About this site

Title: Essentials in Eating: On Target for Good Health

Subject Areas:Health

Courses:Fundamentals of Nursing, Professional Health Careers

Maryland Board of Nursing:Nursing Assistant Certification Learning Objectives Correlations:


 

Category

Objective

Observing, Recording, Reporting

Identify and apply basic observational, recording and reporting skills

Core Knowledge

Measurements

Core Knowledge

Basic Math

Core Knowledge

Nutrition

ISTE Standards Correlations:

Select and use appropriate tools and technology resources to accomplish a variety of tasks and solve problems.

                     

Select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making in content learning.

Rationale for Unit and Technology:

Nutrition is a core knowledge component of the MD Board of Nursing Curriculum for Nursing Assistant’s and is the primary reason for this unit.The goal of tailoring the unit to personalize it for each student is to increase the awareness of nutrition as it applies to the health of each individual, and encourage each student to apply this knowledge to the world beyond themselves. 

The use of the internet provides students with a greater number and variety of information sources than would be possible with textbooks and resource books.Access to these resources is rapid and available to all students at the same time, unlike a single resource book.

Several interactive sites (such as fast food quizzes) give students immediate feedback on their work.Food analysis sites calculate food composition quickly and precisely and reduce a cumbersome and time-consuming task to a quick and easy one.As students create their menus on the computer in Excel, they can easily refer to resources on line for information.

Through the use of Excel, students will learn to organize their work in a logical format that is easily understood by others. Placing formulas within the spreadsheet will reduce mathematical errors.

Word processing will allow students to edit their work without repeated rewriting.

Prerequisites:

Participants will need a basic knowledge of Excel. Participants will need a basic knowledge of the internet and how to access resources.

Warm Up:

Use chat feature to hold a 20 minute brainstorming session about the most healthy and least healthy fast foods. Then provide students with the following web address: www.olen.com/food and give them 15 minutes to determine the fat and caloric content of several of their favorite fast foods. Rejoin chat for 10 minutes to determine if their were any misconceptions about the health value of fast foods.

Introductory and Developmental Activities:

Brainstorm a well-balanced one-day menu using chat feature.Use link to the food pyramid web site and compare with the brainstorming done by the class.

Guided Practice Activities:

The instructor will demonstrate use of spreadsheet using NetMeeting.Provide participants with links to several web sites with food content calculators.Instruct students to analyze foods documented for calories and fat content and document food type, serving amount, food group, caloric content and fat content in a spreadsheet.Place formulas in the spreadsheet to calculate total calories consumed for breakfast and total grams of fat consumed for breakfast. 

Independent Activities:

The participants will research facts about essential nutrients, utilization of nutrients and therapeutic diets using selected internet sites related to nutrition, essential nutrients, utilization of nutrients, and nutrition related medical conditions/diseases, handouts provided by the instructor, and their health careers textbook. 

They will apply their findings to their own health by documenting their food intake in a spreadsheet format for four days, and analyzing it to determine (1) if they are eating a diet that is balanced according to the food pyramid; (2) if they are consuming the recommended daily allowances of essential nutrients; (3) if their caloric intake is appropriate for maintenance of weight and (4) if their current eating habits, if continued, put them at high risk for any medical conditions. They will write a brief essay describing their findings. 

Students will use a spreadsheet to design a four-day menu that will bring their nutritional intake into compliance with the recommended guidelines. 

Students will analyze the fat content of their favorite fast foods and write a paragraph about their findings. 

Closure Activities

Divide participants into groups of four to discuss (via chat feature) the following issues prior to a final meeting with chat.Each group will appoint a recorder to document your answers. Each group will appoint a spokesperson for your group to share your answers with the rest of the group during the final chat.The final chat session will explore the following questions: 

Assessment:

All recorded information will be submitted to the instructor and will be graded according to the attached rubrics. Each of the five graded components has amaximum value of 20 points for a maximum unit total of 100 points.

Student assessment of the unit will be accomplished in the closure activities and as part of the post test.

Rubric for Spreadsheet #1 (4 day food record)


 

Criteria

1

2

3

4

Information displayed in spreadsheet is complete and well organized; includes food type, amount, food group, calories, fat content

 

 

 

 

Functions and formulas are used correctly to calculate daily and 4 day total calories and total fat grams

 

 

 

 

Spreadsheet is organized in a logical manner 

 

 

 

 

Spreadsheet is attractive and neat 

 

 

 

 

Rubric for Spreadsheet #2 (Menu)
 

Criteria

1

2

3

4

Information displayed in spreadsheet is complete and well organized; includes food type, amount, food group, calories, fat content

 

 

 

 

Functions and formulas are used correctly to calculate daily and 4 day total calories and total fat grams and total servings in each food group.

 

 

 

 

Spreadsheet is organized in a logical manner and has a neat and attractive appearance

 

 

 

 

Menu reflects changes in diet necessary to bring diet into compliance with nutritional guidelines according to food pyramid and RDA’S

 

 

 

 

Spreadsheet contains a formula which demonstrates the relationship between caloric intake and weight loss, maintenance or gain. Also calculates the approximate date that target weight should be reached if diet is followed.

 

 

 

 

Rubric for Analysis of 4-day food intake
 

Criteria

1

2

3

4

Analysis accurately reflects need to gain, maintain or lose weight to reach target weight

 

 

 

 

Analysis accurately reflects those food groups that were inadequately represented in your diet and those food groups that were adequately represented.Reflects the essential nutrients that were lacking in your diet and those that were consumed in excess.

 

 

 

 

Analysis demonstrates an understanding of the relationship between your current diet and the risk for medical conditions and disease.

 

 

 

 

Analysis reflects the changes you can make in your diet to make it a balanced diet that supplies adequate amounts of all essential nutrients and is adequate in calories to maintain weight or lose/ gain weight to reach target weight.

 

 

 

 

Microsoft word document is well organized, neat in appearance, free from spelling errors and grammatically correct.

 

 

 

 

Rubric for Fast Food Fat Content Activity
 

Content

1

2

3

4

Foods, calories and fat content of three fast food meals are documented in spreadsheet. 

 

 

 

 

Formulas are entered properly and calculations are accurate to reflect total calories, total fat grams, and teaspoons of fat in each meal.

 

 

 

 

Formulas are entered properly and calculations are accurate to reflect the following:total amt of calories needed to maintain weight, 30% of the total number of calories needed to maintain weight, recommended daily allowance of fat grams per day. 

 

 

 

 

Paragraph demonstrates insight concerning your personal fast food intake and fat intake. 

 

 

 

 

Paragraph is written in Microsoft word, well organized, free from spelling errors and grammatically correct.

 

 

 

 


 

Home

Pretest

Nutritional Status

Matching Activity

Essential Nutrients

Fast Food Activity

How healthy is your diet?

Post Test