Grand Ideas
I need to eat a variety of body building foods to grow big and strong.
Eating a variety of foods is important because food gives us the energy and nutrients that we need to grow and repair our bodies. No one food or group of foods can give us all the energy and nutrients that we need, so we must eat a variety of body building foods from each of the food groups every day.
Teacher Know How
One of the most important goals of preschool education is to help children begin to organize and make sense of the world around them. Young children make sense of their environment by using all five senses and by touching, holding and manipulating objects. When children are given the opportunity to interact with their environment, their optimal learning potential can be reached.
One of the first experiences that children encounter involves food. For example, all children experience milk, of some sort, soon after birth. During the preschool years, children are often exposed to many new foods. They can experience these foods with their senses and begin to sort different colored and shaped foods or they can group them into foods that are liked and/or disliked. Near the end of the preschool years, many children can group foods into other categories, such as fruit and vegetable foods or bread and cereal foods.
A useful tool for teaching children how to identify and categorize or group body building foods is the food groups. The food groups are based on the concepts of variety and balance. That is, a variety of foods from each food group should be eaten everyday. And, food selections should present a balance so that no one food group is emphasized more than another.
The food groups are divided into five major categories. Each category provides important nutrients in the diet. For example, foods in the bread and cereals group are excellent sources of energy, vitamins and minerals. Examples of foods in this category include whole grain and enriched breads and cereals, pasta, noodles, crackers, popcorn, grits, oatmeal and rice. Preschool children need approximately four servings from the bread and cereal group daily (one serving is equal to one-half a slice of bread).
The fruit and vegetable group also provides important vitamins and minerals. Foods such as oranges, apples, grapefruit, bananas, cherries, kiwis, carrots, tomatoes, dark leafy greens, broccoli, turnips, celery or yams are included in this group. There are many other colorful and delicious fruits and vegetables which children can explore. Pre-school children need approximately four, half cup servings of fruit and vegetables daily.
The milk and dairy products group is often a favorite with young children. Included in this group are milk, cheese, yogurt and ice milk. Preschool children are encouraged to eat at least three servings from this group every day (one serving is one-half to three-fourths cup of milk or one to two ounces of cheese) for energy, protein, vitamins and minerals.
The meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dried beans and peas group provides energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. There are a variety of foods included in this group and it is recommended that young children consume at least two or three servings daily (one to two ounces of meat or two tablespoons of peanut butter are equivalent to one serving).
The final group is called the "sometimes" foods because the foods in this category, such as candy, soft drinks and potato chips, provide much energy but few nutrients. It is ideal that young children concentrate on the other groups before including these "extra" foods in the diet. It is okay to eat these foods sometimes, but they should not be a part of every meal or snack.
Another important nutrient that is often overlooked is water. Young children need to learn that water is a good choice when they are thirsty. It is also important that they recognize water as an essential part of a healthy diet.
Preschool children can begin to learn to identify and sort body building foods by using the foods groups. By concentrating on foods in each of the foods groups, children will begin to recognize the need for variety and balance in their diets. These skills can also lay the foundation for a life time of healthy eating.
The following books can be used to further develop the concepts taught in this Unit:
Hamburgers And Ice Cream For Dessert (E. Clymer, Dutton, New York, 1975).
Everybody Eats (M. Green, Scott Foresman, New York, 1940).
Everybody Has A House And Everybody Eats (M. Green, Young Scott Books, New York, 1961).
Bunnies In School (K. Paget, Scholastic Book Service, New York, 1974).
The Supermarket (A. and H. Rockwell, MacMillan, New York, 1974).
Kim Likes To Eat (Yakima Home Economics Association, P.O. Box 2424, Yakima, Washington 98902).
Bread And Jam For Frances (R. Hoban, Harper and Row, New York, 1964).
Is This My Dinner? (S. Black, A. Whitman and Company, Chicago, 1972).
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (E. Carle, William Collins and World Publishing, Cleveland, Ohio, 1970).
What Did The Dinosaurs Eat? (W. Ross, Coward McCann and Geohegan Inc., New York, 1972).
What Do Animals Eat? (R. Gross, Scholastic Books Services, New York, 1971).
Objectives
Children will discover that food is needed for their bodies to grow.
Children will know that they must choose a variety of body building foods to grow big and strong.
