UNIT PLAN –OBESITY AND THE FAST FOOD CULTURE

 

GRADE 7-10 - OPEN

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

This unit focuses on the obesity epidemic in North America and around the world. Students will investigate the factors contributing to the obesity epidemic, the health risks involved, and its’ impact on the health care system.

Today’s current North American culture of a fast paced, media -driven society further influences the diet and overall health of Canadian/American youth. While parents continue to verbalize the importance of eating as a family the realities of two-income families and the strain on their already limited time, often outweighs the practicality of eating together. This situation has led to an epidemic of obesity in American adults and is showing a trend towards epidemic proportions in today’s youth as well. In light of these developments, it is important to investigate the role of teachers, educators and school policy in addressing these issues in an attempt to combat serious health problems and their future impact on the country’s health and welfare organizations. As the literature indicates, we are seeing a high percentage of young adults who are unprepared to feed themselves outside the fast food and store-bought prepared food realms. It is time to address the need for food preparation skills to be taught to adolescents in the school environment. Due to this current trend, a change in food preparation knowledge would positively influence the current health and nutrition problems facing North America.

 

 

GOALS: This unit will focus on one of the most prominent food related social issues facing today’s youth. Food is an important component of everyone’s daily routine, and the choices we make daily affect us throughout our lives. An understanding of the affect food consumption choices have on the body is the first step in educating youth about the consequences of poor food choices. Provoking thought, discussion and creating practical hands on learning experiences will connect these issues directly to the students’ lives. Students will investigate the affect of fast food on their bodies by watching portions of the film Super Size Me. They will research the nutritional value of many of their favorite fast food choices. They will investigate the power of marketing in the fast food industry and produce their own food photo shoot. Students will prepare and taste a number of healthy fast food alternatives and they will perform at least four food labs. The unit should create awareness and emphasize that while fast food does not cause obesity, it does promote the consumption of too many calories, which can lead to weight gain.

PRE ASSESSMENT

ONTARIO STANDARDS

 Global Food Issues

• Identify the various reasons for the choices people make about food;
• Categorize the reasons why people eat the foods they eat (e.g., cultural, emotional, environmental, nutritional, religious, social)

 

• Explain how families, peers, and the media influence an individual’s food choices and habits.

 

• Analyze the responsibilities involved in maintaining nutritional health and well-being.

 

• Identify consumer responsibility in the investigation of current food issues

 

• Summarize the practical factors and demonstrate the skills involved in producing appetizing and healthy foods for themselves and others.

 

• Determine how food-production methods can contribute to satisfying global food needs

 

• Differentiate between the food-production methods of developed and developing countries and the impact of those methods on food security

 

• Prepare a global food product or meal(e.g., something made from grains such as bulgur, buckwheat, spelt, quinao, couscous; from legumes such as dried beans, peas, lentils; or from vegetables and fruits that are new to them).

 

Practical Skills

·        Plan meals that address factors such as nutritional needs, age, likes and dislikes, activity levels. special diets, and considerations related to time, money, and effort;

 

• Identify, select, and effectively use appropriate kitchen tools to plan and prepare interesting and appealing meals in cooperation with others;

 

• Safely use, maintain, clean, and store tools and equipment used in food preparation;

 

• Identify and demonstrate safe food-handling practices, including kitchen safety, sanitary methods, and proper food storage;

 

• Demonstrate accurate measuring skills and appropriate food-preparation techniques (e.g., stirring, beating, whipping, chopping, broiling, frying)

 

• Plan and budget for a family’s meals forgone week and prepare a list of all ingredients;

 

• Use mathematical skills accurately in meal planning and recipe changes, employing both SI metric units and imperial measures;

 

• Demonstrate an ability to schedule cooking times so all meal components are ready simultaneously;

 

• Demonstrate the ability to follow a recipe, make substitutions, and alter portions as necessary;

 

• Describe the useful information available in cookbooks (e.g., storage and preparation tips, conversion charts, food terms);

 

• Demonstrate basic cooking and baking skills.

