Essential Nutrients Teacher Resources

Critical thinking skills and discussion lead to an understanding of which nutrients are essential for both humans and plants. The first installment of the five-part series explains why nutrients must be in a specific form in order to use...

Which sports drink provides the best pick-me-up after the big game or grueling workout? It may not be the one you'd think! Food science is the focus in a surprising lab activity. Pupils use colorimetry to determine the amount of protein,...

Debunk the theory that a soda-and-candy diet is a nutritionally sound concept! Learners first read 2 paragraphs of background information covering essential nutrients, digestion, and homeostasis. Then, they use the information they...

Call this just a template for a presentation on plant life, not life cycles as the title implies. Content does compare the lengths of different life cycles and describes required conditions for germination, but it also explores cellular...

Students use the Internet to learn of, and research, information on health and nutrition. They study the six essential nutrients and explore the Food Pyramid.

List the recommended dietary guidelines and explain their function and implementation. (The guidelines are listed below) National Standards 14.3.1 Aim for fitness Aim for a healthy weight Be physically active each day

How does what you eat compare to an NFL football player? The final video in a 10-part series explains the nutrition requirements at the extreme level of an NFL player. The instructor explains the key nutrients and their nutritional...

Even the youngest kids can make scientific comparisons using collected data. They read The Tiny Seed, then discuss the essential nutrients and elements needed for a seed to grow into a blooming plant. They plant seeds and track their...

Students study the food categories supporting the selection of foods providing the six basic nutrients that keep the body healthy.

Students explore botany by conducting a sunflower growth experiment. In this plant life lesson, students identify the anatomy of a sunflower plant and the essential nutrients it requires to grow. Students utilize compost, soil, garden...

Fourth graders read food labels and obtain knowledge about how to choose healthy foods. In this reading before eating lesson plan, 4th graders touch on their prior knowledge of the six essential nutrients. Students examine how healthy or...

Learners discover how nutrition impacts major body systems. In this nutrition lesson, students brainstorm how they think the digestive system works and discuss how essential nutrients impact major body systems. They work in groups to...

Fourth graders investigate the six essential nutrients. They read a handout, discuss the six nutrients, and construct a sandwich using ingredients that belong to the nutrient groups.

In this food energy and nutrients worksheet, students fill in the blank and complete a chart with information about food energy and essential nutrients needed for the body. Using the Nelson text, students complete a chart about...

Students define the term selenium. They investigate how selenium is an essential nutrient for humans and animals. Students discover that selenium can be harmful to humans and animals when eaten in amounts that are more higher than the...

Students recognize that living things need food and water.  In this health and growth lesson, students identify foods that are better for health and growth. Students sing a song and complete a worksheet. Students understand that they...

Students study the essential nutrients for our bodies.  In this healthy choices activity students complete several activities which includes research and a presentation. 

Examine how nutrition plays an important role in our lives by conducting online research and developing lunch menus that satisfy nutritional requirements set up by the United States Department of Agriculture. Young scholars download...

Very few universities still offer a master's degree in the ecology of grasses, but that was the degree that led George Wells Beadle to an interest in genetics and later a Nobel Prize. Scholars learn about the discoveries of Dr. Beadle...

Unifying themes in animal anatomy and physiology are displayed slide by slide.  The main concepts involve the differentiation in cells and tissues, and details are given about fuel management, metabolism, and some other essential processes.

Students work in small groups to create posters illustrating the major facts and functions of plant organs. Within their groups, they assume the role of specialists creating specialized posters pertaining to the different parts of plants.

Ms. Foglia has created another comprehensive biology worksheet that you can use with your advanced learners. The topic is animal nutrition and the digestive system. Questions address nutrients and deficiencies, stages of food processing,...

Sixth graders investigate the food guide pyramid. They conduct Internet research, and plan a three day nutritional menu appropriate for teenagers. Students include three meals per day and a snack for each day on their menu, and...

Learners study the recommended Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid. They discuss the foods they eat, watch a video about the Food Pyramid and examine actual foods portioned out into recommended serving sizes.