyPlate visual on the document camera. Then bring back their selected foods to make another MyPlate. Have students look at all the plates. 11. The final product may be their own original plate or one created by mixing and matching. Students should glue their final creating on the MyPlate template. 12. Have students consider how the process of meal planning contributes to eating in a more healthy way. Could students help parents with meal planning? Discuss in table groups and then share ideas as a class. This material was funded by USDA s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact your local DSHS Community Service Office. June 5, 2013 This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Grades 5 6
MyPlate Food Group Pieces
GRAINS Source: wellness.byu.edu Source: pacificallergyandwellness.com VEGETABLE
FRUIT Source: aipl.arsusda.gov Source: suzmikus.pbworks.com DAIRY
Source: extension.oregonstate.edu PROTEIN Source: choosemyplate.gov
VEGETABLES FRUITS
GRAINS PROTEIN
DAIRY