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Draw a Scientist

Lesson Overview:

The views of middle-school students are often shaped by their experiences through popular culture. Whether it’s from a comic book or a movie, certain professionals are stereotyped and pigeonholed into having certain characteristics.

In this lesson, students are asked to draw what they perceive a scientist to look like. They will then meet a non-stereotypical scientist and will then reevaluated their perceptions.

Lesson Objectives:

Students will be able to…

Formulate opinions about scientists. Analyze and evaluate stereotypes

Materials Needed:

Drawing paper Crayons Markers “Draw a Scientist” checklist Lined paper for notes

Activity Plan:

1. Students are asked: When you hear the word scientist, what is the first thought that comes to your mind?

2. Students write responses on their note paper.a. If the children are struggling for a response, encourage them to imagine what

the scientist looks like. b. Example questions: What is the scientist doing? What does his or her clothes

look like? Where are they?3. Once the students have had enough time to jot down some ideas, give them a sheet of

drawing paper and ask them to draw a picture of the scientist at work.4. Students will then trade pictures and use the “Draw a Scientist” checklist to evaluate the

drawing without talking to the artist.

5. Class discussion of drawings. Calculate checklist on board or overheard.6. Discuss what students think scientists do.7. Introduce students to a scientist, who will make a brief presentation to the class. 8. Have the students interview the scientist. 9. Students will draw a second picture of the scientist at work. 10. End with class discussion:

a. How is the second picture different from your first picture?b. How have your perceptions about scientists changed?

Additional Resources:

Draw a Scientist Checklist Provided Images from the internet of “Mad Scientist” Images from the internet of “Chemist, Biologist, Physicist, and/or Scientist, etc.”

o Maybe not physicist so much if looking for “normal” looking scientist.

DRAW A SCIENTIST CHECKLIST

Please put an X next to any of the words that are true about the scientist you are evaluating.

[ ] Friendly [ ] Scary [ ] Can’t Tell [ ]

[ ] Long Hair [ ] Short Hair [ ] Wild Hair [ ] Bald

[ ] Male [ ] Female [ ] Can’t Tell [ ]

[ ] Wearing a Lab Coat

[ ] Wearing Regular Clothes

[ ] Wearing Weird Clothes

[ ]

[ ] Indoors [ ] Outdoors [ ] Can’t Tell [ ]

[ ] Has something in pocket

[ ] Wearing a tie [ ] Wearing glasses [ ]

[ ] Using test tubes [ ] Near a computer

[ ] Using charts [ ]

[ ] Near a blackboard or easel

[ ] With plants [ ] With animals [ ]

[ ] With something that could explode

[ ] With a monster [ ] With other people

[ ]

[ ] Using numbers [ ] Using machinery

[ ] [ ]

[ ] “Mad” written on drawing

[ ] “Weird” written on drawing

[ ] Any other work _________________

[ ]

Paper Airplane Engineering

Lesson Overview:

The scientific method is a guide that establishes a proper process for inquiry and controlled testing. Formal scientific testing is universally measured using the metric standard.

By designing, constructing, and testing different paper airplane designs, students will gain an understanding of the scientific method as a guide for controlled experimentation. As they test their flying creations, they will use different metric units while testing for distance helping them become familiar with the different prefixes utilized.

Lesson Objectives:


Understand the steps and process of the scientific method. Read metric units in comparison to scale.

Materials Needed:

Paper Scissors (Optional) Tape (Optional) Metric measuring tape or meter stick Paper Clips

Activity Plan:

1. Break up students into groups of 2. 2. Instruct one student from each group to make a paper airplane familiar to them. Assist

them if they do not know how. a. Standing at a set line, have them toss the airplane.b. Their lab partner will measure the distance.

i. They will fill out Part 1 of the hand-out?1. If they do not know the differences of the metric prefixes, write

them on the board or overhead projector and give them a brief explanation.

c. Repeat plane tossing and measuring activity 4 more times.d. Have them take the average distance and mark it down.

3. Have them sit down.4. List the six steps of the scientific method in order on a board or overhead.

a. Briefly explain each step of the scientific method with the students and lead them into an inquiry-based discussion about the paper airplane activity:

i. What happened to your airplane?ii. Why do you think this happened?

iii. What could you do make it better? Does it need to be better?iv. What step in the scientific method would we be on right now?

b. Give enough time for students to express their ideas, but cap the discussion at five minutes.

Sample Questioning: Okay, we asked a question: How can we make our paper airplane better? We already did some background research when you tested your first design. Now what I want you all to do is to construct a hypothesis. What is one thing that you could change on your design that would improve it?

5. Have them work on a new paper airplane design that only changes one thing.6. Let them fill out the Purpose, Hypothesis, Materials, and Procedure sections of the Part 2

on the hand-outs. 7. Students repeat activity on step 2 and fill out the rest of the Part 2 on the hand-out. 8. End with post-lab discussion:

a. Was your hypothesis disproved or confirmed? Explain using the information obtained in your experiment. Use your hand-out and data sheet as a reference.

b. Do you think this is how scientists conduct their own research? Why or why not?c. Why was it important that you change only one thing between your initial

experiment and your later experiment?d. Do you think the scientific method is a good way to make scientific discoveries?

Why or why not?

Terms and Concepts:

Metric Prefixes:

Scientific Method:

Ask a QuestionDo Background ResearchConstruct a HypothesisTest Your Hypothesis by Doing an ExperimentAnalyze Your Data and Draw a ConclusionReport Your Results: (Was Your Hypothesis Correct?)


Part One: Testing Your First Design

How far away from the launch line did the paper airplane land?

Throw 1: __________ Centimeters __________ Millimeters __________ Meters





METRIC SYSTEM

(K)ing (K)ilometer 1000m 103

(H)enry (H)ectometer 100m 102

(D)anced (D)ecameter 10m 101

(W)hile Standard 1m 100

(D)rinking (D)ecimeter .1m 10-1

(C)hocolate (C)entimeter .01m 10-2

(M)ilk (M)illimeter .001m 10-3


Part Two:

Using the Scientific Method to test your design:

Purpose: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Materials: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Procedure: Throw 1: __________ Centimeters __________ Millimeters __________ Meters





Results: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Scientific Method:Ask a Question -> Do Background Research -> Construct a Hypothesis -> Test Your Hypothesis by Experiment -> Analyze Your Data -> Draw Conclusion

Nutritional Habits

Lesson Overview:

We want to know how aware the students are about their eating and exercise habits. Do they consider the foods they eat before consumption? How much attention do they pay to the amount of physical activities they might perform weekly?

In this activity, we are teaching the students how to keep a journal or log to collect their nutritional data.

Lesson Objectives:


Pay close attention to their nutritional habits. Create a journal and collect data. Analyze their eating habits and improve upon them.

Materials Needed:

Graph Paper Stapler Pen/ pencil Time

Activity Plan:

1. This is the introductory activity for the Nutrition program therefore begin with a discussion about eating habits.

a. Do you pay attention to the foods you eat?b. Why do you eat what you do?

2. Explain the reason behind keeping a journal.a. Collect data.b. Personal inspection or a larger experiment.

3. Fold a stack of 10 pieces of graph paper along the short side of the paper. 4. Staple the closed end.

a. Voila! You have a notebook/ journal.5. Encourage students to use the journal to keep track of the things they eat.

a. It’s okay if they miss days or weeks, but they should put the date of the entry above each entry.

Chicken Legs

Lesson Overview:

Through various hands on activities, students will investigate human skeletal system.

