This unit could be used as a complement to teaching about Japanese culture. If you want ideas on how to do this, you can look at the MangaQuest Teacher Tips Page. This is if you want to focus on Japanese culture. This site can also be used as a separate unit on health, specifically nutrition. You may want to look at the 5 A Day Curricula Page for ideas on how to start the unit if you want to vary from my intro. As a possible motivation to NutritionQuest, teachers may want to go to the Dole site at http://dole5aday.com/Kids/K_Index.html which contains music and videos which can be played as an intro. If you would like to follow how I taught the unit or to find more suggestions on how to use this unit, click on how to usE PAGe
Advance Preparation
You should have a projector or LCD panel while teaching this unit. Since many schools only have one and it is by advance reservation only or first come first serve, make the necessary arrangements. The computer you use to show students should have internet access or the pages you want to show should be downloaded first to your computer. This is also a good idea if your internet access is not reliable or if you teach in different rooms. You should also have on your computer some spreadsheet software with the Food Tracker sheet, and the Food Composition Database. If there are problems with internet access in your school, download the pages and programs to your computer and then burn it to a CD and install it on all your computers.
Students at the end of the unit should create websites or presentations on research questions developed from this site. Below you will find several activities student sites should include. You may have your students do some or all of the activities mentioned. You may have students working in cooperative groups, but make sure every student in the group creates an activity. Under the activities, you will find links to assist students in creating their own. Many of these sites help students create them online.
Activities for students to create (Student websites must contain a certain level of interactivity)
Vocabulary Presentation (Click here for the PowerPoint Show or PowerPoint Presentation {Right-click on the link and select Save Target As.. to download to your computer}
Count their calories for a minimum of 3 days and graph the results (This should be done by every student, even those working in cooperative groups.) Food Tracker or Food Journal
Crossword puzzle
Create an activity page
Word Search
Word Scramble (see usda.gov site example)
Students creating a quiz (right-click and select open in new window) in Powerpoint or online on their topic
A poll relating to their research
The following table contains resources for students to create their websites. Resources for their website can be found throughout the different pages on this site.
Students take a quiz on nutrition during/after going over the unit. I prefer to give the quiz before students create the websites.
My students all have laptop computers and some have problems accessing the internet. For this reason, I downloaded the quiz questions, Food Composition database program, Food Tracker to a CD and had these students copy the programs to their computer. Since students can work in cooperative groups, I have them research together (those who can't go online with those who can).
http://cspinet.org/smartmouth/ Smart mouth.org site: fascinating and information site, contains facts on foods, calorie & saturated fat counter, articles, recipes and video clips on health & nutrition.(Show these videos on health first as a motivator.)
http://cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Understanding the nutrition facts label: contains information and video. (Use this with students. Should be second or third activity in lesson.)
http://5aday.org/html/educators/curricula.php Curricula for teachers to use.
http://arborcom.com/searchc.htm#NUTRITION SEARCHING One of the most extensive links on nutrition information and nutrition home pages. A must see.
Click on the bouncing bananas to return to the NutritionQuest Index