Think Inside Yourself
THINKsgiving
Grades 3-5
Teacher Overview
Thanksgiving is a time to feast and reflect, but we don’t always think about what’s inside the food we put into our bodies. This fun activity allows students to create their dream meal — and then investigate its nutritional contents.
Time: 15 minutes
Grade(s): 3–5
Subject area(s): Health and Nutrition, Math
Skills:
Teacher Overview Continued
1. Make your own copy of this slideshow so you and your students can interact with it. Begin by displaying and reading Slide 5. Then display Slide 6. Demonstrate how students can drag foods onto the table to build their ideal plate and then use the Thinksgiving Calculator to view the nutritional contents. Model the process by creating your own plate.
2. Send Slide 6 to students, and put them in pairs. Each student will build their plate, enter the foods into the calculator, and then discuss their results with their partner. Tell students to keep their calculators open and populated with their final choices — they’ll need it for the next step of the activity.
Teacher Overview
3. Bring students back together for a class discussion using Slide 7: Reflect.
Challenge students to a “best plate” contest. Have students compete to create a meal that contains their favorite foods AND ideal amounts of the recommended percentages shown in Rows 5 and 6 of the calculator.
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What did we leave out? If you didn’t see your favorite Thanksgiving dish, email it to us or share it on social media using #VAIeducation. We’ll add them to the list, making it even more delicious!
EXTENSION
SHARE WITH US!
Food: It’s What’s for Dinner
The food you eat gives you fuel to grow and play and learn.
Calories give us energy. Protein builds muscle.
Fats help your body absorb vitamins.
But too much of anything can be bad for you!
Think Inside Yourself
Create your perfect Thanksgiving meal by dragging pictures onto the table.
Then, make a copy of the Thinksgiving Calculator to see what’s in the food you chose!
Reflect