I wrote this unit for my freshman Biology class to teach the macronutrients -carbohydrates, fats, and proteins - in context of the foods that we eat. My overall strategy in designing this curriculum unit is to use hands-on labs experiences that incorporate actual food items. Through these activities, students should understand how the nutrients that they consume are digested and what their role is in the body. It is also important that they understand how eating certain foods in excess can lead to obesity, and potentially to diseases like diabetes. My students will study the causes, symptoms and treatments of diabetes, as well as the importance of diet in controlling the disease. As a final project, they will research healthy recipes that they would enjoy cooking and eating, and plan a Healthy Eating festival for the entire school.

(Developed for Biology, grades 9-10; recommended for Biology, grades 9-10, and Life Science, grades 7-8)