Grade: Elementary
Subject: Health

#2023. Food Groups Class Book

Health, level: Elementary
Posted Tue Nov 21 12:12:56 PST 2000 by Julie Adams (genkijules@hotmail.com).
Robles Elementary, Tampa, FL, USA
Materials Required: "The Edible Pyramid" - book, magazines with pictures of food, scissors, glue, construction paper
Activity Time: 50 minutes
Concepts Taught: to introduce the six food groups of the food pyramid

Food Groups Class Book

Purpose: to introduce the six food groups of the food pyramid and choose foods to fit in appropriate categories in order to make a food group class book.

Objective: students will demonstrate understanding of the food groups by categorizing foods in the proper areas in order to make a class book (by working in cooperative groups).

Materials:
The Edible Pyramid
chalk and chalkboard (or overhead)
magazines with pictures of food
scissors
glue
construction paper for pages of book

Procedure:
1. Read The Edible Pyramid. Talk about each food group with the students as you read. Ask volunteers to think of or name a food from each group as you read. Discuss healthy and unhealthy foods as they come up. Discuss servings of food as they come up (and how it depends on size).

2. Draw the food pyramid on the board and label. For each food group, ask volunteers to think of a food that would fit in that group and draw a picture in the proper category (draw about 3 foods in each group). Discuss how to read the food pyramid (how the larger the category on the pyramid, the more you should eat each day of that group and vice-versa).

3. Explain that the class is going to make a class book showing the foods that go in each food group. Divide the class into six groups and assign one food group to each group. Model the following:
look for pictures of your assigned food group in magazines (give several magazines to each group).
once you find a picture of a food you think might fit in your assigned food group, discuss it with your group. If they agree, cut out the picture (you have to know what the picture's name is).
Collect 7-10 pictures as a group (one or two each).
Check with your teacher that the foods you cut out do fit into the category you have been given.
Paste the pictures in onto the page(s) of your book.

4. Once all pictures have been pasted, collect the pages and make a class book (possibly laminate). Present the book to the children on a later day and have the groups show and tell what they have pasted onto their pages.