How Nutrition Affects School Performance

How Nutrition Affects School Performance

Olivia Brewster, Katie Pawlowski, Kiefer Wendel

Driving Question: How does eating healthy impact school performance?

Grabber and Introduction:

The instructor shows the students the video “How Fast Food Can Affect Test Scores.” The instructor begins a discussion with the students, and they talk about why eating healthy is important for exams in school and other major tests (SAT and ACT). By the end of the 50 minute class period, the instructor asks the students to do some research before they meet the following day. The instructor's role on this day will be to lecture and inform the students about the point of the project. The students will primarily be listening to the teacher, and doing whatever research they can that the time permits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9oz3I9TwFA

Cultivating Activity:

Students will spend majority of class time researching the topic of how healthy foods impact school performance using tablets and laptops. They will try to find direct articles, videos, etc. that statistically support the driving question. Researching will take two 50 minute class periods. Students can work outside of class on this if they please. On the fourth day, students will take what they already know and participate in a instructor-lead seminar. The instructor will let the students mainly talk and only intervene when students are getting off topic or when the class needs to move on to the next question. This seminar should strive to involve all students and inspire students to look at their arguments and research from a different viewpoint.

Assessment:

On the last day of the week, the final day of the project, the students will get into groups of three or four students and give a 3-4 minute presentation about what they uncovered about the driving question. Students will be graded on how well they incorporate information from their research and the different viewpoints their classmates expressed in the seminar. The teacher will only grade the students presentations, and will not engage with the students in helping them with their presentations.

Rubric: