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Printable Version

Food & Fitness Field Day e-Learning Kit ^SM

LESSON TITLE:
Simon’s Pyramid Pursuit

LESSON DESCRIPTION:
This independent student activity challenges students to identify where healthy foods belong on the food pyramid.  Students will be dealt five food cards and they are to drag their cards to the correct food group on the pyramid.  The game is finished when all food groups on the pyramid are full, showing how many daily servings we need to eat from each food group.  Accumulate more points than Simon to win the game!

GRADE LEVEL:
4, 5, 6

INSTRUCTION PHASE:
Knowledge and Comprehension

DURATION:
Varies – depending upon how many rounds the instructor allows the students to play Simon’s Pyramid Pursuit game.

DELIVERY METHOD:
Individual

MATERIALS:

1. LearntobeHealthy.org Membership. Join Now for FREE!
2. Computer(s) with Internet access

MANAGEMENT:

• For this activity, students can be working individually in a computer lab or at computer stations available in the classroom.
• If done as an instructor-led activity, it is suggested that the teacher ask students what Simon should have done differently when he incorrectly places food cards.
• The educator may need to reserve computer lab time for this activity.  Please be aware that lesson activities before and after this one may also require the use of this same equipment.  If needed, please adjust equipment reservation time accordingly.

LESSON OBJECTIVES & STANDARDS:

Students will be able to:
• Identify the food groups on the food guide pyramid.
• Select foods that belong to each food group.
• Recall how many servings of each food group should be eaten daily.

PA State Standards: 10.1.6 C; 10.2.6 B
NHES:  1, 2, 3, 4, 6

ANTICIPATORY SET:
If this activity is done as part of the Food & Fitness Field Day e-Learning kit activities available at LearntobeHealthy.org, begin by discussing what class topics have been discussed thus far (potentially kit terms, food labels, serving size, etc.).  Review the five food groups and number of servings needed daily, as well as what Simon’s Pyramid Pursuit activity will cover and entail. 

Relate student experiences to the objectives of the lesson by asking the following:

• What did you have for breakfast/lunch this morning?
• What do you have planned for lunch today?
• What did you eat for dinner last night?
• What food groups do these meals fall into?
• How many servings of each food group should you be eating each day?
• Did you have 3 servings of fruit yesterday? 5 serving of vegetables? 6 servings of grains? 6 servings of milk?  5 servings of meat and beans?

TEACHING – Input:

Lesson Terms

1. Fats are nutrients that provide a source of energy, carry vitamins throughout the body, and provide protection and warmth.
2. My Pyramid is a guide that reflects balancing what we eat with physical activity.
3. Serving size is an amount of food listed on a nutrition food label to help people understand how much they're eating.
4. Sugar is often found in the food we eat and provides the body with energy.

TEACHING – Modeling:

• Students will gather individually at a computer in the lab or at computer stations available in the classroom.
• Log on to LearntobeHealthy.org.
• Simon will introduce the game to students and deal the food cards – 5 to student, 5 to Simon.  The remaining stack will be placed on a ‘Draw’ pile.  One card is equivalent to one serving on the food pyramid.
• At any point during this introduction, the student or educator can “Skip to Activity” using the menu button located at the bottom left of the screen. 
• The student will go first, taking turns with Simon to identify where healthy foods belong on the food pyramid by dragging one card at a time to the correct food group column. 
• If correctly placed, the food will remain in the food group column and will count toward one serving on the pyramid above.  This is shown by lighting up a portion of the food group slice.
  (Note: Tomatoes, potatoes, and corn are all accepted as vegetables on MyPyramid.gov)
• If the student cannot go when it is his/her turn, drag a card to the ‘Discard’ pile.  Simon will deal the student a new card and it is now Simon’s turn.
• The game continues until the food pyramid is successfully filled, indicating that the correct number of servings (one serving = one food card) needed each day from each food group have been placed in the correct food group columns.

• Grain – 6
• Veggie – 5
• Fruit – 3
• Milk – 6
• Meat & Beans – 5
• Oil – Food cards do not count toward oils.  Inform students that oils are obtained naturally through the different foods we eat.

• Players score points by: 1. Accurately placing food cards into their correct food group,    2. Placing the last food card in a food group (to satisfy the number of servings needed), and 3. Achieving bonus points for combo foods.  (Note: Combo food cards give students the opportunity to choose additional food groups that the food on the card is found in.  If correct, the students will earn points and serving(s) on the pyramid.)
• The player who accumulates the most points wins.

TEACHING – Checking for Understanding:

1. There are five food groups on the food guide pyramid.
   • What group is represented by the orange slice?  Green slice?  Red slice?  Blue slice?  Purple slice?
   • How many servings of grain should 9-11 year olds get each day?  Vegetables?  Fruit?  Milk?  Meat & Beans?
   • Why is it important to eat a variety of healthy foods from the five food groups?
2. It is essential to have oil in our diets for good health.
   • Where is oil represented on the food guide pyramid?
   • Are oils a food group?
   • From where should we get our oils?
3. Find a balance between food and physical activity.
   • How much physical activity should you get each day?
   • What are some examples of physical activity that gets us moving?
   • Why is it important to balance food we eat (energy in) and physical activity (energy out)?
   
   
   

CLOSURE:
When this activity is completed, the students will have:

• Identified the food groups on the food guide pyramid.
• Selected foods that belong to each food group.
• Recalled how many servings of each food group should be eaten daily.
• Students can log on to LearntobeHealthy.org for further health education activities and games.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE:
Students will be able to apply content from this lesson by:

• Learn More about healthy eating habits at LearntobeHealthy.org.
• Identifying what foods belong to each food group by playing Pyramid Go Fish - http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/resources/go-fish_bw.pdf
• Keeping a daily food log for one week using a My Pyramid Worksheet to analyze food and activity.

HEALTH LESSON PLANS:
For more health education lesson plans
visit LearntobeHealthy.org.

E-Mail LearntobeHealthy.org!

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