Science Education - Article Example

Science Education The ever growing problem of child hood obesity is becoming more and more prominent and at younger and younger ages. When considering a fifth grade class teaching module, a healthy and creative approach to teaching the dangers of childhood obesity can prove most effective. First and foremost a comprehensive and relatable lesson plan must be designed, centrifugal to the issue of childhood obesity. The primary goal is to provide a platform on the issue which fifth grade students can identify with. One relevant medium to be considered is props or 3 dimensional visuals such as a tangible example of how much actual sugar and fat is found in many popular foods. By introducing to the students the aspects of health and how negatively obesity acts upon one‘s health, an instructor can ensure that the overall message about the importance of avoiding obesity. It might be constructive to stress the necessity of a healthy diet for life and versus the ideology that one can restrict food intake in order to lose weight temporarily Students may be interested to know that commitment to healthy eating and regular exercise, are important to a long and prosperous life free of a great deal of illness. The core ideology of this lesson is essentially a basis for scientific literacy and more productive and health conscious citizens for the future. The project which is thought to be best suited for this particular lesson is as follows: The educator may want to first speak to the class and accurately define terms such as “obesity“, “dieting“, “physical fitness“ and so on. Once this basis is laid, the educator involve the students in the discussion such that the students can ask questions. This is a perfect time for the instructor to identify any misconceptions about health and obesity that the children may have. The instructor will need to ensure ample time allotment for both the lecture portion of the lesson as well as the open forum. The next lesson may include actual scientific experimentation which yields quantitative data. One good example fo this would be a clear example and illustration of metabolism and/or respiration. The soul purpose of this is to ultimately allow the children to grasp exactly what food is and why we need it but also why we don’t need it in access. A safe and effective activity would need to be prepared such that the educator can demonstrate how rapidly carbohydrates such as cereals and breads will burn or be quickly utilized for energy. Comparatively, a similar experiment involving the illustration of how slowly fat (vegetable oil butter) will burn up or be utilized for energy in comparison to carbohydrates. These sets of experiments will provide a visual aid to what happens to the foods we eat. It would be helpful for children to leave from the lesson with an imaginary picture in their minds of the long period of time which one could expose butter to heat beore it dissipates as opposed to cereal which would burn up into ash quite quickly, on a stove or Bunsen burner. The lesson may want to explain that on a microscopic level, fats are slower burning due to saturated carbon molecules (saturated with hydrogen), this is what is meant by ’saturated’ fat. The lesson may proceed to explain the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats as well as complex carbohydrate molecules (C6-H12-O6). This experiment aim to explain in a comprehensive way, the molecular activity of the foods which we eat and the gaining and using of energy though metabolism. In order to isolate or point out the problem at hand (childhood obesity), statistical data may be provided to the students so that they can quantitatively see the effects of poor eating habits. Students should be taught in such a way that they are able to take ownership of their own health by following dietary guidelines and suggested physical activity conducive to their age group. Learning how to read the backs of food labels is a critical part of this lesson. This would include not only caloric intake compared to recommended daily amounts but would also extend to vitamins and minerals contained in foods. Another laboratory based experiment may include learning what a real portion size is and understanding that most restaurants serve quite a bit more than what is meant for one person to eat in a meal. From this, the formulation of a problem question can be devised whereby the students are asked to define healthy foods from unhealthy foods. The lab could be followed by a quiz or a mock menu which challenges the students to illustrate what the healthiest choices are versus what the most unhealthy choices are. Similarly, a quiz on exercise and activity can be given to test the children’s ability to identify how it is healthier to walk or take stairs as opposed to things like elevators and escalators. Sources which offer the most valid information on these topics include: the American Heart Association, The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition, The American Diabetes Association and health care and nutritional experts. Other sources which will be integral to the lesson is the food pyramid which is a comprehensive guide to portion size in and what caloric intake needs to be for individuals based on age and weight. Other quizzes may be added such as planning a menu with each of the food groups, alternatives in cooking or ordering foods such as baked instead of fried and exclusion of butter on bread and pop corn. Most of these quizzes may be multiple choice and simply offer the student a selection of foods to choose from such that they are able to identify the food most appropriate to the question’s answer and its corresponding letter. The quizzes may also be beneficial if they involve questions on water intake and the importance of hydration and so on. These quizzes will not only aid the student in their venture for a healthy lifestyle but will also allow educators to see what concepts in health and fitness are the most difficult to understand by children such that a revaluation of how to teach those issue, can be assembled. Read More