Title – Do Something about… Eating Healthy

Day 2: Vital Vitamins

By – Do Something, Inc. / www.dosomething.org

Primary Subject – Health / Physical Education

Secondary Subjects – Other

Grade Level – 9-12

Do Something about…

Eating Healthy

10-Day Unit

The following lesson is the second lesson of a 10-day

Eating Healthy Unit from Do Something, Inc.

Other lessons in this unit are as follows:

Day 1: Green Scene Students learn the benefits of green vegetables and the number of recommended servings

Day 2: Vital Vitamins (See the lesson below Students learn about different types of vitamins and how they function in the body

Day 3: Nutritious Choices Students examine their eating habits and learn about a balanced diet

Day 4: International Food Day Students learn the differences in people’s diets from around the world

Day 5: Super-size Me Students learn about America’s growing obesity and its relationship to portion size

Day 6: Got Greens? Students learn ways foods are marketed towards youth in order to start their own green campaign

Day 7: Getting the Skinny on Obesity Students learn about the New Food Pyramid and how to evaluate their Body Mass Index

Day 8: Action Plan Students evaluate their own activity levels and plan ways to add more movement into their lives

Day 9: Fitting in Fitness Students evaluate how they spend their time and how to include physical activity into their day

Day 10: Green Day Students plant a garden and/or fix up a community space for physical activity

More student resources for this cause are at:


www.dosomething.org/causes/healthy_eating

Day 2: Vital Vitamins

Goal:

Students will learn about different types of vitamins and how they function in the body.



Steps:

1. 
   Warm-up:
   
   Ask students how many of them take vitamins. What type? Why?
2. Explain to students that vitamins are organic molecules that are necessary and since they cannot be synthesized, they must be extracted by the body from the food we eat. There are two major groups of vitamins: the fat-soluble (A, D, E, and K,) and the water-soluble vitamins, known as the vitamin B complex. Most vitamins are turned into coenzymes in the body in order to work with metabolic enzymes. Many of these vitamins work as catalysts to speed up biological processes that would have required more time and energy to occur. A lack of proper amounts of vitamins in the diet leads to vitamin-deficiency diseases.
3. Tell students that they are going to be learning about one vitamin. Have students select a partner and research one of the vitamins in the B complex. Each group should find out which foods contain that vitamin, what the vitamins helps with, how it works, and how much a person needs to be healthy. They might also explore if there is downside to consuming too much of that vitamin.
4. Each group should then create an informational vitamin card that explains lists facts. Give students a choice of how they would like to present their information. Encourage them to create a sign, informational video or website.
5. 
   Reflect:
   
   Have students review their own diets. Do they consume the types of foods that have a variety of different vitamins and nutrients? If not, which type of vitamin might be beneficial to add into their diet?

E-Mail

Do Something, Inc.

!