What Is She Eating?

byMyrna M. Alvarez

No matter where we live, how old we are, or what we do, we have at least one thing in common, we need food to survive. Food will always be a part of our lives. Majority of food provides a feeling of fullness and satisfaction, and, we seldom consider its implications to health and the environment.

Why should we care about what we eat? What chemicals are in food? How do these chemicals affect human health and the environment? What recommendations can students make for the school cafeteria to offer better choices? These are the key questions that this unit will try to explore.

This unit addresses the State Science Standards that focuses on the importance of the nature of science and scientific inquiry. Class activities that will engage students to the processes of the nature of science and scientific inquiry includes; reflecting on their own diet, analyzing the various chemicals found in foods, identifying the three major nutrients needed by the body, discovering chemicals that leach from plastic containers and contaminate foods that result to disorders and diseases, visiting and observing a landfill, and preparing a school-lunch program plan.

This unit is recommended for tenth grade chemistry class.

(Developed for Biology, grade 9 and Chemistry, grade 10; recommended for Biology, grade 9 and Chemistry, grade 10)


Comments (2)

    Janet Zachary (Como-Pickton High School, Como, TX)
    Subject taught: Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Grade: 9
    Wish I had found this sooner.
    Seems to be a great unit of study. I was looking for lab activities for Biomolecules and found this site. Since we are in Texas, my second semester of Biology is spent trying to get all of our TEKS(Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards)taught before our end of course Biology exam called STAAR Biology is administered during the first week of May.
    I have already spent too much time on Chemistry of Life and now Biomolecules, so I\'m going to save this for future reference next year.
    I really liked the field trip to the landfill, and the attempt to make students aware of how much packaging of foods is thrown away.


    Felicity Frisbie (None, Brooklyn, NY)
    Subject taught: Art, Grade: 12
    Please give me credit for the food pyramid illustration
    Illustration by Felicity Frisbie

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