Childhood Obesity Risk Factors - Essay Example

Running Head: FIFTH GRADE SCIENCE Fifth Grade Science Project: Childhood Obesity Risk factors Fifth Grade Science Project Childhood Obesity Risk factors Teaching science to elementary school children can be a daunting and yet very rewarding task. Fifth grade children are at a level of mathematical proficiency and communication skills that allow them to have a deeper appreciation and understanding of scientific concepts and research that earlier ages may not possess. Although most children have a natural tendency to curiosity, it has to be nurtured and guided thorough their education, particularly in science which can be overwhelming if presented incorrectly. Newton in his book, Talking Sense in Science: Helping Children Understand through Talk, lists the following as guidelines to a conducting conversations in science: A conversation in science is intended to have some of these characteristics. In particular, it should: • Be in a non-judgmental context in order to encourage children to express their understandings fully, warts and all • Be interesting so that the children will want to talk science in a conversation • Provide opportunities for all to participate • Be flexible so that it can go in unexpected directions, and • Be unhurried in order to allow time for thought and talk. (Newton, 2002, p. 117-118) These have been used as a guiding principle when creating the following project for our fifth grade class. 1. Instructional goals and problem solving skills to be addressed The inspiration for this class project comes from an Associated Press article in the Salt Lake City Tribune entitled: “Risk cluster linked to child obesity” (2004). This article presents a health risk and possible factors contributing to that risk. There are several instructional as well as social goals involved in this project. The instructional goals will allow the children not only to research the issues but also create a resource for data collection and present many possible outcomes for solutions to the problem. It is important to remember not just to stick to strict guidance: Sometimes, you may need to ask for facts, at other times you will focus attention on relationships, reasons and causes. Sometimes, the talk will relate to prior experience and, at other times, it will be about something the children have just seen or are investigating. (Newton, 2002, p. 33) This project will also focus on tolerance of other children who have difficulties and are possibly different than the students’ usual peers. By exploring these other factors the students will raise their understanding and compassion for those around them. 2. Selection and definition of the problem The selection of the aforementioned article discusses the identification of risk factors that form a general cluster and can be prime movers toward the onset of childhood obesity. This creates what researches at the Yale University of Medicine have called, “metabolic syndrome” (Risk, 2004). This syndrome consists of the following characteristics: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol levels and obesity. These factors should act as a yellow flag and need to be addressed as early as possible to prevent the comorbid presentation of other health factors such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Children with metabolic syndrome have a much higher incidence of these two health issues and consequently may go on to lead a more difficult and shorter lives. The article quotes from the New England Journal of Medicine who followed a group of children with the syndrome and thirty-four of them developed type II diabetes within two years (Risk, 2004). 3. Formulation of the problem question The “yellow flag” that this syndrome represents is probably the best hallmark to phrase the project’s question around. Fostering understanding can be thought of as supporting childrens thinking so that they construct a meaningful mental picture of some situation or event. In science, it cannot be just any mental picture; it has to be one that is at least on the way to being acceptable to the scientific community. (Newton, 2002, p. 34) The question must become that “mental picture” which Newton is talking about. In some sense, formulating the question should be done in a brainstorming session with the students in order to illicit feedback and input regarding it. Since that is not practical, for the purposes of this essay the question will be “How can we help eliminate childhood obesity?” Although broad in scope the question will be more finely focused on the practical application of the results of the project with something that can be done in school and at home. 4. Determination of the sources of Information In order to determine the type and sources of information to be used, one must first refine the focus of the project a little further. To help facilitate this process I would ask the students what they think would be the best way to pursue and gather information that would help them to answer the question posed above. During their conversation I would look for ways to help create bridges between the knowledge they have on the subject to other areas that are applicable to their further understanding: Sometimes, the gap between what the children know and what you want them to know is large and difficult to cross. Bridging helps them span the gap. If necessary, it provides small and manageable steps that help the children make the mental connections. (Newton, 2002, p. 77) By using this method it would assist the students in finding out more that just information but also attempt to lead them into a discussion of the reasons and causes behind obesity, everyone eats why are some children obese and others not? Could it be what they are eating? Researching sources on food and nutrition would be the initial step in focusing the project. These sources would range from online access to the government nutritional standards and guides, to the packages of foods themselves for information on what is inside. 