Health and Nutrition and the Game - Essay Example

This “Which food group am I?” quiz is based on the food groups and the recommended daily portions for kids. It is designed for students at the Grade 4 level.

1. I contain apples, bananas, and plums. Which food group am I?
2. Make half of me whole. Which food group am I?
3. You should eat 2 ½ cups of me daily. Which food group am I?
4. I am not a food group but you need some of me to keep you healthy. Which food group am I?
5. My foods are rich in calcium. Which food group am I?
6. I am your greatest source of protein. Which food group am I?
7. 2 cups of me is all that is needed today. Which food group am I?
8. The most number of servings in your daily recommendations belong to me. Which food group am I?
9. Vary me as much as you can. Which food group am I?
10. Have fun with me - muffins, bread, and pasta. Which food group am I?
11. Worksheet on food groups and recommended servings for students at the Grade 4 level

Directions: Complete this worksheet by filling in the right amount of servings from each food group.

Food groups

Servings per day

               Milk

________________________

         Grains

_________________________

        Vegetables

___________________________

            Meats and Beans

___________________________

                  Oils

___________________________

          Fruits

______________________________

2. Instructional Game

A card game entitled “Power Eaters” for Fourth graders

Power Panther

 A sample picture from Power Panther Zone.

The Power Panther is the mascot used by the Department of Agriculture to encourage children to eat healthy foods. Therefore the above picture would be displayed on one side of the cards whilst the contents pertaining to the food groups would be detailed on the inner side. This card game will be used to reinforce the material studied on food groups and to assist students in putting the right amount of food together to obtain a balanced meal. 

It involves color coding 28 cards according to the color of each food group as displayed on the food pyramid poster. Each card contains pictures of various servings of food. Five cards consist of the total number of servings from each food group. These cards carry 5 points. 20 cards comprise specific food portions ranging from three servings to one serving. The points attached to these cards range from three to one respectively. There are also three wild cards displaying oil as a food group but students have been taught that oil is not a food group although a small portion is needed to keep one healthy. Therefore anyone picking an oil card will be required to lose a turn for the next round. An oil card may be canceled when the player gets a card containing the total number of servings from any particular food group (Cancellation of an oil card is the player’s choice).

The game begins with each player choosing a card from the 28 stockpiles. The player with the highest score on his/her card has the first turn. Each player then picks 5 cards. The first player places one card on the table. In an anti-clockwise manner, the remaining players match the first card using the same food group as displayed on the table ensuring that the recommended daily requirement is not exceeded. The player with the card with the highest points wins that round and ceases the played cards of the opponents. This person plays first in the next round. These ceased cards are put in the player’s basket which would be used to tally the winning score at the end of the game.