Lesson Objectives:

Students will be able to:

Compare and contrast a chicken’s leg to a human leg. Investigate how the bone and muscles interact to move a limb.

Materials Needed:

A chicken leg and thigh attached dissection kit dissection tray apron gloves Per group:

o Copy of “Arm Model Instructions”o “Arm Model Observations” sheetso 3 rulers (with holes in the center)o metal paper clipo 50 cm of stringo large brass fastenerso scissorso clear tape.

Procedure:

(Prepare the dissecting tray with multiple layers of paper towels! PUT ON GLOVES!!!!)

1. Place the chicken leg quarter on a dissecting tray

2. The following parts are present in the specimen: The lower leg of the chicken is called the drumstick. It is the equivalent of the lower leg of the human and includes the tibia and fibula. The upper leg of the chicken is called the thigh, just as it is in humans. Its bone is the femur. The bones above the thigh (if present) are part of the hip and backbone of the chicken.

3. Remove the skin by pulling it down and off the end of the lower leg. It may be cut off if it is too difficult to remove. The yellow-white material is adipose tissue (aka: fat) that lies under the skin.

4. Examine the meat. The meat is muscle, and muscles work in bundles. Separate the bundles of muscles by separating them out with your fingers. Begin by inserting your

thumb into the muscle of the lower leg. You will need to push forcefully through the shiny lining (called fascia) over the muscle, but it will give way at the natural separations between the muscle bundles. If you need more help, use a blunt probe and scissors being sure to NOT cut through the muscle. Continue separating the muscle into bundles by gently forcing your thumb and fingers through the muscle until you are able to distinguish several separate bundles. Do your best NOT to tear the tendon away from the bone just yet.

5. The strong, white cords, called tendons, hold the muscle to the bones. (Some of these tendons have probably pulled away from the bone as you separated the muscle bundles.) Gently pull away the muscle from the bone without severing it completely and look for the tendon, which connects the muscle to the bone. What does it look like?

6. Using the dissection scissors, cut across the tendons at Line A (see above diagram) being careful you don't cut any ligaments that attach bone to bone. Observe the numerous tendons and pull the freed muscles down and away from the bone, as if you were peeling a banana, towards the knee joint.

7. Examine the two bones in the lower leg. The large bone (Bone A) is the tibia. The small, toothpick-like bone (Bone B) is the fibula.

8. Bend the specimen at Joint A and observe that it is a hinge joint like our knee. Can the knee joint move sideways? (don't force it!)

9. Carefully cut away the muscle over Joint A. Make the cuts parallel to the bones, so you do not cut into the capsule over the joint. Completely remove as much of the muscle tissue as possible so that you can see the shiny white of the ligaments and cartilage around Joint A. Locate one white band of ligament on each side of the joint. These exterior ligaments hold the bones of the leg together.

10. Bend the specimen at Joint B and rotate the femur in all directions. Observe that this joint is a ball and socket joint like our hip. Remove the muscle that covers Joint B by cutting parallel to the femur, upward toward the backbone. Remove muscle tissue until you see a shiny white sheet of ligament that covers the joint. This exterior ligament holds the femur in the hip socket.

11. Cut the exterior ligament over Joint B by cutting all around the head of the femur. As you cut this sheet of ligament, you will notice the joint becoming very loose. When it is completely loosened, pull out and downward on the femur, so the bone comes partly out of the socket in the hip. Look into the socket and see the ligament that holds the

femur in the center of the socket. Cut this ligament so that the femur is completely removed from the hip socket.

12. Look at the cartilage that covers the head of the femur. Using the scalpel, carefully remove the cartilage from the femur head. Make a small cut into the head of the femur; what type of bone is seen there: spongy or compact?

13. At this point, there should be almost no muscle left on the leg bones. If there is any, remove it without cutting through ligaments or joints.

14. Cut onto the knee hinge Joint A by cutting into the top of the covering of the joint from the femur side. It will become apparent that you must remove the knee cap area to expose the menisci and ligaments within the joint. Pull up on the knee cap area and cut through it with the scissors. You will have cut through the bursa, a sac that acts as a shock absorber for the knee joint. These are found in every joint. Pull the covering back and look into the inside of the joint. You will see more white bands of ligaments holding the bones together. Observe the shiny, white cartilage covering the ends of the bones. It helps the bones slide smoothly when the leg bends.

15. Finally look at the bones themselves. Pick two bones to draw a diagram to show the shapes of the ends of the bones and how they fit together. Label the bones' names you have chosen to draw.

16. Using your hands, break Bone A in half. Be careful not to come in contact with the broken edges of bone. Inside is the soft red marrow where blood cells are made.

17. Probe the bone marrow with a sharp pointer and then probe the bone itself.

18. Remove Bone C from the leg. Clean off all muscle tissue.

19. Clean up by putting all the remaining bone and muscle tissue items in the garbage. Using soap, clean the dissecting tray and all instruments. Leave the tray upside-down on paper towels at the lab table. Spray down the lab table with cleaner.

Background Information:

A bone is a kind of body tissue which is made of both living and nonliving material. Each human body contains 206 different bones. All of the bones in the body, together with the tissues that bind them and protect them, form the skeletal system. Each bone is made up of several different parts. A typical long bone is enlarged at both ends with a shaft in between. A membrane called the periosteum covers the bone. Under that layer is compact bone. Beneath the compact bone is a material called spongy bone.

Spongy bone is softer than compact bone and contains many hollow spaces. These spaces help prevent the bone from breaking, because they act as shock absorbers when the bone is hit or banged. It is most of the material at the ends of long bones. Inside the shaft is a soft tissue called marrow, where the body's blood cells are produced. There are two types of marrow: yellow marrow and red marrow. It is the red marrow that produced red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Just like other living tissues in the body, the bones must be supplied with blood or they will die.

The skeletal system has five very important jobs. Support, protection, movement, storage, and production of blood cells. Just think, if we did not have a skeletal system we would be just like a blob of Jell-O. The bones also protect many organs, and also the brain. Our skull protects the brain and our ribs protect our internal organs.

Calcium Deficient See

Lesson Overview:

We encourage young and growing kids to drink milk. But do they know why? It’s all about a mineral called calcium. Our bones would not be the same without them. In this experiment we can take a look at a few different items made up mostly of calcium and see what happens when the mineral is no longer present.

Lesson Objectives:

Students will be able to:

See the effects of a calcium-poor diet on bones. Make a connection between different calcium-dependent organisms.

Materials Needed:

Chicken bone Shell Egg Cups or other containers

Vinegar

Activity Plan:

(To be done in advance)

1. Place each calcium-rich sample in a cup and label the cup with a description of the material.

2. Make initial observations of each sample.a. What does it look like? Feel like?

3. Write down your observations.4. Pour vinegar into each cup until the sample is fully covered. 5. Let the cups sit at room temperature for several days.

a. Check the cups every now and then to make sure your sample is still submerged. Add more vinegar if necessary.

6. Remove the samples from the vinegar and observe.a. How does it look? Feel?b. How does the texture compare to the sample before the treatment with

vinegar?

(For in-class demonstration)

1. The samples should have been prepared in advance.2. Ask the students what they had for breakfast.

a. If any of the students had milk, ask them why?b. If none did, again ask them why?

3. Use the samples brought to the class to demonstrate the necessity to drink milk or eat foods containing calcium.


Calcium Supplement Fact Sheet, Office of Dietary Supplements: (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-QuickFacts/)

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-QuickFacts/

Nutrition Election

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students will take a close look at making healthier decisions when eating by learning how to read Nutrition Labels.