5. Structure of the procedures for collecting data Group process would be the best method for collection of data. Ideally there would be three groups to collect data from several sources. One group would go around the school to the cafeteria and the vending machines and get all the information they can in regards to the products being sold to students, especially their fat content and nutritional value. Another group would be dong research into the area of nutrition, answering questions on what would be the ideal diet for children at school age and so forth. The other group would collect interview data from students regarding their eating habits, likes and dislikes, time of day for snacks, favorite foods, etc. The entire group would create the interview questions to be asked. 6. Description of how the data will be interpreted Depending on the group, data will be interpreted on several levels. Information and facts will be recorded from all three groups. Afterwards, everyone would meet to discuss not only the data but also their experience collecting it. The overall processing will be two-fold: First, the students will analyze the eating patterns of the student interviewed in order to discover what motivate their peers to eat certain foods and not others. Second they will analyze the nutritional values of foods that are commonly available at school and at home and then create a ranking system that will score the foods as hiker or lower on a list of foods that may promote obesity. 7. Summary of the possible solutions to the problem Again, this would begin as a brainstorming activity after all the facts have been analyzed. The students would meet to discuss any possible solutions and, with some guided instruction, evaluate the possibilities that can be realistically achieved by the students. For instance, some may come up with the idea to not allow certain foods to be sold at the school. While an excellent idea of course, implantation may be tricky and would lean more towards a political science course than a physical science course. Teaching students the values and the dangers of certain foods would certainly be an achievable goal and this could be accomplished in a number of ways. 8. List of the activities (including main and extending activities) Pursing the concept in the article of “yellow flags” the students would be encouraged to go to the vending machine as well as the cafeteria menu and use red, yellow and green stickers, if possible in the shape of flags but readily available circular stickers would work as well. A guideline would be placed where students can read it or an announcement would be made that the fifth grade science project has, using USDA nutritional guidelines, rated many of the foods served on the premises. Those with green stickers are very good to eat, those with yellow stickers are questionable and those with red stickers can be dangerous if consumed in large quantities. A school assembly should be presented by the class to further explain what they have done and how to interpret the stickers. Stickers could also be handed out to students with some nutritional guidelines so they can put them on products at home as well. During the research section of the project the students would discover a secondary idea that can help with obesity at any age, exercise. Several programs of class and individual exercise could be suggested to the student body. Reminding them that sitting at a keyboard uses very little calories but walking and going out burns considerably more. 9. List of instructional resources The Internet is always an important resource when used wisely. Helping the class to determine what is an appropriate scientifically approved source is an important part of any project. Making sure the website is credible, that it lists its resources and the article are peer reviewed would ultimately be the responsibility of the teacher, but instructing the students to look for these criteria in their sources will help them with future projects as well. The following could certainly be viable source of information: The United States Department of Agriculture: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome Which has a food and nutrition section at: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?navtype=SU&navid=FOOD_NUTRITION There are also many educational and outreach resources that could be explored by the student during the information gathering section of the project as well as the dissemination of all the readily available information her to other students. The American Medical Association at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ A search on childhood obesity yielded dozens of articles with information that could be used to promote exercise as well as nutritional goals for children. After ascertaining nutritional guidelines the next information gathered would come from the products themselves, reading what is in a can of soda or a Twinkie and so on. Also asking the cafeteria staff for the nutritional information on the meals being served and if they have any guidelines they use in determining what is served, how often, etc. Data will be collected from interviews with other students and analyzed. References Newton, D. P. (2002). Talking Sense in Science: Helping Children Understand through Talk. London: Routledge Falmer. Risk cluster linked to childhood obesity. (2004, June 2). The Salt Lake city Tribune, p. B1 Read More