NUTRITION 101 Free Homeschool Unit Study
Nutrition is an ideal homeschooling unit study. This six to nine week study was designed for the 10 – 14 year olds in our family. It would be ideal for your homeschool co-op. We start by learning basic biology / anatomy the digestive system. Then we explore WHAT we put in our bodies and how it effects our health.
Part 2 The kids will then explore where our food come from, basic farming practices including organic and GMO movement. Using Nourish Life and other free classroom curriculum they will explore the local food movement. Enjoy this multimedia hands on unit study. NUTRITION 101**we have an additional textbook for the digestive system we are using. You can locate chapters from classroom texts online. I have found the following useful: Visual Lessons Digestive System textbook reading : Digestive and Urniary Systems
in order to receive high school credit I wanted to make sure my students covered and comprehend the material: Summary Outline of Chapter on Digestion | Chemical digestion visuals | Here is my assignment and grade sheet for my high school student based on this six unit study. Topic: DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:
_____________________________________ Lesson One: The Digestive System Day 1: READ: The Structure and Function of the Digestive System WATCH: Health Digestive System 101 (high school) Digestive System (middle school) INTERACT: Interactive digestive system alternate: pdf file Digestive system lab DAY 2: READ: Digestive System article (high school) alternate easier to read (middle school) INTERACT: Digestion Digestive System trivia free powerpoint WRITE: choose either an outline or notebook pages to describe a general summary of the digestive system Choose: notebooking pages to record your lessons (to turn in for credit) Or use these pre made outlines type up your notes for credit Part 2: Food Absorption (Chemical Digestion) Day 3: READ: Chapter Food and Nutrients (you will have to register once to gain access) WRITE: Define nutrient, and identify the six major types of nutrients. (Use your notebook paper or a plain sheet of paper. hint: Could fanny play violin much worse? Day 4: WATCH:
WRITE: the difference between mechanical digestion and chemical digestion Day 5: HLC/Enzymes Quick Animation of Enzymes Enzymes: Bozman Science (high school) Watch: Enzymes and Digestion Day 6: Watch: What happens to your hamburger? Read: Digestive System article - picture laden with descriptions Read/Write: complete page 32 putting digestion / food absorption in the right order LISTEN: Enzymes Song * listen just because this guy is creative! Day 7: Probiotics read: 21 Amazing Facts about Probiotics WRITE: 21 facts and summarize each one Day 8: Read: PROBIOTICS | WATCH/Take Notes: Probiotics | Gut Bacteria (high school) Read What are Probiotics? (high school) or Probiotics (middle school) Toxin Commensal Baterial Mal-absorbsion Research pasteurization (who developed it and why) and then have the students debate the pros and cons. Lesson Two: Vitamins and Minerals
Day 9 USE these note booking pages to write your notes/answers WATCH: Vitamins and Minerals Answer these questions:
WATCH Phytonutrients WRITE: Make a rainbow chart and tell each health benefit (either draw or cut out from magazines) Day 11 WATCH: How Antioxidant Works Vitamin E as an antioxident Antioxidants in foods WRITE: Label the benefits of different foods Lesson Three: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats Day 12 WATCH: Proteins - from Christine Dobrowolski Watch: nutrition labels ChemMatters Day 13 WATCH interact: Carbohydrates Carbohydrates (Bozeman Science) OR watch from Christine Dobrowolski Carboyhydrates WRITE: Complete Nutrition Label Worksheets check your answers after completing the worksheets. How did you do? Day 14 Watch: FAT & Good Fats vs Bad Fats Notes: Why is it called TRANS FAT? What stays solid at room tempterature is saturated fat Mono - unsatured fat (is flexible) Hydrogenated Fat - is man made - not found in nature. Write: Add this to your notes: Good fats: seeds, olives, olive oil, coconut oil, cold- water fish, nuts – walnuts, almonds. Okay fats: (eaten in moderation) avocados, butter, meats,eggs. Fats to avoid: Trans fats mostly present in processed baked foods – cookies and crackers Fats don't make us fat. A diet without fat will make us sick. A diet with too much of the wrong fat will make us sick. |
Summary Outline of Chapter on Digestion
topics to make sure are covered Multi Media Resources:
Nutrients4life
Discovery Education about fertilizers. Free resources for educators at their website: Nutrients4life.org NOURISH
Youtube Channel A movement towards organic... Food Revolution. Where did this come from? And that begins the telling of the story...Nourish Hands On and Lab ActivitiesDigestive System Lesson plan with vocabulary. Summary sheets and several hands on activities
My Favorite TeacherspayTeachers freebies -
(requires a login and SO worth it!) middle school: Digestive System "center" mechanical digestion from My Dear its Elementary FIND US ON PINTERESTDocumentaries Multi Media ResourcesFat, Sick & Nearly Dead
Supersize Me King Corn Killer At Large Food Inc Forks Over Knives Dive Hungry For Change OMG GMO Fatheads The Future of Foods food for thought: * Raw Food Enzymes (high school **extra if interested) OUR PLAYLIST related to NUTRITION |
Lesson FOUR: Sugar. Is it really that bad for you?