Lesson Objectives:


Hypothesize and predict based on personal experiences. Conduct an informal survey. Read nutritional labels. Create a healthier dietary plan or behavior for themselves.

Materials Needed:

Assortment of food products with nutritional labels. Fruits Nutrition Facts from USDA

(http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/UCM153464.pdf) Vegetables Nutrition Facts from USDA

(http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/ucm063477.pdf)

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/ucm063477.pdf

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/UCM153464.pdf

Activity Plan:

1. Open with a discussion.a. Ask five students what their favorite foods are.

i. Why do you like these foods?ii. Do you ever wonder what they are made of?

iii. Do you know if they are healthy?b. Have the students vote on the food they think is the healthiest.

i. As a group discuss why they voted in that way.c. Do they think they would eat differently if they grew up somewhere else? What

would they eat in other places? Why?2. Show them some of the food items you brought to the class. 3. Have students vote on which items they believe to be the healthiest. Sort items from

healthiest to least healthy.a. Why did they vote that way?b. Do they all agree? Why or why not?

4. Hand out printed copies of a Nutritional label.5. Explain to the class that the nutritional label can be used as a guide to make better

decisions when eating.6. Now have the students vote on which foods they believe have the most: calories,

vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, or other nutrient of your choice.a. As you do one nutrient, have one student look at the nutritional labels and sort

them appropriately by nutrient being discussed. i. Were the students close? Why or why not? What steered their decision

making.7. End discussion by explaining that as the school year progresses, they will be learning

more about the nutrients and how our body uses them.

Fortified Flakes

Lesson Overview:

If you read a nutritional label, you might often see Iron as a nutrient listed. But could you believe that some foods actually add metallic Iron to make them healthier? With this experiment, students will be able to see the iron found within fortified cereals.

Lesson Objectives:

Students will learn…

That some foods are fortified. Why our body requires iron.

Materials Needed:

Box of iron-fortified cereal like Total Works. Box of regular corn flake cereal. Waxed-paper plates. Quart-sized zipper-lock bags. Measuring cups. Strong Magnets. Water

Activity Plan:

1. Begin by handing a student the two boxes of cereal. a. Have them inspect the boxes and read the nutritional labels on each.

i. Which one has more Iron?ii. Why do you think it contains more iron?

b. Have the students break up into groups of 2. i. Give each group two zip-lock bags and two plates.ii. Pour 1 cup of the iron-fortified cereal into one bag.

iii. Pour 1 cup of the regular corn cereal into the other bag.iv. Have the students crush the cereal in each bag by gently squeezing the bag.v. Fill each bag one-half full with warm or room temperature water,

vi. Carefully seal the bag, leaving an air pocket inside. vii. Mix the cereal and the water by squeezing the bag until the contents

become a brown, soupy mix.viii. Set it aside and let it sit undisturbed.

c. Discuss the role of iron within the human body.

d. Make sure bag is tightly sealed and position it on a flat side in the palm of your hand.

i. Place super-strong magnet on top of the bag. Put your other hand on top of the magnet and flip the whole thing over so the magnet is underneath the bag.

ii. Slowly slosh the contents of the bag in a circular motion for 15 or 20 seconds.

e. Use both hands to flip the bag and magnet over so the magnet is on top. Gently squeeze the bag to lift the magnet a little above the cereal soup. Don’t move magnet yet.

i. Look closely at the edges of the magnet where it’s touching the bag. See any tiny black specks on the inside of the bag around the edges of the magnet? That’s iron!

f. Keep one end of the magnet touching the bag and move it in little circles. As you do, the iron will gather into a bigger clump and be much easier to see.

2. Another way to do the experiment. (Dry Experiment, no water necessary)a. Pour a small pile of the flakes on the plate.b. Crush them into tiny pieces with your fingers.c. Spread out the pile so it forms a single layer of crumbs on the plate.

i. Bring the magnet close to the layer of crumbs without touching them. See if any pieces move.

ii. Firmly press the magnet directly onto the crumbs but don’t move it. Lift it up and look underneath to see if anything is clinging to the magnet.

iii. Move the magnet around the crumbs. Lift it up and see if there are any more iron filings.

Terms and Concepts:

Many breakfast cereals are fortified with food-grade iron particles (metallic iron) as a mineral supplement. Total cereal is the only major brand of cereal that claims to contain 100% of your recommended daily allowance of iron. The chemical symbol for iron is Fe. Metallic iron is digested in the stomach and eventually absorbed in the small intestine. If all of the iron from your body was extracted, you'd have enough iron to make only two small nails.

Iron is found in a very important component of your blood called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the compound in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs so that it can be utilized by your body. It's the iron in hemoglobin that gives blood its red appearance.

A diet deficient in iron can result in fatigue, reduced resistance to diseases, and increased heart and respiratory rates. Food scientists say that a healthy adult requires about 18 mg of iron each day. So, as

you can see, iron is a very important part of what you and your friends and family need to stay healthy. Eat up! Cereal for dinner!


Iron in Diet, the National Library of Health and the National Institutes of Health

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002422.htm

Testing for Vitamin C

Lesson Overview:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002422.htm

During this hands-on activity, students will test different juices for their vitamin C content. This activity demonstrates how to perform a titration.

Lesson Objectives:


Perform a titration. Investigate the quantity of Vitamin C in common daily foods.

Materials Needed:

Various juices/drinks that contain or we think contain vitamin C A pipette for each beverage A clear container for each beverage Iodine solution Starch solution ( 1 part baking soda to 5 parts water) Toothpicks or stirring rods.

Activity Plan:

1. Pour about 1 ounce of each beverage into separate plastic cups.2. With a pipette, add about 10 drops of the starch solution to each cup. Stir each solution

with a different toothpick or stirring rod. 3. Begin adding the iodine to one of the solutions a drop at a time. Make sure you count

the number of drops you are adding. Stir the solution after the addition of each drop. 4. As drops are added, the solution will change color. When the solution first changes

color, stir for at least 20 seconds. If the original color reappears, more iodine must be added. If the color change persists, you have reached the endpoint.

5. Record number of drops needed to reach the endpoint.6. Repeat procedure for each solution tested.

Terms and Concepts:

Titration - The process, operation, or method of determining the concentration of a substance in solution by adding to it a standard reagent of known concentration in carefully measured amounts until a reaction of definite and known proportion is completed, as shown by a color change or by electrical measurement, and then calculating the unknown concentration.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development.


Vitamin CVitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development.

Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet.

Function

Vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It is used to:

Form an important protein used to make skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels Heal wounds and form scar tissue Repair and maintain cartilage, bones, and teeth

Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients that block some of the damage caused by free radicals.

Free radicals are made when your body breaks down food or when you are exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation.

The buildup of free radicals over time is largely responsible for the aging process. Free radicals may play a role in cancer, heart disease, and conditions like arthritis.

The body is not able to make vitamin C on its own, and it does not store vitamin C. It is therefore important to include plenty of vitamin C-containing foods in your daily diet.

For many years, vitamin C has been a popular remedy for the common cold.

Research shows that for most people, vitamin C supplements or vitamin C-rich foods do not reduce the risk of getting the common cold.

However, people who take vitamin C supplements regularly might have slightly shorter colds or somewhat milder symptoms.

Taking a vitamin C supplement after a cold starts does not appear to be helpful.

Food Sources

All fruits and vegetables contain some amount of vitamin C.

