Jennifer Armenia

Joanne Dickinson

Beth Carter

EDUL 6020

Group Activity 4

Using the principles for selecting learning experiences and the suggested characteristics of selected learning experiences that Tyler discusses in Chapter Two, generate four to six learning experiences that will realize the objective "Ability to apply principles of nutrition" from the chart on p. 50. Follow the suggestions for selecting learning experiences that Tyler offers on pp. 81-82. Explain how each of the experiences you select meets Tyler's criteria.

These learning experiences are written for young elementary school students to complete during a unit on nutrition.

1. Students are to write down everything they eat for one day.  The next day students are to bring their list of what they ate to school.  The students can draw a picture of the foods they ate the previous day and write the number of servings they ate from each food group.  After the students draw their pictures, they can share them with the class and discuss ways to improve their eating habits.  This follows Tyler’s ideas by giving the students a chance to practice the behavior implied by the objective.
2. Have students work in pairs to plan a well balanced meal.  Students can use old magazines and cut out pictures of foods that would make a well balanced meal.  Since the students will be working in pairs, the actions required in this experience will be within the range of possibilities for all the students.  This activity also helps develop social attitudes since the students will work in pairs. 
3. Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  As the caterpillar eats a different food, stop reading and discuss what food group the caterpillar just ate from and if his choice was a healthy choice.  If it was an unhealthy choice, discuss healthy foods that could replace the unhealthy choice.  After this discussion have the students make a class book “The Very Healthy Caterpillar”.  To create this book the students follow the same story pattern that was in the book but substitute healthy foods in place of the unhealthy foods.  This activity gives students the ability to apply what they learned by analyzing unhealthy choices and creating a book similar to the one read but using their knowledge to make a healthy version of the book.  It also gives them a chance to analyze the problem and figure out a way to fix the problem.
4. Display a diagram of the food guide pyramid.  Explain to the students how to read the food guide pyramid and what information is located on it.  Have students create their own food guide pyramid to label and take home for reference.  This activity follows Tyler’s ideas by consulting sources and learning where information can be found.