Children will be able to identify the food groups. Children will be
able to identify foods from each of the food groups.
To Know and Learn
Children will learn the body building food groups by participating in
a Body Building Train Ride. They will also practice sorting, grouping
and discrimination skills which will aid their food selection abilities.
Materials Needed
Body Building Train song on page 7-5
Touch Your Toes poem on page 7-4
food pictures (pictures from other lessons can be used)
six shoe boxes, oatmeal boxes or milk cartons
construction paper
glue or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors
Directions
A. To Make the "Body Building Train Cars"
Remove the tops of six shoe boxes, oatmeal boxes or milk cartons so that food pictures can be put into or taken out of the containers. One of the containers should be smaller than the others to represent those foods we need to eat in smaller quantities, such as sweets, potato chips and popsicles.
Cover each container with a different color of construction paper. Each color will represent a different food group.
For example:
Blue--milk and dairy foods
Green--fruit and vegetable foods
Brown--bread and cereal foods
Red--meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dried peas and
beans
Yellow--"sometimes" or extra foods (small car)
Black--engine (which represents our bodies)
Decorate the containers so that they resemble train cars and an engine. This can be done by cutting out wheels and windows from construction paper and gluing or taping them to the containers. Food pictures could also be added to show which food group the train car represents.
B. To Use the "Body Building Train Cars"
This activity will take several class periods to complete. Each class period will begin with the Body Building Train Ride and will focus on a different food group.
Begin the Body Building Train Ride by discussing with the children why we need to eat a variety of body building foods each day. Talk about foods that help us to grow, build strong bones and teeth, develop healthy blood and muscles, keep skin and hair healthy and help us to see properly in the dark.
Describe how a person grows from infancy to childhood to adulthood. Have the children think about the size of babies and compare this to their own size. Ask them to describe how they are different from a baby (for example, weight, height, body size and skills such as talking and walking).
Read Touch Your Toes on page 7-4 to the children. Have them repeat each line until they know it well. Ask them to act out the poem as they repeat the lines. After the poem has been read, have the children answer the following questions:
What are examples of Body Building foods?
What happens to children when they eat body building foods?
Place the Body Building Train engine in front of the children. Tell them that this is the engine that will pull the Body Building Train. Also, tell them that we need to feed the engine a variety of body building foods for it to work.
Describe how the children's' bodies are like the train engine. The train engine needs fuel to work.
We also need to fuel ourselves so that our bodies can grow and develop optimally and have energy to work and play. Ask the children to describe what would happen to the train if it is fed a Variety of body building foods. Does this also happen to children that eat a variety of body building foods?
Have the children repeat the first verse and chorus of the Body Building Train Song on page 7-5. They can practice singing the song as they move around the room like a train (the children can stand in a line and put their hands around the waist of the child in front of them).
Ask the children to select body building foods from the array of food pictures and "feed" them to the engine.
This activity can be followed by the Watch Me Grow and Food Makes Me Me lessons on pages 7-12 and 7-13 to reinforce the concept that we need to eat a verity of body building foods to grow and develop optimally.
The following learning kit and film can be used with this lesson:
A Child's Garden Of Eating (Weight Watchers, International, Inc., Manhasset, New York, 1979).
Vital Vittles Win The West (Marsh Films Enterprises, P.O. Box 8082, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66208).
Food For Thought
Ask the children to describe what happens when we eat a Variety of body
building foods.
To Know and Learn
Children will discover that milk and dairy foods are needed for their bodies to grow. Children will also understand that milk and dairy foods are one body building food group by participating in a Body Building Train Ride. They will also practice sorting, grouping and discrimination skills.
Materials Needed
Body Building Train song on page 7-5
Milk and Dairy Foods train car
Body Building Train engine
food pictures (pictures from other lessons can be used)
Directions
Review why we need to eat a variety of body building foods (to grow and develop optimally). Have the children name a variety of body building foods.
Show the children the Milk and Dairy Foods train car. Talk about the foods in this group (such as milk, cheese, ice cream, ice milk and yogurt). Have the children describe these foods using the senses. Also talk about why we need to eat milk and dairy foods everyday (to build strong bones and teeth and keep them strong).
Place a variety of food pictures on a table and ask the children to select pictures of foods from the milk and dairy foods group. Then place pictures in the Milk and Dairy Foods train car.
Ask the children to:
Name the foods.
