Activity Name: MyPyramid in 3D!

Observation that led to this lesson: Yesterday in class I overheard a couple of my students talking at snack. So, I continued to observe. Becky saw Elizabeth eating a kiwi fruit. She looked at it strangely then asked, what is that? Elizabeth said it’s a kiwi fruit. My mom gave it to me.  Elizabeth asked Becky, Would you like to try some? Becky said its green, ewe. No!  I said to myself. This would be a great time to learn more about fruits and vegetables and how to live a healthier life.

Book to spark this lesson: N/A

Age Range: First Grade

Domain: 
•	Physical/demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination by using fingers and hands.
•	Cognitive/remembers and connects experiences by recognizing and recalls.

Goal and Learning Objective: 

•	4.01 Recognize the categories of My Pyramid. 

Assessment of goals:
How will you assess whether the children accomplished the goals and objectives?  Look above.  What measure or technique will you use as a guide? 
•	When assessing my children I will watch to see if each child knows the importance of the MyPyramid food groups. To determine when the child knows and understands I will use an observation list to check off when each child learns an objective. My students will learn about the MyPyramid and the foods that are found in each of the food groups. Each child will learn that exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Eating nutritious foods and getting plenty of exercise is important for everyone. This lesson plan teaches students about MyPyramid for Kids and the nutritious foods that belong in each of the five color-coded food groups. 

Materials:
•	Poster board
•	Glue
•	Toy fruit and vegetables as well as the other components on the MyPyramid
•	Markers
•	Tape
•	Child sized trays
•	Provide real snacks for after. (possibly the same kind of components you used for the poster board)
Procedures: 
•	Place the poster board in front of the class. 
•	Explain we will be making our own 3D MyPyramid to put on display to remind us of healthy eating.  
•	Put up a chart of the MyPyramid for the children to use as an example.
•	Ask the children to come pick out one of the components to place on our board.
•	Ask them where they think it goes by looking at the MyPyramid chart.
•	After they see where the component goes have them glue it in its rightful place on the poster board.
•	When finished place the 3D MyPyramid for everyone to see.
•	Make sure you prepare a snack for the children of the same types of play food you’re putting on the board.
•	When the kids are finished show them the real food.
•	Let them choose what they want for snack.
•	Now let them enjoy their nutritious and delicious snack.
•	This also can be done with real food. (Don’t put on display, place it on the table so the children can pick directly from it for their snack.)

Modification to include children with exceptionalities: This lesson was inspired by Becky and Elizabeth. But I also wanted an activity to help one of my other students. Lisa has autism she needs help with her gripping skills. The chart is to help her work to strengthen her fingers and hands for gripping. 

Extensions and Connections: For extensions and connections in our dramatic play area there will be play food from the My Pyramid. We will place containers that are the same colors in the MyPyramid food group for the children to sort the toy food. Another extension or connection is this game to help see what they know. We will be using two shopping carts; one for healthy foods and one for non-healthy foods. The objective is to see if the children know the difference between the two. This would be a good time to observe each child to see what they know. To help the children with the different types of components on the MyPyramid I would print out a poster of the fruits and Vegetables from A to Z and place on the wall in the class room. Also I would place pictures of the children’s favorite food from the My Pyramid chart. Another extension or connection would be on where the food comes from. The lesson would be on, where do I come from? 

Resources:
•	www.lessonplanet.com
•	www.greatgrub.club.com
Kiwi fruit- A kiwi fruit is hairy on the outside and soft in the middle. It is one of the only fruits to be green when it is ripe. You can scoop out the juicy green flesh with a spoon just like a boiled egg! One kiwi fruit contains all the vitamin C you need for a whole day. Vitamin C helps your body to heal cuts and bruises and to fight colds.
•	www.isbe.state.il.us
Fruits & Vegetables A to Z.