Fruits with the highest sources of vitamin C include:

Cantaloupe Citrus fruits and juices, such as orange and grapefruit Kiwi fruit Mango Papaya Pineapple Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries Watermelon

Vegetables with the highest sources of vitamin C include:

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower Green and red peppers Spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, and other leafy greens Sweet and white potatoes Tomatoes and tomato juice Winter squash

Some cereals and other foods and beverages are fortified with vitamin C. Fortified means a vitamin or mineral has been added to the food. Check the product labels to see how much vitamin C is in the product.

Cooking vitamin C-rich foods or storing them for a long period of time can reduce the vitamin C content. Microwaving and steaming vitamin C-rich foods may reduce cooking losses. The best food sources of vitamin C are uncooked or raw fruits and vegetables.

Side Effects

Serious side effects from too much vitamin C are very rare, because the body cannot store the vitamin. However, amounts greater than 2,000 mg/day are not recommended because such high doses can lead to stomach upset and diarrhea.

Too little vitamin C can lead to signs and symptoms of deficiency, including:

Anemia Bleeding gums Decreased ability to fight infection Decreased wound-healing rate Dry and splitting hair Easy bruising Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) Nosebleeds Possible weight gain because of slowed metabolism Rough, dry, scaly skin Swollen and painful joints Weakened tooth enamel

A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy, which mainly affects older, malnourished adults.

Recommendations

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamins reflects how much of each vitamin most people should get each day. The RDA for vitamins may be used as goals for each person.

How much of each vitamin you need depends on your age and gender. Other factors, such as pregnancy and illnesses, are also important.

The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins, including vitamin C, is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods.

Dietary Reference Intakes for vitamin C:

Infants

0 - 6 months: 40* milligrams/day (mg/day) 7 - 12 months: 50* mg/day

*Adequate Intake (AI)

Children

1 - 3 years: 15 mg/day 4 - 8 years: 25 mg/day 9 - 13 years: 45 mg/day

Adolescents

Girls 14 - 18 years: 65 mg/day Boys 14 - 18 years: 75 mg/day

Adults

Men age 19 and older: 90 mg/day Women age 19 year and older: 75 mg/day

Smokers or those who are around secondhand smoke at any age should increase their daily amount of vitamin C an additional 35 mg per day.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and those who smoke need higher amounts of vitamin C. Ask your doctor what amount is best for you.

Alternative Names

Ascorbic acid; Dehydroascorbic acid

References

Escott-Stump S, ed. Nutrition and Diagnosis-Related Care. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008.

Sarubin Fragaakis A, Thomson C. The Health Professional's Guide to Popular Dietary Supplements. 3rd ed. Chicago, Il: American Dietetic Association; 2007.

Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2000.

Douglas RM, Hemila H, Chalker E, Treacy B. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev; 2007(3):CD000980.

Update Date: 8/30/2011

Updated by: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, and David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by Alison Evert, MS, RD, CDE, Nutritionist, University of Washington Medical Center Diabetes Care Center, Seattle, Washington (2/15/2011).

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

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Beverage Number of Drops

Rank

Vitamin C – The Antioxidant

Lesson Overview:

Have you ever taken a bite of an apple and then left the fruit exposed to air? If so, within minutes you may have observed a “browning” of the fruit surface. The discoloration is produced by the action of atmospheric oxygen upon the exposed apple tissue.

Using a vitamin C solution, you can test the antioxidant effects of the vitamin on the surface of an apple.

Lesson Objectives:


Observe the effect of oxidants and free radicals Use vitamin C to retard the actions of oxidants and free radicals.

Materials Needed:

Vitamin C (1000 mg capsule) Water Cotton-tipped applicator Apples Cutting tool (knife) Stopwatch or Clock Cup

Activity Plan:

1. Divide class into pairs. 2. Carefully slice off a section of apple so that the inner “meat” is exposed to the

surrounding air. Begin timing.3. Determine how long it takes for the apple to show signs of browning. Record your

results4. Repeat steps two and three using different sections of the same apple and record.

a. Add the results you’ve obtained for each of the two trials. Divide this number by 2 to obtain an average time for discoloration.

5. Add about 100ml of water to a cup. 6. Carefully dump the contents of the vitamin C capsule into the water and stir with a

cotton-tipped applicator. (The applicator will be used to “paint” exposed apple tissue. 7. Expose another slice of apple to the air.

a. As soon as the apple is cut, use the applicator to paint the exposed surface with the Vitamin C solution.

8. Determine how long it takes for this apple slice to show signs of browning. Record you results.

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8. Add the results you’ve obtained for each of the two trials. Divide this number by 2 to obtain an average time for the discoloration with Vitamin C.

Sample Questions:

1. What happened to the appearance of the exposed apple surface without Vitamin C?2. What caused this change?3. From where did this oxygen come?4. Identify the substance that was “painted” onto the exposed apple surface.5. Did the vitamin C covering affect oxidation? How could you tell?

Terms and Concepts:

A well-balanced diet supplies the body with nutrients it needs to grow, but it also protects it against the destructive action of oxygen and a group of particles called free radicals. Free radicals are atoms that are highly reactive due to the presence of at least one unpaired electron. When molecules of atmospheric oxygen (O2) get struck by sunlight they can split into two oxygen radicals. Combining with cell compounds, these free radicals can injure cells and lead to a variety of disorders. Substances such as Vitamin C can reduce the damage caused by free radicals. By “sacrificing” their own electrons, they can quench the reactive needs of the free radical species.

Have you ever taken a bite of an apple and then left the fruit exposed to air? If so, within minutes you may have observed a “browning” of the fruit surface. The discoloration is produced by the action of atmospheric oxygen upon the exposed apple tissue. Sunlight decomposes the diatomic oxygen molecule into its free radial form. Reacting with the apple compounds, the free radical steals away electrons and sets in motion other reactions that produce additional free radicals. During these events, the apple surface is quickly oxidized as evidenced in the rapid change in appearance.

Who Eats Who?

Lesson Overview:

The class will work as a team creating a food cycle model, using the picture cards provided.

Lesson Objectives:


Create a food chain or web. Label organisms in a food web as producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers,

and tertiary.

Materials Needed:

Laminated Picture Cards Tape

Activity Plan:

1. Hand out one picture card and one arrow card to each student.2. Place a picture of the sun on the board or wall. 3. Explain the differences between, producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers,

predators, and prey.4. Have the students come up whose card represents a primary producer.

a. Ask them why the organism on the card is a primary producer.b. They then place their card and arrow pointing in the appropriate direction on the

food web. i. The arrows represent the flow of energy.

5. Repeat stop four with primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.

Terms and Concepts:

Trophic Levels:The trophic level of an organism is the position it holds in a food chain.

1. Primary producers (organisms that make their own food from sunlight and/or chemical energy from deep sea vents) are the base of every food chain - these organisms are called autotrophs.

2. Primary consumers are animals that eat primary producers; they are also called herbivores (plant-eaters).

3. Secondary consumers eat primary consumers. They are carnivores (meat-eaters) and omnivores (animals that eat both animals and plants).

4. Tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers.5. Quaternary consumers eat tertiary consumers.6. Food chains "end" with top predators, animals that have little or no natural enemies.

Energy: Consume and Create

Lesson Overview:

Anything that moves or does something uses energy and the human body is not any different. We need to eat, not just to grow, but to gain the energy required to jump, run, laugh, and even sleep!

When we don’t eat enough we grow tired and sluggish. Our eyes don’t work as well and our reflexes are slow. Not eating enough can affect how you perform on the basketball court or in a classroom. Because guess what?! Your brain needs energy too.