Describe the foods using their senses.
Describe the origins of the foods.
Review the Body Building Train song on page 7-5 with the children and practice saying the second verse. Have the children sing the song as they move around the room like a train.
Although butter is made from milk fat, it is not included in the milk and dairy foods group. This is because butter is mostly fat and does not have the protein, vitamins and minerals found in other milk and dairy foods.
This activity can be followed by the Fishing For Dairy Foods (7-14), Dem Bones (7-15), Chew, Drink and Bite Delights (7-17) and Teeth--Those Pearly Whites (7-19) lessons to reinforce the concept that we need milk and dairy foods to help our bones and teeth grow and remain strong.
The following book and photographs can be used to further explore the concepts taught in this lesson:
Milk (Wonder Books, Grosset and Dunlap, New York, 1972).
We AU Like Milk (National Dairy Council, 6300 North River Road, Rosemont, Illinois 60018, 1970).
Food For Thought
Ask the children to name foods from the milk and dairy food group. Also have them describe how these foods help to build strong bones and teeth and help them to be healthy.
Love to 'drink, love to drink Water, water we love to drink Chugga, chugga, choo, choo.
To Know and Learn
Children will know that fruits and vegetables are one body building food group by participating in a Body Building Train Ride. They will also practice sorting, grouping and discrimination skills.
Materials Needed
Body Building Train song on page 7-5
Fruits and Vegetables train car
Milk and Dairy Foods train car
Body Building Train engine
food pictures (pictures from other lessons can be used)
Directions
Review why we need to eat a variety of body building foods (to grow and develop optimally). Have the children name a variety of body building foods. Review the foods that are in the milk and dairy group.
Show the children the Fruits and Vegetables train car. Talk about all the different fruits and vegetables we can eat (such as apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, broccoli, squash, spinach and potatoes). Ask the children to describe these foods and discuss them using the senses. Also talk about why we need to eat fruits and vegetables every day (to keep our skin smooth and healthy and to see well at night).
Place a variety of food pictures on a table and ask the children to select pictures of foods from the fruits and vegetables group and place them in the Fruit and Vegetable train car. Have the children:
Name the foods.
Describe the foods using their senses.
Describe where the foods grow (on a plant).
Review the Body Building Train song on page 7-5 with the children and practice saying the third verse. Have the children sing the song as they move around the room like a train.
This activity can be followed by the Carrots to See lesson on page 7-20 to reinforce the concept that fruits and vegetables are important to eat and they help keep our skin and eyes healthy.
The following books can be used to further explore the concepts of this lesson:
The Fruit Book (C. Overbeck, Lerner, 1975).
Blueberries For Sale (R. McCloskey, The Viking Press, 1948).
Fruit Is Ripe For Timothy (A. Rothschild, Addison- Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 1963).
Where Is It? (A. Hoban, MacMillan, New York, 1974).
I Like Vegetables (S. Lerner, Lerner Publications, Minneapolis,
1973).
Food For Thought
Ask the children to name foods from the fruits and vegetables group. Also have them describe how these foods help our bodies to grow and be healthy (to keep our skin smooth and healthy and see well at night).
To Know and Learn
Children will discover that meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dried peas and/or beans are needed for their bodies to grow. Children will know that meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dried peas and beans are one of the body building food groups by participating in a Body Building Train Ride. They will also practice sorting, grouping and discrimination skills.
Materials Needed
Body Building Train song on page 7-5
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs, Dried Peas and Beans
train car
Fruit and Vegetable train car
Milk and Dairy Foods train car
Body Building Train engine
food pictures (pictures from other lessons can be used)
Directions
Review why we need to eat a variety of body building foods (to grow and develop optimally). Have the children name a variety of body building foods. Review foods from the the milk and dairy group and the fruits and vegetables group.
Show the children the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs, Dried Peas and Beans train car. Ask the children to name foods that are in this group. Also ask the children to describe these foods using the senses. Have them identify the animals that give us the foods that were named (such as hamburger, steak, drumsticks, eggs, fish, pork chops, bacon and ham). Also talk about why we need to eat foods in this food group everyday (to build muscles and strong blood).
Place a variety of food pictures on the table and ask the children to select pictures of foods from this group and place them in the appropriate train car. Have the children:
Name the foods.
Describe the foods using their senses.
Name the animal that gives us each food.
