4.4 Teamwork – The USDA’s Food Pyramid and the FDA’s Nutrition Facts Labels
This middle school food and agricultural literacy lesson teaches students to correlate information on FDA Nutrition Facts Labels with the dietary guidelines of the USDA’s Food Pyramid. Through an interest-approach balance demonstration, an Internet-based exploration of MyPyramid.gov, and a personal food-intake tracking activity, students learn how the two government tools complement each other in maintaining a healthy diet. Includes activity sheets, a teacher master, and a multiple-choice assessment.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
-
- As a result of this unit the student will… Critique food labels and claims
- As a result of this lesson, the student will… Correlate the information on food nutrition labels to the dietary guidelines of the food pyramid.
- Time required
- Instruction time for this lesson: 45 minutes.
- Grade level
- Middle School
- Materials
-
- Overhead projector/transparencies
- Golf balls – 10
- Sand – 1 large plastic sealable bag full
- Pitcher of water – 1 gallon
- Plastic/glass jars – 2 (should be approximately the size that will be filled with 4-5 golf balls)
- Large cookie sheet to catch water – 1
- MS.FS.4.4.TM.A – one per teacher
- MS.FS.4.4.AS.A – one per student
- MS.FS.4.4.AS.B – one per student
- MS.FS.4.4.ASSESS.A – one per student
- Computer lab with Internet access
- Lesson Number
- MS.FS.4.4
- Precepts
- G. Physical Growth; G1. Practice healthy eating habits.
- Key Terms
- Food Pyramid
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
National Standards
- FPP.03.01.03.b.Compare and contrast the nutritive value of food and food groups.
- FPP.03.01.04.a.Discuss common food constituents (e.g., proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals).
- NL-ENG.K-12.12Applying Language Skills
- NS.5-8.6Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
- NT.K-12.5Technology Research Tools.