The human body is not much more different than a machine. If we were talking about a car, a small car with only four wheels and an engine just strong enough to take a family around, that car would not be able to move very fast or turn smoothly if it carried around a thousand gallons of gasoline. Too much energy left to build up in our bodies would do the same thing. It could make us slow.

In this lesson we’re going to take a close look at the sources of energy our bodies need and the foods that contain them. We’re also going to find a balance between the energy that we eat with the energy we put out.

Lesson Objectives:

Students will understand…

There are different forms and sources of energy. People get chemical energy from the food they eat. Foods contain different amount of energy. Different physical activities burn food energy at different rates. How to test nutritional labels for accuracy.

Materials Needed:

Nutritional Labels print out with Calories missing Calculators Paper Pencils/ Pen

Procedure:

Part 1

1. Discuss and explain what a calorie and joule are.a. Most likely they have heard or know a little about calories, but are not familiar

with joules. b. Joules is a unit of measurement for energy and/or heat. c. There are 4.184 joules in 1 Calorie.

2. Fats, Carbohydrates, and proteins are the sources of energy for animals. a. Use board or overhead to display the amount of energy (joules) in 1 gram of

each. 3. Using the information provided, students will have to figure out the amount of calories

in each of the provided nutritional labels. a. Guide but do not tell them how, let them try.

4. They should first figure out the number of joules for fats, carbs, and protein.5. Add the total number of joules.6. Divide the number by 4.1847. The result is the number of Calories.

Part 2

1. As a group discuss the effects of spending less energy than what is being consumed. a. What do they think would happen?b. Would it be better to eat more fat and carbohydrates if you exercise less? Why

or why not?2. Show them the list of Activities and Calories burnt in 1 hour. 3. Using the completed nutritional labels figure out how long it would take to burn up all

the energy if they were: bicycle riding, dancing, playing basketball, etc.4. Wrap up discussion. They will soon learn why some sources of energy are better than

others.

Terms and Concepts:

The name calorie is used for two units of energy.

- The small calorie or gram calorie (symbol: cal) is the approximate amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.

- The large calorie, kilogram calorie, dietary calorie, nutritionist's calorie or food calorie (symbol: Cal, equiv: kcal), which is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. The large calorie is thus equal to 1000 small calories or one kilocalorie (symbol: kcal). This is the one we are used to seeing.

Protein, fats and carbohydrates are converted into energy in different quantities. Vitamins and minerals are also essential nutrients for the body, but they are not converted into energy.

When we see the number of calories of a product on a nutritional label, we are looking at the amount of potential energy in the food or the amount of heat that it could produce.

Joules is a unit of measurement for energy and/or heat.

Energy Content

1 gram of protein 17 kJ

1 gram of fat 37 kJ

1 gram of carbohydrates 17 kJ

1 gram of dietary fiber 8 kJ

1 gram of alcohol 29 kJ

Calories per joules

1Cal = 4.184j

Exercise and Calories burned per hour

Activity, Exercise or Sport (1 hour) 130 lb 155 lb 180 lb 205 lbCycling, mountain bike, bmx 502 598 695 791Cycling, <10 mph, leisure bicycling 236 281 327 372Cycling, >20 mph, racing 944 1126 1308 1489Cycling, 10-11.9 mph, light 354 422 490 558Cycling, 12-13.9 mph, moderate 472 563 654 745Cycling, 14-15.9 mph, vigorous 590 704 817 931Cycling, 16-19 mph, very fast, racing 708 844 981 1117Unicycling 295 352 409 465Stationary cycling, very light 177 211 245 279Stationary cycling, light 325 387 449 512Stationary cycling, moderate 413 493 572 651Stationary cycling, vigorous 620 739 858 977Stationary cycling, very vigorous 738 880 1022 1163Calisthenics, vigorous, pushups, situps… 472 563 654 745Calisthenics, light 207 246 286 326Circuit training, minimal rest 472 563 654 745Weight lifting, body building, vigorous 354 422 490 558Weight lifting, light workout 177 211 245 279Health club exercise 325 387 449 512Stair machine 531 633 735 838Rowing machine, light 207 246 286 326Rowing machine, moderate 413 493 572 651Rowing machine, vigorous 502 598 695 791Rowing machine, very vigorous 708 844 981 1117Ski machine 413 493 572 651Aerobics, low impact 295 352 409 465Aerobics, high impact 413 493 572 651Aerobics, step aerobics 502 598 695 791Aerobics, general 384 457 531 605Jazzercise 354 422 490 558Stretching, hatha yoga 236 281 327 372Mild stretching 148 176 204 233Instructing aerobic class 354 422 490 558Water aerobics 236 281 327 372Ballet, twist, jazz, tap 266 317 368 419Ballroom dancing, slow 177 211 245 279Ballroom dancing, fast 325 387 449 512Running, 5 mph (12 minute mile) 472 563 654 745Running, 5.2 mph (11.5 minute mile) 531 633 735 838

Running, 6 mph (10 min mile) 590 704 817 931Running, 6.7 mph (9 min mile) 649 774 899 1024Running, 7 mph (8.5 min mile) 679 809 940 1070Running, 7.5mph (8 min mile) 738 880 1022 1163Running, 8 mph (7.5 min mile) 797 950 1103 1256Running, 8.6 mph (7 min mile) 826 985 1144 1303Running, 9 mph (6.5 min mile) 885 1056 1226 1396Running, 10 mph (6 min mile) 944 1126 1308 1489Running, 10.9 mph (5.5 min mile) 1062 1267 1471 1675Running, cross country 531 633 735 838Running, general 472 563 654 745Running, on a track, team practice 590 704 817 931Running, stairs, up 885 1056 1226 1396Track and field (shot, discus) 236 281 327 372Track and field (high jump, pole vault) 354 422 490 558Track and field (hurdles) 590 704 817 931Archery 207 246 286 326Badminton 266 317 368 419Basketball game, competitive 472 563 654 745Playing basketball, non game 354 422 490 558Basketball, officiating 413 493 572 651Basketball, shooting baskets 266 317 368 419Basketball, wheelchair 384 457 531 605Running, training, pushing wheelchair 472 563 654 745Billiards 148 176 204 233Bowling 177 211 245 279Boxing, in ring 708 844 981 1117Boxing, punching bag 354 422 490 558Boxing, sparring 531 633 735 838Coaching: football, basketball, soccer… 236 281 327 372Cricket (batting, bowling) 295 352 409 465Croquet 148 176 204 233Curling 236 281 327 372Darts (wall or lawn) 148 176 204 233Fencing 354 422 490 558Football, competitive 531 633 735 838Football, touch, flag, general 472 563 654 745Football or baseball, playing catch 148 176 204 233Frisbee playing, general 177 211 245 279Frisbee, ultimate Frisbee 472 563 654 745Golf, general 266 317 368 419Golf, walking and carrying clubs 266 317 368 419

