During this CELL, students will perform several Investigations focused on providing the human body with the necessary balance of nutrients for optimum health. By conducting experiments and investigating different nutrients, students will begin to draw conclusions concerning the relationship between consuming foods that contain the proper balance of nutrients and a healthy body.

Through Investigations centered on the digestive system and the nutrients found in food, students will come to a better understanding of mechanical and chemical digestion and the distribution of nutrients produced by both forms of digestion to the millions of cells in the tissues that make up the human body.

Students will conduct Investigations designed for the discovery that foods can vary greatly in the amount and types of nutrients they contain and in what is considered a serving size. Experiments will center around three of the six nutrients required by the body: carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, and will provide opportunities for students to measure the amount of each of these nutrients in a variety of foods or beverages. One of the essential concepts that students will explore during their Investigation of nutrients is the use of the Percent Daily Value information on nutrition labels as a way to make healthy food choices. Students will also perform several activities throughout the CELL to increase their knowledge of nutrients and the functions they perform in the human body.

Through each Investigation, this CELL will enable students to incorporate ways to build continuity between their experimental findings and daily applications.

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Investigation 1: The Digestive Process

Investigation One introduces students to the components that make up the digestive system in the human body and the process of digestion. Students will use several resource materials to increase their familiarity with the digestive system and begin to understand how nutrients are distributed to where they are needed, the body’s tissues. Students will also use models and conduct experiments to explore mechanical and chemical digestion and the similarities and differences between them.

Investigation 1: Teacher’s Video (7:54)

 Investigation 1: Student’s Video (10:45)

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Investigation 2: Understanding Nutrition Labels     

In Investigation Two, students are introduced to nutrition labels and the six classes of nutrients found in food: water, carbohydrates, lipids, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Students will also be introduced to the Recommended Daily Value, the amount of each nutrient required each day for optimum health. During the investigation, students will analyze several nutrition labels to investigate which nutrients are found in foods and in various food groups and categories. In addition, they will use the Percent Daily Value and serving size information on nutrition labels to determine how much of each nutrient a food contains in comparison to the Recommended Daily Value for that nutrient.

Investigation 2: Teacher’s Video (7:03)

Investigation 2: Student’s Video (10:12)

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Investigation 3: Exploring Carbohydrates   

During Investigation Three, students will begin a more in-depth exploration of nutrients. They will be introduced to carbohydrates, one of the six classes of nutrients. Students will learn about sugars, starch, and dietary fiber, all different types of carbohydrates. Through the use of nutrition labels, students will examine the carbohydrate content of several food items and will measure the amount of total carbohydrates and sugars in various food items from different food groups.

Investigation 3: Teacher’s Video (9:00)

Investigation 3: Student’s Video (16:35)

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Investigation 4: Exploring Fats

Investigation Four continues students’ exploration of nutrients by focusing on one of the other classes of nutrients, lipids. Through a role-play, students will learn that fats are a type of lipid and that information about the amount of fats in foods can be found on nutrition labels. As students begin their Investigation, they will learn the importance of balancing the amount of fat they consume daily using the Percent Daily Value information found on nutrition labels. Students will measure the amount of total fat in foods from different food groups and categories using the triple beam balance. Following experiments in the lab, students will use the data they collected to draw conclusions about whether there are food groups that contain more fat than others.

Investigation 4: Teacher’s Video (7:32)

 Investigation 4: Student’s Video (13:26)

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Investigation 5: Exploring Proteins

In Investigation Five, students will examine another class of nutrients, proteins. Students will discover the many functions that proteins perform in the human body. Using nutrition labels, students will measure the amount of protein found in several food items and compare the protein content of the different food groups. In doing so, they will discover that proteins are found in many of the food groups.

Investigation 5: Teacher’s Video (5:57)

 Investigation 5: Student’s Video (10:12)

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