Health and growth
Objectives
To recognise that humans and other animals require food and water to stay alive.
To understand that taking exercise and eating the correct types and amounts of food help humans to stay healthy.
National Curriculum
Sc2, 2b, 2c.
Resources
Online activities:
Bitesize health and growth section: play, quiz
Learning Zone Broadband Class Clips:
Five types of food
Barnaby Bear sings the ‘Five a Day’ song
Worksheets:
Health and growth worksheet (PDF 82KB)
Other resources:
Interactive whiteboard
Electric kettle filled with water
You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to access the PDF files. BBC Webwise has a complete guide to downloading and installing Adobe Acrobat reader.
Teaching activities
Introduction
Watch Learning Zone Class Clips - Five types of food.
Ask the children to list the five types of food shown in the clip.
Ask the children what they had for breakfast and list the items of food and drink on the whiteboard.
Ask the children why we need to eat and drink. What would happen to us if we didn't?
Ask the children what other things help us to keep healthy, apart from eating the right foods. List appropriate suggestions on the board.
Activity
Open the Bitesize health and growth activity. Explain to the children that they are going to help the boy survive for two days. Read the choices aloud.
Ask a child to use the cursor to select one of the choices to give the boy. Observe what happens.
Ask the children what they think will happen if the boy doesn't receive the item. Withhold the choice and observe what happens.
Work through the Bitesize health and growth quiz, involving a different child for each question.
Arrange the children in form groups, with a computer for each group.
Select and explain the activity as above.
Ask the children to choose to give the boy some water. What happens if he doesn't receive the water?.
Ask the children under what circumstances they feel thirsty. Work through a couple of the screens in this way.
When the children understand the activity, ask them to complete the rest of the experiment at their own speed.
Plenary
Return to the list of foods recorded at the beginning of lesson.
Ask the children to sort the foods into those that are healthy and those that are not so healthy.
Ask the children what other foods or drinks can be added to the list. It is important to be aware of and sensitive to any cultural differences in the children's backgrounds and diet.
Extension
Hand out copies of the Health and growth worksheet (PDF 82KB) and explain to the children that they are going to fill in the triangle with a variety of foods.
Ask the children why a triangle has been used.
Ask the children for an example of a food to go in each section. Answer any questions the children may have to help them complete the worksheet independently.
Alternatively, watch a Learning Zone Class Clips - Barnaby Bear sings the ‘Five a Day’ song. Then ask the children to create their own song to help them remember how to stay healthy.
Homework
Ask the children to keep a healthy-living diary for a week, making a daily record of some form of exercise they have taken and something healthy they have eaten (eg an orange).
Explain to the children that they should bring their completed diaries back to school so that they can be displayed and the foods eaten and exercise taken can be compared and discussed.
Alternatively, ask the children to create a healthy meal plate that includes the different food groups.