Day 15 WATCH: Read : The bitter Truth (powerpoint in pdf) Write What are sweet alternatives to sugar ADD to your notes: Effects of sugar on the body:
On top of all of the above:Ingested sugar causes an acidic effect on the body leaving you more susceptible to disease, viruses, and colds. |
More to read if you wish:
Sugar, Not Fax, exposed the Harmful Effects of Sugar Glucose is the simple sugar made by the body through digestion of carbohydrates. It is the body’s chief source of energy. Sometimes glucose is called dextrose. Sucrose is what we commonly refer to as table sugar. It is made from highly processed sugar cane or sugar beets. The composition of sucrose is a combination of glucose and fructose, which separates during digestion. Pure sucrose is devoid of any nutrients. Fructose, commonly called fruit sugar, is a simple sugar found in honey, tree fruits, berries, and melons. But don’t be fooled into thinking fructose on a label means you are eating fruit sugar. Pure crystalline fructose comes from two sources: corn or sucrose (table sugar). Corn starch is processed to release fructose. Sucrose (table sugar) is enzymatically hydrolyzed to separate into glucose and fructose. Crystalline fructose is pure fructose from one of these two sources. High Fructose Corn Syrup is made from starches like corn, wheat, and rice. High fructose syrups contain nearly equal amounts of glucose and fructose, a composition nearly identical to sucrose (table sugar). The reason high fructose corn syrup is so abundant in our processed food is simple-it’s cheaper than sugar. Because we highly subsidize corn and place tariffs on sugar imports, high fructose corn syrup is much less expensive. Pure fructose is 1.2-1.8 times sweeter than sucrose so less is needed for the same level of sweetness. It is low on the glycemic index, therefore it does not lead to peaks and dips in the body’s glucose levels. But fructose is processed in the liver. When too much fructose enters the liver at once, the liver can’t process fructose as a sugar. Instead, the liver turns excess fructose into fats-triglycerides. When you incorporate these fats into our bodies cells (the cell membranes) triglycerides cause these cells to be insulin resistant. This is the reason that high fructose corn syrup leads to diabetes. Fructose is linked to significant increases of both cholesterol and triglycerides. And remember-fructose, like sucrose-is a highly refined processed sugar devoid of any nutrition. Maltose, also known as malt sugar, is half as sweet as sucrose (table sugar). It is produced from starch (barley, wheat, rice or other grains). It has been produced in China since 200 B.C. We use it in making beer and as an additive to some processed foods. In our bodies, maltose is formed as the first step in digestion of starchy foods. It is then broken down into glucose. Lactose is the sugar found naturally in milk. Date sugar is 100% dehydrated dates ground into small pieces. It is a whole food, high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Date sugar can be substituted for granulated sugar or brown sugar cup for cup, but it does not dissolve in liquids. Most alternative health practitionars consider Date Sugar to be a healthy sugar alternative. Sugar Alcohols or PolyolsMaltitol, maltitol syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, lakanto, erythritol, and isomalt are examples of sugar alcohols. They occur naturally in plants, but are usually manufactured from sugars and starches. Sugar alcohols have fewer calories than sugars because they are not completely absorbed by the body. They can ferment in the intestines and cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea. |
PART 2
GMO vs REAL FOOD.
Food Choices and the Food Revolution.
Careers in Food and Nutrition. coming soon.
resources for our continuing study...
Nourish Curriculum
Life: Choice, Control & Change
Resources for Nutrition, Careers in Food...
Nourish Curriculum
Life: Choice, Control & Change
Resources for Nutrition, Careers in Food...