Moving Down the Line

Get things cooking with the first lesson in this series on the science of food. Working in small groups, young scientists make and record observations about different mystery foods. These descriptions are then shared with the class and...

Young nutritionists plan nutritional meals by using the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid. Before constructing their meal plans, they take a close look a food labels and learn how to decipher them. In today's world of obese and unfit children,...

Students become familiar with the nutritional value of foods advertised on television and in magazines. They discuss different types of foods and where snack food fits into a healthy diet. They categorize the foods they eat as healthy or...

This is the culminating activity for a unit on energy balance for 3rd-5th graders created by Together Counts. Young learners make a plan to balance their energy in and their energy out for one month. They use the SMART steps in creating...

How do young learners figure out how to balance their energy in and their energy out? The main thing to understand is calories. How many calories are in foods and beverages consumed and how many calories are burned off by physical...

It's easy enough to put energy in, but not so easy to use it up! Look at food labels with your young learners and help them understand the concept of calories in and calories out. Food eaten means calories in and exercise means calories...

Young learners take a look at what they eat in one day and compare it to how much physical activity they do on that same day. Point out that this is only a one-day glimpse at balancing the energy going in and what energy being used. They...

How can you choose healthier foods by reading the nutritional labels? Your class will discover how companies market food items to make them enticing and how to check the food labels of those items to see if they are healthy. They listen...

What are the best foods to eat, and how much is too much? Kids discuss the importance of eating the right amount of each of the four food groups. They discuss the food pyramid and make meals by cutting and pasting foods from a magazine...

What did you have for lunch? Did it contain all four food groups? Help your special education class make good food choices and recognize foods in each of the four food groups. They look at images and discuss the foods on the food pyramid...