Family Health – Nutrition (Lesson note)

DETAILED LESSON NOTE

School: Junior Secondary School
Subject: Basic Science
Class: JSS 1 (Grade 7)
Date: To be inserted by teacher
Duration: 40 minutes
Period: To be inserted by teacher

Week: Nine
Topic: Family Health – Nutrition
Sub-topic: Meaning of Nutrition, Feeding Types, Food Identification, Classes of Food, and Balanced Diet

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Instructional Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Define nutrition in simple terms. (Knowledge – Lower domain)
2. Differentiate between autotrophic and heterotrophic feeding with examples. (Comprehension – Middle domain)
3. Identify and classify common food items into their correct classes. (Application – Higher domain)
4. Explain the importance of each class of food in body functions. (Analysis – Higher domain)
5. Construct a simple menu showing an example of a balanced diet suitable for a Nigerian family. (Synthesis/Creative – Higher domain)

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Instructional Materials

• Food chart/poster
• Real food items (rice, beans, egg, orange, milk, vegetable)
• Flash cards with food names and pictures
• Chalkboard/marker

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Previous Knowledge

Students know about some common foods they eat daily at home and in school.

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Lesson Development

Step I: Introduction (5 minutes)

• Teacher greets students and makes them settle down.
• Teacher asks: “What did you eat this morning?”
• Students respond (e.g., bread and tea, yam and stew, rice and beans).
• Teacher explains that eating food is part of nutrition.
• Teacher then introduces the topic: Family Health – Nutrition.
• Lesson objectives are written and explained to students.

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Step II: Presentation (25 minutes)

Objective 1 – Meaning of Nutrition (5 minutes)

• Teacher explains: “Nutrition is the process by which living things take in and use food for growth, energy, and repair of the body.”
• Teacher writes the definition on the board.
• Students repeat after teacher and give examples of why food is important (e.g., to grow, to play football, to stay healthy).

Objective 2 – Feeding and Types (5 minutes)

• Teacher explains feeding as how living things obtain food.
• Teacher states two types:
1. Autotrophic feeding – Organisms (plants) that make their own food using sunlight through photosynthesis.
2. Heterotrophic feeding – Organisms (animals and humans) that depend on plants and other animals for food.
• Examples: Plants → autotrophic; Goat, Man → heterotrophic.
• Students mention other examples.

Objective 3 – Identification of Food and Classes (5 minutes)

• Teacher displays food items/pictures.
• Students identify and classify them into the following classes:
• Carbohydrates: Rice, Yam, Bread.
• Proteins: Beans, Egg, Fish, Meat.
• Fats and Oils: Groundnut, Palm Oil.
• Vitamins: Orange, Mango, Vegetables.
• Minerals: Milk, Bone, Salt.
• Water: Drinking water.
• Teacher guides students to repeat classification correctly.

Objective 4 – Importance of Each Food Class (5 minutes)

• Teacher explains the functions of food classes:
• Carbohydrates → Provide energy.
• Proteins → Build body tissues, repair worn-out cells.
• Fats and Oils → Store energy and keep the body warm.
• Vitamins → Prevent diseases and keep the body healthy.
• Minerals → Build strong bones and teeth, keep blood healthy.
• Water → Help digestion and regulate body temperature.
• Students give examples of foods that perform each function.

Objective 5 – Balanced/Adequate Diet (5 minutes)

• Teacher explains: A balanced diet contains all classes of food in the right proportion.
• Teacher gives an example: Rice + beans + vegetable + fish + fruit + water.
• Students in groups construct a simple one-day menu for a balanced diet (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

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Step III: Evaluation (5 minutes)

Teacher asks the following questions to check understanding:

1. What is nutrition?
2. Mention two types of feeding and give one example each.
3. Classify yam, egg, and orange into their correct food classes.
4. State one importance of protein.
5. Give an example of a balanced meal suitable for lunch.

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Step IV: Conclusion (3 minutes)

• Teacher summarizes the lesson:
• Nutrition is how living things obtain and use food.
• Feeding is autotrophic or heterotrophic.
• There are six classes of food with different functions.
• A balanced diet contains all food classes in the right proportion.
• Teacher tells students: “Eating a balanced diet keeps the family healthy and strong.”

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Assignment (2 minutes)

• Draw and label a food pyramid showing the classes of food.