 

Social Science Research

• Correctly use food and nutrition terminology (e.g., nutrients, food security, vegetarian, food additives)

 

• Identify the process involved in social science research

 

• Distinguish between key and supporting issues in formulating questions to be researched.

 

 

• Use research derived from a variety of primary sources (e.g., interviews, observations, statistics, demographic research, and original documents) and secondary sources (e.g., print materials, Internet articles, CD-ROMs, and videos

 

• Present a report analyzing a food issue, such as food security, by reading, summarizing, and interpreting articles on food and nutrition in newspapers, magazines, and selected research literature

 

• Distinguish between research evidence and opinion

 

 

• Demonstrate appropriate use of social science research methods in the investigation of food related issues.

 

 

 

INTEGRATION POSSIBILITIES:  This unit is easily integrated with social studies and family studies. It would be beneficial to work with the social science teacher to develop parallel units of study in order for the students to have an in-depth understanding of the political, social, economic issues relating to media influence and marketing.

 

RATIONALE/OVERVIEW This unit will provide an awareness of how fast food consumption affects the lifestyles of people. This unit is important in identifying issues central to all student’s lives and providing students with awareness of health issues that will impact the rest of their lives. It lays the foundation for understanding the issue of global obesity while providing practical food preparation skills through hands on learning. The experiential learning occurring in this unit will provide students with a connection to the material that will enable them to make connections related to their own food choices.

Students will view a variety of media related to fast food, they will understand how the over consumption of fast food affects their health and the relating consequences, they will prepare and sample a number of healthy alternatives, they will learn nutrition information regarding health and diet, and they will work independently and in groups to perform activities. The will also perform to food experiments in order to provide a further connection to the material.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES: Students will continue to develop listening, reading, writing, and presentation skills. They will build on previous development of organizational skills, through repetitive kitchen procedures and incorporating new skills from preparing new recipes. The will continue to develop their research skills by investigating new recipes and food choices and by using a number of different media in research. Students will also expand their palates by tasting a variety of new dishes. The unit will conclude with a unit test and a “PIZZA DAY”. Students will prepare, from scratch, a healthy pizza to enjoy with their classmates.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES: The emphasis of this course is in experiential learning. Students will have the opportunity to work in lab groups to produce a variety of food dishes that connect to the academic topics covered in the various lessons. In addition the following strategies will be used:

• Seminars and discussions

• Unit folders to save all the student’s work for use as reference

• Videos, DVDs, books, pod casts, research and interactive internet sites
• Overheads with handouts for the students to fill in their own information
• Co-operative learning to initiate discussion when completing group work

 

ORGANIZE THE LEARNING: Lessons will follow a similar sequence in order to check for understanding and ensure all students are up to date with the text. Lab procedures developed in the first week of the course will be strictly adhered to, to ensure safety and establish competence in the kitchen.

 

• Anticipatory set – create a “hook” whenever possible
• Class discussion, respect for instructor and peers imperative
• Overheads, visual media
• Handouts for students to complete
• Class folders to store completed work
• Lab. Assessments for each group on an ongoing basis
• In class time for working on major projects
• Completion of assignments for next class if necessary

 

 

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:

 

FORMATIVE: All students will be encouraged to speak at least once during class activities to check for understanding. A unit folder will be added to throughout the unit and checked for completion of tasks.

 

SUMMATIVE: 

• This unit concludes with a Unit test.

 

• In addition students will compete a number of in class and independent activities to be filed in their class folders and to be marked for homework completion, listening and understanding, and application of skills.

 

• A “Class Challenge” will be preformed near the end of this unit. The objective being to expose students to the realities of food marketing through personal experience.

 

• Lab reviews will be completed throughout this unit. (Rubric attached)

 

 

 

 

ACCOMMODATIONS: Students with special needs or IEP will have alternative writing assignments.

 

1. Group work and Labs will allow students with special needs to fully participate in classroom activities.
2. Group members will rotate on a regular basis to ensure that all students interact with as may different personalities as possible.
3. Vegetarian and special diet options will be available as often as is feasible.