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Science lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes

Food groups, nutrients and what each one does

Human body and health

CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-7England: KS3 Biology: Nutrition and digestion

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Food groups, nutrients and what each one does.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Food groups and a balanced diet

Leads to: Digestive enzymes and the molecules they make; Test foods for starch, sugar, protein and fat

Materials: Stopwatches, Body diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Food groups and a balanced diet). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which nutrient is carrots a good source of? (carbohydrates (for energy) / protein (for growth and repair) / fats (stored energy) / vitamins and minerals (to stay healthy)) → vitamins and minerals (to stay healthy)Prompt: Is it a starchy food, a meat or bean, an oil, or a fruit or vegetable?
  2. Which plate is the most balanced meal? (chips, crisps and cake / only sweets / fish, rice and vegetables / only butter) → fish, rice and vegetablesPrompt: A balanced meal has foods from several groups.
  3. Which food is a good source of protein (for growth and repair)? (beans / porridge oats / strawberries / potatoes) → beansPrompt: Think about which group each food belongs to.

Hook · 3 min

  • Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
  • Share the objective: Food groups, nutrients and what each one does. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Which nutrient group matches this: vitamin C for healthy skin and gums?
  • Step 1: Vitamins and minerals are needed in small amounts to stay healthy.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: vitamins and minerals
  • Answer: vitamins and minerals
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Which nutrient group matches this: needed for growth and repair of cells? (vitamins and minerals / proteins / lipids (fats and oils) / carbohydrates) → proteinsPrompt: Energy, growth, stored energy, small amounts for health, or keeping the gut moving?
  2. A sandwich contains 14 g of carbohydrate, 5 g of protein and 14 g of fat. Carbohydrate and protein each release 17 kJ per gram; fat releases 37 kJ per gram. How much energy does it provide, in kJ? → 841 kJPrompt: Work out the energy from each nutrient separately.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. A cereal bar contains 35 g of carbohydrate, 4 g of protein and 14 g of fat. Carbohydrate and protein each release 17 kJ per gram; fat releases 37 kJ per gram. How much energy does it provide, in kJ? → 1181 kJPrompt: Work out the energy from each nutrient separately.
  2. A sailor long ago ate no fresh fruit or vegetables for months and got bleeding gums (scurvy). What was missing? (vitamin C / fibre (fiber) / fat / protein) → vitamin CPrompt: Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons cured it.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Food groups and a balanced diet.
  • Use concrete materials: stopwatches.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Digestive enzymes and the molecules they make; Test foods for starch, sugar, protein and fat.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-6.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Food groups, nutrients and what each one does

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    A cereal bar contains 24 g of carbohydrate, 4 g of protein and 4 g of fat. Carbohydrate and protein each release 17 kJ per gram; fat releases 37 kJ per gram. How much energy does it provide, in kJ?

    AnswerkJ

  2. Question 2

    Which nutrient group matches this: needed for growth and repair of cells?

    • A. carbohydrates
    • B. proteins
    • C. fibre (fiber)
    • D. lipids (fats and oils)

  3. Question 3

    A teenager eats lots of white bread and sweets but few vegetables, and has constipation. What should they add?

    • A. more sugar
    • B. more salt
    • C. more fibre (fiber)
    • D. more fat

  4. Question 4

    A portion of noodles contains 12 g of carbohydrate, 10 g of protein and 15 g of fat. Carbohydrate and protein each release 17 kJ per gram; fat releases 37 kJ per gram. How much energy does it provide, in kJ?

    AnswerkJ

  5. Question 5

    A cereal bar contains 27 g of carbohydrate, 7 g of protein and 7 g of fat. Carbohydrate and protein each release 17 kJ per gram; fat releases 37 kJ per gram. How much energy does it provide, in kJ?

    AnswerkJ

  6. Question 6

    Which nutrient group matches this: iron for making red blood cells?

    • A. vitamins and minerals
    • B. lipids (fats and oils)
    • C. carbohydrates
    • D. fibre (fiber)

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Answer key: Food groups, nutrients and what each one does

  1. 1. 624 kJ

  2. 2. B. proteins

  3. 3. C. more fibre (fiber)

  4. 4. 929 kJ

  5. 5. 837 kJ

  6. 6. A. vitamins and minerals