Review the Body Building Train song on page 7-5 with the children and practice the fourth verse. Have the children sing the song as they move around the room like a train.
This activity can be followed by the Iron't You Smart lesson on page 7-22 to reinforce the concept that foods from this group help us grow strong muscles and healthy red blood.
The following books can be used to further develop the concepts taught in this lesson:
Scrambled Eggs Supper (Dr. Suess, Random House, New York, 1953).
The Wonderful Egg (W. Schloat, Jr., Scribner's, New York, 1952).
Fish For Supper (M. Goffstein, The Dial Press, New York, 1976).
What Happens To A Hamburger? (P. Showers, Crowell Company. New York, 1976).
Food For Thought
Ask the children to name foods from the meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dried
peas and beans group. Also have them describe how these foods help us to
grow and be healthy (to build muscles and strong blood).
To Know and Learn
Children will discover that breads and cereals are needed for their bodies to grow. Children will understand that bread and cereal foods are one body building food group by participating in a Body Building Train Ride. They will also practice sorting, grouping and discrimination skills.
Materials Needed
Body Building Train song on pages 7-5
Bread and Cereal Foods train car
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs, Dried Peas and Beans
train car
Fruit and Vegetable train car
Milk and Dairy Foods train car
Body Building Train engine
food pictures (pictures from other lessons can be used)
Directions
Review why we need to eat a variety of body building foods (to grow and develop optimally). Have the children name a variety of body building foods. Review the milk and dairy group, fruits and vegetables group, and the meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dried peas and beans group.
Show the children the Bread and Cereal Foods train car. Talk about the foods that are in this food group, such as bread, pasta (spaghetti, noodles, macaroni and shells), grits, oatmeal, cornmeal, crackers, popcorn and ready-to-eat cereals. Ask the children to describe these foods using the senses. Also talk about why we need to eat breads and cereals every day (for energy to help us grow big and strong).
Place a variety of food pictures on a table and ask the children to select pictures of foods from this food group. Have them place these food pictures from the bread and cereal foods group in the Bread and Cereal Foods train car.
Have the children:
Name the foods.
Describe the foods using their senses
Review the Body Building Train song on pages 7-5 and practice the fifth verse. Have the children sing the song as they move around the room like a train.
This activity can be followed by the Tasty Tortilla lesson on page 1-23 or Let's Make Bread on page 6-29 or any of the other cooking activities in UNIT 1.
The following books and film can be used to further explore the concepts taught in this lesson:
Story Of Our Bread (C. Hollow, International Publishers of New York, New York, 1959).
How To Make Honey Possum's Bread, Skunk's Chocolate Sprinkle Bread And Racoon 's Raisin Bread, Too (Scholastic Book Service, New York, 1975).
Bread film (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1970).
Food For Thought
Ask the children to name foods from the bread and cereal group. Also
have them describe how these foods help our bodies grow.
To Know and Learn
Children will know that we need to eat a variety of body building foods each day by participating in a Body Building Train Ride. They will also practice sorting, grouping and discrimination skills.
Materials Needed
Body Building Train song on page 7-5
Bread and Cereal Foods train car
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs, Dried Peas and Beans
train car
Fruit and Vegetable train car
Milk and Dairy Foods train car
Body Building Train engine
food pictures (pictures from other lessons can be used)
Directions
Review why we need to eat a variety of body building foods (to grow and develop fully). Have the children name a variety of body building foods.
Show the children the train cars and engine. Ask the children to select one food picture from an array of food pictures, name the food and describe the food using the senses. Have them place the food picture in the appropriate train car.
After all the food pictures have been discussed, review the contents of each train car until the children are familiar with examples of foods from each of the food groups.
Review the Body Building Train song on page 7-5 with the children. Have them sing the song as they move around the room like a train.
This activity can be followed by the Food Group Twister on page 7-24 and Counting on the Basics on page 7-25 lessons to reinforce the concept that we need to eat a variety of body building foods from the food groups every day.
The following book can be used to further explore the concepts taught in this lesson:
Socks For Supper (J. Kent, Parents Magazine Press, 1978).
The Thing That The Professor Forgot (D. Gerberding, General Mills, Nutrition Department, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1982).
Food For Thought
Ask the children to name a variety of body building foods from each
of the food groups and describe how each food group can help us grow and
be healthy.