Golf, driving range 177 211 245 279Golf, miniature golf 177 211 245 279Golf, walking and pulling clubs 254 303 351 400Golf, using power cart 207 246 286 326Gymnastics 236 281 327 372Hacky sack 236 281 327 372Handball 708 844 981 1117Handball, team 472 563 654 745Hockey, field hockey 472 563 654 745Hockey, ice hockey 472 563 654 745Riding a horse, general 236 281 327 372Horesback riding, saddling horse 207 246 286 326Horseback riding, grooming horse 207 246 286 326Horseback riding, trotting 384 457 531 605Horseback riding, walking 148 176 204 233Horse racing, galloping 472 563 654 745Horse grooming, moderate 354 422 490 558Horseshoe pitching 177 211 245 279Jai alai 708 844 981 1117Martial arts, judo, karate, jujitsu 590 704 817 931Martial arts, kick boxing 590 704 817 931Martial arts, tae kwan do 590 704 817 931Krav maga training 590 704 817 931Juggling 236 281 327 372Kickball 413 493 572 651Lacrosse 472 563 654 745Orienteering 531 633 735 838Playing paddleball 354 422 490 558Paddleball, competitive 590 704 817 931Polo 472 563 654 745Racquetball, competitive 590 704 817 931Playing racquetball 413 493 572 651Rock climbing, ascending rock 649 774 899 1024Rock climbing, rappelling 472 563 654 745Jumping rope, fast 708 844 981 1117Jumping rope, moderate 590 704 817 931Jumping rope, slow 472 563 654 745Rugby 590 704 817 931Shuffleboard, lawn bowling 177 211 245 279Skateboarding 295 352 409 465Roller skating 413 493 572 651Roller blading, in-line skating 708 844 981 1117

Sky diving 177 211 245 279Soccer, competitive 590 704 817 931Playing soccer 413 493 572 651Softball or baseball 295 352 409 465Softball, officiating 236 281 327 372Softball, pitching 354 422 490 558Squash 708 844 981 1117Table tennis, ping pong 236 281 327 372Tai chi 236 281 327 372Playing tennis 413 493 572 651Tennis, doubles 354 422 490 558Tennis, singles 472 563 654 745Trampoline 207 246 286 326Volleyball, competitive 472 563 654 745Playing volleyball 177 211 245 279Volleyball, beach 472 563 654 745Wrestling 354 422 490 558Wallyball 413 493 572 651Backpacking, Hiking with pack 413 493 572 651Carrying infant, level ground 207 246 286 326Carrying infant, upstairs 295 352 409 465Carrying 16 to 24 lbs, upstairs 354 422 490 558Carrying 25 to 49 lbs, upstairs 472 563 654 745Standing, playing with children, light 165 197 229 261Walk/run, playing with children, moderate 236 281 327 372Walk/run, playing with children, vigorous 295 352 409 465Carrying small children 177 211 245 279Loading, unloading car 177 211 245 279Climbing hills, carrying up to 9 lbs 413 493 572 651Climbing hills, carrying 10 to 20 lb 443 528 613 698Climbing hills, carrying 21 to 42 lb 472 563 654 745Climbing hills, carrying over 42 lb 531 633 735 838Walking downstairs 177 211 245 279Hiking, cross country 354 422 490 558Bird watching 148 176 204 233Marching, rapidly, military 384 457 531 605Children's games, hopscotch, dodgeball 295 352 409 465Pushing stroller or walking with children 148 176 204 233Pushing a wheelchair 236 281 327 372Race walking 384 457 531 605Rock climbing, mountain climbing 472 563 654 745Walking using crutches 295 352 409 465

Walking the dog 177 211 245 279Walking, under 2.0 mph, very slow 118 141 163 186Walking 2.0 mph, slow 148 176 204 233Walking 2.5 mph 177 211 245 279Walking 3.0 mph, moderate 195 232 270 307Walking 3.5 mph, brisk pace 224 267 311 354Walking 3.5 mph, uphill 354 422 490 558Walking 4.0 mph, very brisk 295 352 409 465Walking 4.5 mph 372 443 515 586Walking 5.0 mph 472 563 654 745Boating, power, speed boat 148 176 204 233Canoeing, camping trip 236 281 327 372Canoeing, rowing, light 177 211 245 279Canoeing, rowing, moderate 413 493 572 651Canoeing, rowing, vigorous 708 844 981 1117Crew, sculling, rowing, competition 708 844 981 1117Kayaking 295 352 409 465Paddle boat 236 281 327 372Windsurfing, sailing 177 211 245 279Sailing, competition 295 352 409 465Sailing, yachting, ocean sailing 177 211 245 279Skiing, water skiing 354 422 490 558Ski mobiling 413 493 572 651Skin diving, fast 944 1126 1308 1489Skin diving, moderate 738 880 1022 1163Skin diving, scuba diving 413 493 572 651Snorkeling 295 352 409 465Surfing, body surfing or board surfing 177 211 245 279Whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing 295 352 409 465Swimming laps, freestyle, fast 590 704 817 931Swimming laps, freestyle, slow 413 493 572 651Swimming backstroke 413 493 572 651Swimming breaststroke 590 704 817 931Swimming butterfly 649 774 899 1024Swimming leisurely, not laps 354 422 490 558Swimming sidestroke 472 563 654 745Swimming synchronized 472 563 654 745Swimming, treading water, fast, vigorous 590 704 817 931Swimming, treading water, moderate 236 281 327 372Water aerobics, water calisthenics 236 281 327 372Water polo 590 704 817 931Water volleyball 177 211 245 279

Water jogging 472 563 654 745Diving, springboard or platform 177 211 245 279Ice skating, < 9 mph 325 387 449 512Ice skating, average speed 413 493 572 651Ice skating, rapidly 531 633 735 838Speed skating, ice, competitive 885 1056 1226 1396Cross country snow skiing, slow 413 493 572 651Cross country skiing, moderate 472 563 654 745Cross country skiing, vigorous 531 633 735 838Cross country skiing, racing 826 985 1144 1303Cross country skiing, uphill 974 1161 1348 1536Snow skiing, downhill skiing, light 295 352 409 465Downhill snow skiing, moderate 354 422 490 558Downhill snow skiing, racing 472 563 654 745Sledding, tobagganing, luge 413 493 572 651Snow shoeing 472 563 654 745Snowmobiling 207 246 286 326General housework 207 246 286 326Cleaning gutters 295 352 409 465Painting 266 317 368 419Sit, playing with animals 148 176 204 233Walk / run, playing with animals 236 281 327 372Bathing dog 207 246 286 326Mowing lawn, walk, power mower 325 387 449 512Mowing lawn, riding mower 148 176 204 233Walking, snow blower 207 246 286 326Riding, snow blower 177 211 245 279Shoveling snow by hand 354 422 490 558Raking lawn 254 303 351 400Gardening, general 236 281 327 372Bagging grass, leaves 236 281 327 372Watering lawn or garden 89 106 123 140Weeding, cultivating garden 266 317 368 419Carpentry, general 207 246 286 326Carrying heavy loads 472 563 654 745Carrying moderate loads upstairs 472 563 654 745General cleaning 207 246 286 326Cleaning, dusting 148 176 204 233Taking out trash 177 211 245 279Walking, pushing a wheelchair 236 281 327 372Teach physical education,exercise class 236 281 327 372Teach exercise classes (& participate) 384 457 531 605

Calculations are based on research data from Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Burning Chips

Lesson Overview:

We’ve heard about calories. We know about carbohydrates. But we still haven’t learned how we test for calories in an object.

This experiment will crudely demonstrate the steps behind calorimetry.

Lesson Objectives:


Calculate the calories in a potato chip. Integrate mathematics and science.

Materials Needed:

Large test tube Test tube holder Stand Potato Chip Graduated cylinder Matches Candle Thermometer Water

Procedure:

Part 1

1. Secure the tube in a fixed test tube holder.2. Obtain the weight of the chip.

a. Record Value.

