Nutrition & Food Access
Summary
This lesson explores the connection between diet and health. It will help students learn how to analyze and interpret food labels, to identify major influences on food choice, and to provide specific examples of each.
Dr. William G. Coleman, Jr. was the first permanent Black director at the National Institute of Health’s Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
Source: NIH.gov
Grades
Middle School (6-8)
Topics
Race & Ethnicity
Science & Innovation
Medicine & Healthcare
Culture & LIfestyle
Time Period
2000-2019
Overview
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SHAPE AMERICA STANDARD (S)
Describes the relationship between poor nutrition and health risk (S3.M17.8).
COLLEGE AND CAREER COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD (S)
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2). Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.8).
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Students will (1) explain how diet can impact health; (2) analyze and interpret food labels and (3) identify major influences on food choice, and give specific examples of each.
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ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Why do we eat what we eat?
What has led to the rise in diet-related disease in the United States?
How can American diets be improved?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Where can Black Americans get their health information?
Are there any Black Americans on the advisory committee for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans?
How many Black-owned restaurants have you visited and what were the influences on food choice?
UNDERSTANDINGS
The relationship between diet and health.
Acknowledge how Black Americans diets have changed over recent decades.
The impact of health from dieting.
Influences on food choices.
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TEACHER RESOURCES
Causes of Death
What behaviors were among the top three causes of death in the United States in 2000?
Tobacco use (435,000 deaths)
Poor diet and physical inactivity (400,000 deaths)
Alcohol consumption (85,000 deaths)
Deaths from poor diet and physical inactivity are based on deaths from overweight and obesity.
How can being overweight and obesity lead to death? Discuss.
Overweight and obesity increase a person’s risk for heart disease, certain cancers and other conditions which can cause death.
Clearly, the food we put into our bodies has a powerful effect on our health and well-being
Overview: Diet and Health
Why does it matter what we eat?
Food provides nutrients which promote growth, maintenance, and repair of our body’s cells.
While food is essential for survival, the Standard American Diet, or SAD, is largely responsible for a number of major health problems.
Diet-related Diseases
Diet-related diseases are diseases that can be caused, in part, by what we eat (and don’t eat).
What is some common diet-related diseases?
Type 2 diabetes
Hypertension
Obesity
Overweight and obesity are not generally considered diseases, but they can lead to disease and death. Overweight is the second leading cause of death in the United States.
Overweight and obesity have become more common in the United States. In 2003-04, two-thirds of adults were either overweight or obese, compared to about half of adults in 1976-80.
Among children and adolescents, obesity rates have more than tripled over the past twenty years.
One in every three American children is now overweight or obese, and is predicted to develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. Partially due to this, the current generation of American children is predicted to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.
Risk Factors
What types of foods and ingredients, if consumed in excess, can lead to diet-related diseases? Discuss.
Added fats and added sugars can lead to overweight, obesity and a host of diet-related diseases. Brainstorm examples of specific foods.
Excess salt may lead to hypertension, stroke, kidney disease and coronary artery disease. Brainstorm examples of specific foods.
Some processed meats, such as hot dogs and pepperoni can increase the risk of developing certain cancers.
A can of soda typically contains about 40 grams of sugar. Soda is an extremely nutrient-poor food; drinking it does little more than add extra calories to your diet with no nutritional benefit. This can set the stage for health problems.
LESSON RESOURCES
18 Foods You Must Eat in Baltimore Before You Die https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/12-tequila-infused-foods-perfect-for-happy-hour
Berger’s Cookies https://www.bergercookies.com/history/
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The aim of the Baltimore Story lesson plans is to provide teachers and their students with historical figures and/or events that include representation connecting to Baltimore which have historically been missing in K-12 curriculum.
Teachers using this/these lesson(s) should modify it to bring cultural relevancy to their own classrooms through the insertion of current topical events and/or relevant revisions that link more closely to their particular student population or context.
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Students will utilize their knowledge from the warm-up and activity sets to summarize one of the lesson’s topics to answer the following Exit Ticket Question: How have Black Americans diets have changed over recent decades?
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BALTIMORE CONNECTIONS
Maryland Blue Crab: Naturally, first up is the state crustacean, the Maryland blue crab (which actually turns red once steamed). It can be prepared in a variety of ways, including as a crab cake, as a steamed crab, a soft-shell crab, or made into a crab dip.
Old Bay: This original and classic condiment is Maryland’s pride and joy. Though Old Bay is traditionally used to season steamed crabs, it can also be added on mac-and-cheese, potato salad, grilled chicken, and popcorn.
