Science — Grade 4

What does it mean to be a healthy eater?

In I’m on a diet and proud of it: Nutrition through math and science, page 5

Using research skills and nonfiction text, students will discover foods that are rich sources of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts, Healthful Living, and Science)

By Karina Colón.

Water, water everywhere

In Food for thought: Elementary lessons on nutrition and healthy living, page 5.6

Our bodies are fifty to seventy-five percent water by weight and to survive we need to replenish the water that our bodies lose during the day. This fourth-grade lesson plan, from the Food for Thought nutrition curriculum, teaches students that we can replace water that our bodies need by drinking plenty of water and eating foods that also contain water.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Healthful Living and Science)

How do living things get energy from food?

In I’m on a diet and proud of it: Nutrition through math and science, page 4

This lesson will teach students about calories as a measurement of the potential energy found in food and that everything their body does burns calories.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Healthful Living, Mathematics, and Science)

By Karina Colón.

Healthy and unhealthy foods: What's the difference? (Part 2)

In I’m on a diet and proud of it: Nutrition through math and science, page 7

In this lesson, students will participate in three investigations to discover food sources, as well as advantages and disadvantages of fats.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Healthful Living and Science)

By Karina Colón.

Healthy and unhealthy foods: What's the difference? (Part 1)

In I’m on a diet and proud of it: Nutrition through math and science, page 6

In this lesson, students build scientific models to help them conceptualize the energy (calorie) to nutrient ratio provided by various types of carbohydrates, thereby discovering complex carbohydrates and lean protein as being the superior choices.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Healthful Living, Information Skills, and Science)

By Karina Colón.

Food labels and serving sizes

In Food for thought: Elementary lessons on nutrition and healthy living, page 5.3

By reading the nutrition facts labels on the foods we find in the grocery store, we can make good decisions about which foods to purchase. This lesson plan for grade four, from the Food for Thought nutrition curriculum, teaches students how to choose foods based on the information they find on the nutrition facts label, calculate the number of calories from fat found in a food, and understand the difference between a portion and a serving.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Healthful Living and Science)

Are you on a diet?

In I’m on a diet and proud of it: Nutrition through math and science, page 2

In this lesson, students will examine their knowledge, beliefs, and misconceptions about diets. Using word study and discussion, they will understand diet as a multi-faceted concept.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts, Healthful Living, and Science)

By Karina Colón.

Resources on the web

Good food, good health

In this activity, students use Internet resources to explore ways in which food provides energy and materials for their bodies. In the elementary grades, particularly the lower-elementary level, children know that there are different foods — some... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Healthful Living and Science)

Provided by: Science Netlinks

Food and the digestive system

This Science NetLinks lesson is the first of a three part series. Most of this lesson will focus on what nutrients are needed to do particular tasks for the body. More specifically, where the nutrients come from, their different forms, and then their importance... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Healthful Living and Science)

Provided by: Science Netlinks