3. Place chip on ceramic plate. 4. Measure the temperature of the test tube water in degrees Celcius.

a. Record this value as the initial temperature.5. Light the potato chip on fire.6. Once the chip is burning, position it directly beneath the water filled test tube.

a. (If and when re-igniting the potato chip, slide it away from the test tube in order to prevent the candle’s heat from warming the water.

7. When the chip has stopped burning, retake the temperature of the water. a. Record this value.

8. Pour out the test tube water into graduated cylinder.a. Record this volume.

9. Place the burnt chip on the scale and determine its end mass.

Part 2

1. Use the following equation to determine the heat gained by the water:a. Calories = (volume of water)(change in temperature of water)

i. (This is not a controlled experiment. The calculations are simplified and we are assuming minimal heat has been lost to the surroundings.)

2. To calculate the calories per gram of the potato chip:a. Calories per gram = (heat gained by water)/(mass lost when bear burned)

3. To calculate the number of nutritional Calories per gram:a. Divide the heat calories from 2 by 1000.

Questions:

What was the volume of water that was heated by the burning potato chip?o What was the initial temperature of the water?o What was the final temperature of the water?o How many ◦C did it rise?

What was the initial mass of the potato chip? o What was the final mass of the potato chip?o What was the mass of the potato chip that was burned?

Terms and Concepts:

Calorimetry, derived from the Latin calor meaning heat, and the Greek metry meaning to measure, is the science of measuring the amount of heat. All calorimetric techniques are therefore based on the measurement of heat that may be generated (exothermic process), consumed (endothermic process) or simply dissipated by a sample. There are numerous methods to measure such heat, and since calorimetry's advent in the late 18th century, a large number of techniques have been developed. Initially techniques were based on simple thermometric (temperature measurement) methods, but more recently, advances in electronics and control have added a new dimension to calorimetry, enabling users to collect data and maintain samples under conditions that were previously not possible.

Any process that results in heat being generated and exchanged with the environment is a candidate for a calorimetric study. Hence it is not surprising to discover that calorimetry has a very broad range of applicability, with examples ranging from drug design in the pharmaceutical industry, to quality control of process streams in the chemical industry, and the study of metabolic rates in biological (people included) systems. Indeed if the full range of applications were to be mentioned, the allocated disk space on this site would soon be used up.

Would You Like Some Drink with Your Sugar?

Lesson Overview:

It’s hard to see sugar when dissolved into a delicious liquid. We can taste the sweetness, but how much sugar really is in that drink? Well, let’s take a look at the nutritional labels and measure out exactly how much sugar it says it contains.

Lesson Objectives:


Visualize the amount of sugar in drinks. Make conscious decisions about the amount of sugar they consume.

Materials Needed:

Teaspoons Soda cans/ bottles Granulated sugar Paper plate/bowl

Activity Plan:

1. Give each group one bottle or can of (drink).2. Have them inspect the nutritional label and look for the amount of Sugar.3. Use the teaspoon to measure out the amount of sugar in each drink.

a. Each teaspoon can hold approximately 4 grams of granulated sugar.

Was it what your students expected?

Nutrition and Information

Lesson Overview:

How does the media treat nutrition? What do the foods you eat say about you? Do you eat things because of endorsements?

These are questions we want our students to ask. This lesson is meant for your students to question the information provided to them by advertisements and commercials.

Lesson Objectives:


Investigate and analyze the effects of advertisements and the media on diets Test products for claim accuracies.

Materials Needed:

Food-product advertisements clipped from magazines/ newspapers. (At least one for every student)

Nutrition Labels Computer if accessible Paper Pencil /pen

Procedure:

1. Pass around ad clippings (1 per student)2. Have them write down 5-10 things they are learning about the product from the ad. 3. Group discussion about their observations.

a. What do they find interesting?b. What do they find effective? Why or why not?

4. Have the students (voluntarily) bring in ad clippings they find interesting into next session for some more discussion.


From Harvard School of Public Health (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/media-full-story/)

Even at its best, science is a painstaking, deliberate process, which doesn’t fit very well into the cut-and-dry, newer-is-always better world of the mass media. And it’s the media reports on health that are responsible for much of the frustration the public feels toward the public health community. With their emphasis on short, “newsworthy” pieces, the media often only report the results of single studies, and many stories are chosen simply because the results run contrary to current health recommendations. Because such reports provide little information about how the new results fit in with other evidence on the topic, the public is left to assume that, once again, the scientists screwed up and are now backtracking.

Fortunately, in many cases it only takes a few incisive questions to get at the heart of a research-related news story and see how important the results are for you personally. One of the most crucial things to keep in mind is the issue we’ve already discussed above: How does a given study fit into the entire body of evidence on a topic? Whenever reading or watching a news story on health, keep these questions in mind:

Are they simply reporting the results of a single study? If so, where does it fit in with other studies on the topic?Only very rarely would a single study be influential enough for people to change their behaviors based on the results.

How large is the study?Large studies often provide more reliable results than small studies.

Was the study done in animals or humans?Mice, rats, and monkeys are not people. To best understand how food (or some other factor) affects human health, it must almost always be studied in humans.

Did the study look at real disease endpoints, like heart disease or osteoporosis?Chronic diseases, like heart disease and osteoporosis, often take many decades to develop. To get around waiting that long, researchers will sometimes look at markers for these diseases, like narrowing of the arteries or bone density. These markers, though, don’t always develop into the disease.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/media-full-story/

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/media-full-story/

How was diet assessed?Some methods of dietary assessment are better than others. Good studies will have evidence that the methods have validity.

With these tips and a better understanding of the world of health research, you can look at health information with a more discerning eye. While this won’t be a guarantee against frustration, it should help you embrace health recommendations—and the healthy lifestyle they promote—with more confidence.

HDL Good / LDL Bad

Lesson Overview:

Many products are strongly advertised as being “Fat Free.” But not all fats or lipids should be thought of as being the same. In fact, our body needs certain types of fat.

With this activity students will learn the difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol and how to make conscious decisions when picking out a meal.

Lesson Objectives:


Understand the difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol Know what foods contain each type of cholesterol

Materials Needed:

Plastic syringes Flexible tubing Cornstarch Food Coloring (two different) Cups

Activity Plan:

1. Create viscous solution 1 part cornstarch 5 parts water.2. Add food coloring to it. This is your LDL cholesterol.3. Add food coloring to cup of just water. This is your HDL cholesterol.4. Attach clean, flexible tubing to syringe. Place other end of tubing into cub with your

“HDL” cholesterol.5. Have a volunteer try to pull the liquid into the syringe.6. Follow steps 4 and 5 with your “LDL.”7. Compare the two.

a. Which one was easier to pull through?b. Did any clunk up in the tubing?c. Which one left behind the most residue?

Terms and Concepts:

LDL (Bad) Cholesterol

When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result.

HDL (Good) Cholesterol

About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as "good" cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women) also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup.

Triglycerides

Triglyceride is a form of fat made in the body. Elevated triglycerides can be due to overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and a diet very high in carbohydrates (60 percent of total calories or more). People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including a high LDL (bad) level and a low HDL (good) level. Many people with heart disease and/or diabetes also have high triglyceride levels.

Lp(a) Cholesterol

Lp(a) is a genetic variation of LDL (bad) cholesterol. A high level of Lp(a) is a significant risk factor for the premature development of fatty deposits in arteries. Lp(a) isn't fully understood, but it may interact with substances found in artery walls and contribute to the buildup of fatty deposits.

Greasy Chips

Lesson Overview:

You just had a handful of potato chips. Without thinking you wiped your hand on your shirt. You look down and see a stain. “Oooh, these chips are so greasy.” You reach into the bag and stuff some more chips into your mouth before wiping your hand on your shirt yet again.