Utz Chips: Utz technically calls Pennsylvania home, but it has a special relationship with its neighboring state. Since the products are only distributed to certain East Coast cities, college kids love coming home to a bag of Utz. A Baltimore favorite is the “crab chip” flavor (potato chips covered in Old Bay seasoning).
Berger Cookies: A soft, vanilla shortbread cookie smothered in thick chocolate ganache icing. It seems pretty simple, but we know there’s got to be a secret ingredient. The rich dessert originated in Charm City in 1835 when the Berger family brought their German chocolate recipes to Baltimore, and it’s a good thing they did.
Sauerkraut: In the 1800s, German immigrants populated Baltimore and brought their sauerkraut recipes to the area. Ever since, Baltimore residents have added their own flavors and variations to the dish to make it a national food staple.
Boog Powell’s Famous Barbecue: John “Boogs” Powell is a former All-Star for the Baltimore Orioles. He found another talent in barbecuing beef, pork, and turkey sandwiches, for which we are very thankful. Boog’s Barbecue is served at Camden Yards during every baseball game, along with Old Bay chips.
Black-Eyed Susan Cocktail: One way to earn the Triple Crown is to win the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland. You’ll find the state flower, the Black-Eyed Susan, covering the crowning horse’s blanket.
Otterbein’s Cookies: Just look for the red grid patterned bag. Inside are sweet, thin melt-in-your-mouth cookies. For more than 130 years, the signature family recipe has been produced and savored throughout Baltimore.
Esskay Hot Dogs: Typically advertised as an official sponsor of the Orioles, these dogs found their home in 1858. Then, two businesses combined (Schluderberg and Kurdle) to create the name Esskay (S and K). Clever.
THE BALTIMORE STORY CONNECTION
History: 2000-2019: A “Color-Blind” Nation
Timeline: https://thebaltimorestory.org/timeline
Learning Plan
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Students will move to different stations around the classroom. Each station represents a different response to questions about how American diets have changed over recent decades. Students will select their favorite food choices (Baltimore’s own food will be included in this selection). Students will discuss their selections during a whole-group discussion.
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Students will brainstorm a list of influences on food choice and group them by common themes. Then students will be given a list of foods connected to Baltimore and brainstorm influences on their choice. Influential example: taste, cost, nutrition, and convenience.
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Students will research labels for one food choice that represents Baltimore and create a nutritional label and ingredients for the item. Students will also create a T-chart to compare and contrast good versus bad nutrients in the ingredient list for one food that represents Baltimore.
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Students will discuss the risk factors and diet-related diseases among their families and make a prediction whether they make healthy versus poor nutritional choices. To ensure understanding students will complete the exit ticket question: “How have Black Americans' diets have changed over recent decades?”
Learners
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Warm-Up: Students will have the response questions read to them by the teacher. The teacher will record developing learners’ responses and contributions on the chart paper as they rotate from station-to-station.
Activity/Step 1: The teacher will create an organizational chart as a guide for developing students to brainstorm themes and influences for food choices. The teacher will record developing learners’ responses on chart paper.
Activity/Step 2: Developing learners will conduct group research (teacher-led) on one Baltimore food item to explore its nutritional label and ingredients. Once students have completed the research, the teacher will record and share the student’s responses and contributions. The teacher will have a pre-made T-chart to record their findings.
Activity/Step 3: Developing learners will compile their findings from the discussions and research to answer the exit ticket.
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Warm-Up: Proficient learners will move station-to-station to write their responses on chart paper.
Activity/Step 1: Proficient learners will brainstorm with peers to create two themes for food that influences their food choices.
Activity/Step 2: Proficient learners will research one of Baltimore’s food item to explore its nutritional label and ingredients. Students will create a T-chart to record their findings.
Activity/Step 3: Proficient learners will compile their findings from the discussions and research to answer the exit ticket using 2-3 sentences.
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Warm-Up: Highly-effective learners will move station-to-station to write their responses on chart paper.
Activity/Step 1: Highly-effective learners will critically think to create three or more themes for food that influences their food choices.
Activity/Step 2: Highly-effective learners will research one of Baltimore’s food item to explore its nutritional label and ingredients. Students will create a T-chart to record their findings.
Activity/Step 3: Highly-effective learners will compile their findings from the discussions and research to answer the exit ticket using 4-5 sentences.
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Preferential seating/strategic seating to encourage focus, Graphic organizers to increase engagement and improve understanding, Monitor/encourage work initiation and completion, Provide extended time if needed (monitor need for extended time, set limits to prevent getting behind in instruction), Graphic organizers, frequent breaks, Chunking of assignments, Science Constructed Response to Speech, Human Signer, and Science Constructed Response External Assistive Technology Device