Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

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 beans a good source of? (carbohydrates (for energy) / protein (for growth and repair) / fats (stored energy) / vitamins and minerals (to stay healthy)) → protein (for growth and repair)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 / fish, rice and vegetables / only sweets / only butter) → fish, rice and vegetablesPrompt: A balanced meal has foods from several groups.
  3. Which food is a good source of vitamins and minerals (to stay healthy)? (pasta / fish / carrots / lentils) → carrotsPrompt: 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: found in rice, bread and pasta? (proteins / carbohydrates / lipids (fats and oils) / vitamins and minerals) → carbohydratesPrompt: Energy, growth, stored energy, small amounts for health, or keeping the gut moving?
  2. A sandwich contains 36 g of carbohydrate, 5 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? → 845 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 27 g of carbohydrate, 12 g of protein and 12 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? → 1107 kJPrompt: Work out the energy from each nutrient separately.
  2. A cyclist is training for a long race. Which nutrient should form most of their extra energy? (water / vitamins / fibre (fiber) / carbohydrates) → carbohydratesPrompt: Which nutrient is the body's main fuel?

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

eurekami

Food groups, nutrients and what each one does

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    A cyclist is training for a long race. Which nutrient should form most of their extra energy?

    • A. vitamins
    • B. fibre (fiber)
    • C. water
    • D. carbohydrates

  2. Question 2

    A sandwich contains 14 g of carbohydrate, 11 g of protein and 12 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

  3. Question 3

    Which nutrient group matches this: found in rice, bread and pasta?

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

  4. Question 4

    A sailor long ago ate no fresh fruit or vegetables for months and got bleeding gums (scurvy). What was missing?

    • A. protein
    • B. fat
    • C. vitamin C
    • D. fibre (fiber)

  5. Question 5

    A bowl of porridge (oatmeal) contains 37 g of carbohydrate, 3 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: store energy and keep the body warm?

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

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

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

  1. 1. D. carbohydrates

  2. 2. 869 kJ

  3. 3. D. carbohydrates

  4. 4. C. vitamin C

  5. 5. 939 kJ

  6. 6. C. lipids (fats and oils)