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Science lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 45 minutes

Nutrients and the jobs they do in your body

Human body and health

CCSS NGSS.5-PS3-1England: KS2 Y3 Animals, including humans

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Nutrients and the jobs they do in your body.

  • 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: the next skill in this area.

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

Warm-up · 5 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 oranges 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. Why do we need fibre? (to build muscles / to keep our digestive system working well / to grow hair / to see in the dark) → to keep our digestive system working wellPrompt: Fibre helps food move through the gut.
  3. Which food is a good source of carbohydrates (for energy)? (lentils / spinach / potatoes / butter) → potatoesPrompt: Think about which group each food belongs to.

Hook · 5 min

  • Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
  • Share the objective: Nutrients and the jobs they do in your body. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: What is the main job of protein?
  • Step 1: So the answer is: help you grow and repair your body
  • Answer: help you grow and repair your body
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 10 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. What is the main job of protein? (helps food move through your gut / store energy and help keep you warm / help you grow and repair your body / give you energy to move and think) → help you grow and repair your bodyPrompt: Think about energy, growth, warmth, digestion and staying healthy.
  2. Which nutrient group is this food best known for: oranges? (mostly carbohydrates / mostly protein / mostly fat / rich in vitamins and fibre) → rich in vitamins and fibrePrompt: Is it starchy, from an animal or a bean, oily, or a fruit or vegetable?

You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Which nutrient group is this food best known for: potatoes? (mostly carbohydrates / mostly protein / mostly fat / rich in vitamins and fibre) → mostly carbohydratesPrompt: Is it starchy, from an animal or a bean, oily, or a fruit or vegetable?
  2. True or false? Fat has no use in the body at all. (True / False) → FalsePrompt: Match each nutrient to its job.

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

  • 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-3.

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

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Nutrients and the jobs they do in your body

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Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which nutrient group is this food best known for: carrots?

    • A. mostly carbohydrates
    • B. mostly protein
    • C. mostly fat
    • D. rich in vitamins and fibre

  2. Question 2

    What is the main job of vitamins and minerals?

    • A. helps food move through your gut
    • B. store energy and help keep you warm
    • C. keep your body healthy, e.g. calcium for bones
    • D. help you grow and repair your body

  3. Question 3

    True or false? Humans cannot make their own food, so we must eat it.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  4. Question 4

    Which nutrient group is this food best known for: oranges?

    • A. mostly carbohydrates
    • B. mostly protein
    • C. mostly fat
    • D. rich in vitamins and fibre

  5. Question 5

    True or false? Fibre gives us most of our energy.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  6. Question 6

    Which nutrient group is this food best known for: olive oil?

    • A. mostly carbohydrates
    • B. mostly protein
    • C. mostly fat
    • D. rich in vitamins and fibre

  7. Question 7

    What is the main job of water?

    • A. helps food move through your gut
    • B. give you energy to move and think
    • C. help you grow and repair your body
    • D. is needed for almost everything your body does

  8. Question 8

    True or false? Calcium from milk and cheese helps build strong bones and teeth.

    • A. True
    • B. False

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Answer key: Nutrients and the jobs they do in your body

  1. 1. D. rich in vitamins and fibre

  2. 2. C. keep your body healthy, e.g. calcium for bones

  3. 3. A. True

  4. 4. D. rich in vitamins and fibre

  5. 5. B. False

  6. 6. C. mostly fat

  7. 7. D. is needed for almost everything your body does

  8. 8. A. True