LEARN NC

3.4 The very hungry kid

Provided by Nutrition Services Branch of the North Carolina Division of Public Health.

This second-grade lesson plan, from the Food for Thought nutrition curriculum, teaches students about hunger, feeling full, and reasons we eat what we do.

Learning outcomes

Students will learn about hunger and satiety.

Teacher planning

Materials/resources

Materials

Suggested book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

Handouts

Why do we eat what we do?
Provided by Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service’s “Exploring MyPyramid with Professor Popcorn” nutrition curriculum and found at Purdue Extension’s “Knowledge to Go” Education Store.
Open as PDF (55 KB, 1 page)
Hunger faces: How do you feel?
Provided by the weight management program Shapedown.com and the book, Shapedown…Just for Teens. Permission provided by Bob Mellin, president of the Balboa Publishing Corporation.
Open as PDF (47 KB, 1 page)
MyPyramid for kids poster
Document courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture
Open as PDF (2 MB, 1 page)
When I’m hungry
Provided by Nutrition Services Branch of the North Carolina Division of Public Health and published in the Food for Thought curriculum.
Open as PDF (91 KB, 1 page)

Activities

  1. Distribute the “Why do we eat what we do?” and “Hunger Faces: How do you feel?” handouts. Discuss hunger and satiety (when you feel like you have had enough to eat) with students; why we eat; and why we stop eating. Brainstorm with the students whether they feel hungry, satisfied, or full:

    1. When I wake up in the morning, I feel…
    2. Just before lunch, I feel…
    3. After recess, I feel…
    4. After Thanksgiving dinner, I feel…
    5. After I eat a snack, I feel…
    6. After a big breakfast, I feel…
    7. When I finish a meal from a fast food restaurant, I feel…
    8. After I eat an apple or banana, I feel…
  2. Optional: Add additional brainstorm/sentence starters if time permits.
  3. Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and briefly discuss.
  4. Direct students to create their own story based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar. An example of a possible title is “The Very Hungry Kid.” They can base the story on themselves or create a fictional character. Tell them to include all of the foods they or the character would eat and what happens to their bodies when they eat. Distribute the “MyPyramid for Kids” handout to give them ideas. Have them write the stories in their journals or as a separate paper.
  5. Distribute the “When I’m Hungry…” handout to complete in the classroom or as a homework assignment.

Assessment

Assessment can be made from the students’ stories, their completed handouts, and verbal responses during classroom discussion.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Healthful Living Education (2006)

Grade 2

  • Goal 4: The learner will apply knowledge and behavior self management skills to areas of nutrition and physical activity for healthy growth, development, and maintenance.
    • Objective 4.03: Identify the body signals that tell people when they are hungry and when they are full (hunger vs. satiety).