Some chips are greasier than others and what doesn’t end up on your shirt, ends up in your body.

In this activity, students will test different potato chips for grease or fat content.

Lesson Objectives:


Observe the difference between amounts of fats in potato chips. Make healthy eating decisions

Materials Needed:

Graph Paper Different paper chips Wax paper Scale Rolling pin

Activity Plan:

1. Lay down a piece of graph paper on the table2. Open the first bag of potato chips.

a. Weigh out 10 grams of chips.3. Take the potato chips and mound them in the middle of the graph paper.

a. Place a piece of clean wax paper on top of the chips. The wax paper should be about the same size as the graph paper.

4. Carefully press down on the wax paper and crush the potato chips. Try to keep all of the potato chips and pieces in the center of the paper. a. Use the rolling pin to crush the chips into small pieces.

5. Let the potato chips sit on the paper for 1 minute. a. After 1 minute has passed, put the wax paper and the potato chips into the

trash. Try to remove all of the extra bits from the graph paper, too.

i. Do you notice a grease stain on the graph paper? ii. Tape the paper to a well-lit window so that you can see the stain clearly.

6. Repeat steps 1-5 two more times so that you have a total of three trials for this bag of potato chips. a. Use the same weight of potato chips for each trial. Also, use new graph paper

and fresh wax paper on the scale and on top of the potato chips. b. Let the stains hang on the window for 10 more minutes. c. Record your observations about the size of the grease stains in your lab

notebook in a data table. d. Count how many squares are covered in grease. You should also count squares

that are only partially stained. Remember to record all of your data in your lab notebook.

7. Repeat steps 1-6 for the other varieties of potato chips and potato crisps.a. Be sure that you use the same weight of potato chips for all of the varieties.b. Also, use new graph paper and fresh wax paper on the scale and on top of the

potato chips or potato crisps. 8. Compare the grease stains with the amount of fat on the nutritional labels of each

type of chip.

Variety of Potato Chip Fat per Serving Observations/ Number of Squares Covered

Trial 1:

Trial 2:

Trial 3:

Trial 1:

Trial 2:

Trial 3:

Trial 1:

Trial 2:

Trial 3:

Liver Burst

Lesson Overview:

Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the human body, making up about 16 percent of our total body weight. Muscle, hair, skin, and connective tissue are mainly made up of protein.

However, protein plays a major role in all of the cells and most of the fluids in our bodies. In addition, many of our bodies' important chemicals -- enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and even our DNA -- are at least partially made up of protein.

In this experiment, we will extract the enzyme catalase from fresh (or frozen) liver, use it to break down hydrogen peroxide, and test the activity of catalase under different conditions.

Lesson Objectives:

Students will understand that…

Proteins play major role in body functions. The liver is a source of enzymes. Catalase is an enzyme that breaks down hydrogen peroxide.

Materials Needed:

Uncooked liver, fresh or frozen (1/4 lb) Knife Cutting Board Blender Water Refrigerator (Freezer) Medicine Dropper (pipette) Large plate Hydrogen Peroxide Measuring Teaspoon Bowls Salt Vinegar Baking Soda (Optional)

Procedure:

1. First you will need to blend the liver. You will be testing the enzyme activity of the blended liver in the following steps.

a. On the cutting board, carefully cut ¼ lb of liver into little pieces, about 1-2 centimeters in size.

b. Place the cubes of liver into blender and add an equal volume of water.c. Carefully blend on high speed, pulsing when necessary until the liver is smooth

and no chunks are present. Keep the blended liver in the refrigerator.2. Test the activity of the blended liver.

a. Put one drop of it on the large plateb. Add one drop of hydrogen peroxide to the blended liver. (See any bubbles?)

3. Record data in provided table. a. The blended liver you just tested is your “untreated” sample and it will be your

positive control.b. Use a scale of 0-5, with 5 representing the “most bubbling” and 0 representing

“no bubbling.”c. Write down any observations in your lab notebook.

4. Now you will take different samples of your blended liver and test how different conditions affect the liver enzyme's activity.

a. To test the effect of heat, place one teaspoon of the blended liver in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat covered on high for 20 seconds. What did the heated liver look like? Remove a drop-size amount of the heated liver and put it on a clean part of the large plate. Add one drop of hydrogen peroxide to it. How much did it bubble? Record your results in your data table.

b. To test the effect of freezing, put one teaspoon of the blended liver in a bowl in the freezer for about one hour. When the sample is completely frozen, remove it from the freezer and thaw the sample before testing it for enzyme activity. On the large plate, test a drop of the treated liver with hydrogen peroxide. How much did it bubble? Record your results in your data table.

c. To test the effect of acid, put one teaspoon of the blended liver in a bowl and add one teaspoon of vinegar. Mix well. What does the mixture look like? On the large plate, test a drop of the treated liver with hydrogen peroxide and record your results in your data table.

d. To test the effect of a base, put one teaspoon of the blended liver in a bowl and add one teaspoon of baking soda. Mix well. What does the mixture look like? On

the large plate, test a drop of the treated liver with hydrogen peroxide and record your results in your data table.

e. To test the effect of high salt conditions, put one teaspoon of the blended liver in a bowl and add one teaspoon of table salt. Mix well. What does the mixture look like? On the large plate, test a drop of the treated liver with hydrogen peroxide and record your results in your data table.

5. Knowing that the amount of bubbles made reflects how active the catalase enzyme is, which condition, or conditions, does it look like the enzyme works best under? Which condition, or conditions, makes it work the worst? Why do you think this is?

6. Try experimenting with any other condition you can imagine! Remember to record all of your results in your data table! When you are all done with your project, make sure that any surface that the raw liver touched has been completely disinfected.

Sample Questions:

Why are enzymes important for making chemical reactions happen? Keeping in mind the normal temperature of the human body, how hot do you think an enzyme

needs to be for it to become damaged and not function? Why are bubbles made when catalase reacts with hydrogen peroxide? What are the bubbles

made out of? Aside from break down harmful substances, what else does the liver do?

Terms and Concepts:

Chemical reaction Enzyme Protein Liver Catalase Hydrogen peroxide Acid Base


A chemical reaction is when chemicals come together and their molecules interact to form new chemicals. Sometimes chemical reactions happen by themselves. These reactions are usually very fast and spontaneous, and give off energy. Other chemical reactions need energy to happen, and without energy proceed very slowly or not at all.

These types of chemical reactions can be helped to occur more quickly by using enzymes. Enzymes are made out of protein and they speed up the rate of a chemical reaction by acting as a catalyst. A catalyst provides the necessary environment for the chemical reaction to occur, which speeds up the reaction. Certain catalysts work for certain kinds of reactions. In other words, each enzyme has a particular type of reaction that it can activate.

Enzymes are proteins, which are molecules that are very large and dynamic. They can be very fussy, and sometimes need to be in certain environments or conditions to work, and the ideal conditions are usually reflective of where the enzyme must normally function in the body. In other words, different tissues are home to different enzymes, and an enzyme should be able to function in the conditions that surround it in the tissue it's supposed to function in. Some enzymes can be damaged under certain conditions, such as heat. A damaged enzyme will no longer work to catalyze a chemical reaction.

One source of enzymes is the liver, which needs to break down many substances in the body. Catalase is one enzyme from liver that breaks down harmful hydrogen peroxide into oxygen gas and water. When this chemical reaction occurs, you can see the oxygen gas bubbles escaping and causing the reaction to foam.

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