Health & Nutrition

Investigation Description:
Ask students to take 5-10 minutes to walk around their home while trying to use their five senses. Ask them to bring back items to show the group that they explored with their senses. You may want to show an example or two for each. Here are some sample prompts:

1) sight: look for an item that is the exact color of one of the students’ crayons or colored pencils or favorite color

2) touch: find 2 items with different textures, such as soft sage leaves or bumpy cabbage leaves

3) hearing: find something that makes a sound when you shake, knock on, or tickle it

4) smell: find something with a strong smell, such as an herb, ripe fruit, or dryer sheet

5) taste: find something sour, sweet, salty, or spicy (be careful with this last one!)

At the end of the 5-10 minute search time, students should return to the virtual meeting space to share what they have found, holding up each item and explaining what their sense(s) taught them about the object.

You may want to streamline things a bit and ask everyone to hold up their example of the Sight item, then ask a couple of volunteers to share. Then ask everyone to hold up the Hearing item, and so on.

Time: 20-30 minutes

Teacher Materials: A few examples of items from around your house to demonstrate each of the 5 senses

Student Materials: A few household items to demonstrate the 5 senses

This virtual investigation is adapted from: PK – Exploring with Our 5 Senses

Investigation Description:
This investigation is designed for young students to do with support from a grown up at home, or for older students to do on their own.

1) with a grown up, pick out a fruit or vegetable that you can taste. (For example, apple slices or carrot sticks would be a great choice!)

2) in journals or on a piece of paper, write the name of the fruit or vegetable.

3) below the name, draw a picture of the fruit or vegetable you are about to explore.

4) below that, draw a small icon for each of the five senses (eye, nose, ear, hand, mouth)

5) as you explore the fruit or veggie using each sense one at a time, draw the number of stars from 1 to 5 stars (with 5 being the best) next to each sensory icon to show how much you enjoy it.

For example, if a student really likes the color or shape of the item, they should give it five stars; if the student thinks the texture is a little strange, give it two or three stars; if it doesn’t really make an interesting sound when you bite into it, give it one star, etc.

Time: 10-15 minutes

Teacher Materials: 1 or 2 examples of a fruit or veggie, pencil, paper, crayons or colored pencils

Student Materials: A few fruits or vegetables to taste test

This virtual investigation is adapted from: PK – Exploring with Our 5 Senses

Investigation Description:
Ask students to take 5 minutes to find a naturally colorful food in their kitchen. Let them know it is like a scavenger hunt and to get as creative as possible!

Review the multitude of options available to choose from (not only fresh produce, but also black beans, white/yellow eggs, tomato sauce, etc.) Have students share what they found, and count up how many different colors the class was able to come up with!

Time: 10 minutes

Teacher Materials: A few examples of different color fruits and vegetables to show students

Student Materials: Colorful foods from their kitchens (fresh, canned, and frozen are all great options)

This virtual investigation is adapted from: 1st Grade – Eating the Rainbow

Investigation Description:
Ask the students what the word “ingredient” means and why it is important to FoodPrints.

Have students find 1 – 2 canned or boxed food items in their kitchen and then locate the nutrition facts label and ingredient list.

Tell them the largest amount of ingredients is listed first. Have them take turns reading some of the ingredients in their items or read the ingredients in the items you have, showing them the picture of the item if possible.

Ask them what they think of the first five ingredients and if they recognize them.

Time: 10 minutes

Teacher Materials: A few different canned and boxed food items (if possible, try to have a few items that the students usually eat as snacks, etc.)

Student Materials: 1 – 2 canned or boxed food items

This virtual investigation is adapted from: 4th Grade – Investigating Ingredients

Investigation Description:
In this activity students will further explore ingredients in a favorite meal.

On a piece of paper have the students write their favorite meal at the top and then list or draw all the ingredients they can think of that are needed to make the meal.

For example if they choose spaghetti with meatballs, they would list ingredients the sauce, meatballs, and any other items they like to include in the meal.

Time: 10-15 minutes

Teacher Materials: Example of favorite meal with ingredients listed

Student Materials: Piece of paper and writing and/or drawing utensils

This virtual investigation is adapted from: 4th Grade – Investigating Ingredients