Author: Katerina Spitsa
Organisation: 2nd Experimental Model Kindergarten of Thessaloniki
Abstract
This is a Story of Implementation of the Europeana Learning Scenario : Healthy Choices (LS-RO-519) – Teaching With Europeana (eun.org) by Carmen Misicioiu. The main goal of my learning scenario, with the title “Health Protectors”, was to introduce healthy eating and physical activity to my 16 preschool students. It started with the same book of the learning scenario I was inspired. Students participated in various activities to learn about different food groups, the benefits of exercise, and how to create a balanced meal. They also got creative by designing games using everyday objects and making a fruit salad together. Students explored the concept of food groups by reading a story and using models to categorize different food items. They created a collaborative poster showcasing the various food groups. They learned about the Mediterranean food pyramid, discussing the importance of each food group based on its placement within the pyramid. Students work in teams to assemble a physical activity pyramid and then analyzed their own exercise routines in comparison to the recommended pyramid. They even design active games using readily available objects. By looking at paintings, students discovered the concept of seasonal fruits and vegetables. They discussed the benefits of seasonal produce and then voted on a recipe for a healthy snack using seasonal ingredients. The lesson plan incorporated a simulation to demonstrate how food and exercise choices can impact growth. Overall, this learning scenario used a variety of engaging activities to teach children about healthy habits and empowered them to make healthy choices about their diet and physical exercise.
Main text
- The rationale
We followed the first step of the learning scenario we got inspiration from, and read the book “The very hungry caterpillar” from Eric Carle. We also watched the following video (709) The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Animated Film – YouTube. Comprehension questions were made, and the answers led to the extraction of the importance of healthy food, the well-being of the body that led to the transformation of the caterpillar into a butterfly, a child into a healthy adult.
- Food gives energy
Hungry Caterpillars Walks (20 minutes): Students moved around the room like hungry caterpillars looking for food listening to mystery music. We alternated slow rhythms when they were hungry and fast rhythms when they had eaten with commands that referred to physical activity and the energy that food gives us.
Students walking like hungry caterpillars. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
“Guess my favorite fruit” (25 minutes) – Students were divided into groups. Each group chose a fruit to describe to the others, discussed and agreed on the clues they would give. In the plenary session, each group gave the first clue for the fruit they had chosen (e.g., it is round), then the second clue, and so on, and the others tried to guess it.
Students try to guess the fruit. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
My food plate (35 minutes): Students drew their favorite food they eat for lunch. They presented their plate to the plenary session.
Students drawing their favourite food. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
All the students’ favourite dishes. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
Plenary presentation. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
- The Pyramid of Physical Activity
Assemble the pyramid of physical activity (45 minutes): The students were divided into 4 groups of different colors. Each team was given an envelope with pieces of the exercise pyramid in different parts. The members of each team tried to assemble the pyramid. Following the “See, Think, Wonder” thinking routine, they explored the exercise pyramid.
Assembling the pyramid of physical activity. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
Then we watched the following videos:
In the plenary session, each group shared their views, and each student created his/her own pyramid of physical exercise.
Drawing the pyramid of physical activity. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
How active am I? (45 minutes): Each student drew on a black A4 paper, what he/she does for exercise. This was followed by a comparison of each student’s physical activity drawings with that recommended in the relevant pyramid. Students classified themselves according to the frequency of their physical activity (e.g., active, …).
Drawings of students’ physical activity. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
How can we play in groups with a handkerchief, a plastic bottle, a ribbon? (45 minutes): Students were divided into groups. Each group chose an object (a handkerchief, a plastic bottle, a ribbon) and discussed how this object could be used in a motor game. They designed the game on paper and discussed its rules. Each group presented the motor game they had thought of to the plenary session.
- Discovering the Food Pyramid and Food Groups
The Mediterranean food pyramid (30 minutes): In the plenary session, we watched the following videos. Η ΠΥΡΑΜΙΔΑ ΤΩΝ ΤΡΟΦΩΝ (youtube.com) and Πυραμίδα Μεσογειακής Διατροφής (youtube.com) We talked about each food group (cereals, fruits-vegetables, dairy products, meat, sweets), each importance and at which level of the pyramid this group is located.
Food Groups (40 minutes): In the plenary we read the book “Once upon a time was Kolotumba” by S. Madouvalou. We talked about different food groups and we tried to create them using the plastic food we had in our classroom. Then, with the help of the book, we created our own table of food groups divided in teams. Each team chose a different food group and collected the appropriate photos. All groups were collected and a poster was created.
Fruit Group. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
Dairy Group. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
Food Groups. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
The food plate (15 minutes): Students drew a healthy lunch plate bearing in mind the combination of different food groups.
A healthy lunch plate drawing. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
We, also, used the learning object from the photo tree Ετοίμασε το μεσημεριανό μενού! | ΦΩΤΟΔΕΝΤΡΟ (photodentro.edu.gr) and created our lunch online.
Student creating a menu. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
We, then used the following simulation to see how our food and exercise preferences and choices affect the way we grow. Διατροφή & Άσκηση – Βιολογία | Διατροφή | Άσκηση – Διαδραστικές προσομοιώσεις PhET (colorado.edu).
The simulation’s interface. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
- Cooking Healthy
The fruits of each season (40 minutes): In the plenary session, we visited the page Giuseppe Arcimboldo — Google Arts & Culture and used the digital zoom to observe four paintings by Giuseppe Arcimboldo for the seasons in order to discover the fruits and vegetables of each season using the “What makes you say that?” thinking routine. They vote on what they want to make with the seasonal fruits at school for a snack (fruit salad). They focused on why we should eat seasonal fruits. Then we created our own Arciboldo portraits
Creating Arcimboldo paintings. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
Our Arcimboldo portraits. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
Our fruit salad (50 minutes): Students were asked to bring fruits from home the day before. The fruits were gathered in the plenary session, checked to see if they are seasonal, and classified. Then the children were divided into as many groups as there are fruits. Each group takes on the task of chopping the fruit in their group with plastic knives and placing it on their group’s plate. As soon as each group finished, they added the chopped fruit to a bowl, the fruit was mixed and the fruit salad was served.
Tasting our fruit salad. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
Write the recipe (20 minutes): Each student wrote the recipe for the fruit salad in whatever way he/she thought was appropriate. In the plenary session, the recipe of each student was presented.
The salad’s recipe. CC BY-NC-ND. Katerina Spitsa
- Outcomes
Outcomes for Students:
Students gained knowledge about healthy eating habits, including the importance of a balanced diet, different food groups, and the benefits of seasonal produce. They learned about the role of food in providing energy for growth and development, understood the connection between physical activity and overall well-being, and grasped the concept of the food pyramid and physical activity pyramid. Students developed skills in categorizing food items, creating presentations, designing games, collaborating in teams, and following recipes. They also practiced critical thinking by analyzing their own exercise routines and the impact of food choices. Finally, they expressed their creativity through designing games with everyday objects and by writing recipes for the fruit salad.
Outcomes for the Teacher:
I had the opportunity to observe student engagement through various activities, fostering a fun and interactive learning environment and gained insights into student understanding through class discussions, presentations, and written recipes, allowing for adjustments in future lessons. Through holistic learning, I facilitated a lesson plan that addressed both healthy eating and physical activity, promoting a well-rounded approach to student well-being.
Link to the learning scenario implemented: Healthy Choices (LS-RO-519) – Teaching With Europeana (eun.org)
Do you want to discover more stories of implementation? Click here.
CC BY 4.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Kulturparken Småland.
