NUTRITION EDUCATION AND THE TECHNOLOGY LEARNING AREA pg15

NUTRITION EDUCATION
AND THE TECHNOLOGY LEARNING AREA

PART C

A FOCUS ON THE TECHNOLOGY LEARNING AREA

Bring about change in the community such that they contribute towards DEVELOPING A SOCIETY WHEREBY HEALTHY CHOICES ARE EASY CHOICES

Working through the technology learning area to enable students to bring about change in the community such that they contribute towards developing a society whereby healthy choices are easy choices warrants design, make and appraise activities related to all three contextual strands: systems, materials and information.

Systems

The system of key importance is again a management system to bring about change. Learning experiences would enable students to design, make and appraise change systems for a healthy community with respect to food choices.

Information

Designing, making and appraising with information is another critical component of developing a situation where "healthy choices are easy choices". Students are able to design, make and appraise through a range of media in order to advocate for healthy food choices.

Materials

The material of key importance is food, important from two perspectives. Learning experiences would enable students to design, make and appraise food products: (i) for the community that are health promoting in terms of their nutritional value as well as being appropriate in terms of cultural, social and economic factors; and (ii) to illustrate those which could be used in advertising, media shows etc.

UNIT 4 SOAPIE FOOD HABITS - UGH!

Target audience: Lower secondary

Technology strands: Designing, making and appraising; Systems; Information; Materials

Design situation: Change systems to promote healthy food choices

Technology process
Sample learning experiences
Learning process for nutrition education

Developing a context for the design brief

1. Setting the scene

As students arrive, a video is playing a popular teenage soapie
Class discussion on who watches which soapie, noting the % students who watch the three most popular ones
In groups of three, students recall jingles from food products advertised on TV and present two to the class
Teacher reads three statements related to the media and food eg. TV soapies encourage good food habits in teenagers; TV ads encourage good food habits in teenagers; and Magazines aimed at teenage girls encourage good food habits. For each statement, students to stand on a continuum line as to whether they agree or disagree. Students asked to comment on why they took that position.
Teacher explanation that the class will explore the relationship between media and teenage food habits.
Teacher explanation of the process they will be using (empowerment process), and putting the steps on a large chart for reference during the unit
Students select their own small groups to work in, and in groups identify either one of the teacher's hypotheses or develop their own to work on.

Motivation

Investigating

2. What is the message?

Students collaboratively in small groups collect information eg. record all the foods that are served in a particular soapie over a period of one week; record all the food advertisements in teenage viewing time for a period of one week; record the food-related message in a magazine over a period of the last 6 months.

Gathering information

3. Evaluating the message

Teacher modelling (revision?) of process for analysing and evaluating dietary information, giving examples of anticipated outcomes.
In their groups, students analyse the foods promoted according to the Healthy Diet Pyramid (or Target on Healthy eating etc.), or the food messages in magazines.
Students make judgments about the analyses which they have conducted. In what ways does the analysis show that the food habits promoted on television, or in magazines (or whatever their topic is) are good, bad or in between? They should be able to say:
- what is good about the food choices

- what is not good about the food choices

- what will be the results if these food choices continue to be promoted.

- In their evaluations, students should be able to come up with statements like: If the TV program continues to promote these types of food, then young people watching the show will be encouraged to .... and this will lead to ...

Analysing and evaluating information

Devising

4. Devising a campaign (system) to promote healthy eating

As a result of their evaluations, students explore options and devise a campaign - for example, drawing up a petition and sending it to the TV station, food company or magazine etc.
If the evaluations reveal that health promoting behaviours are promoted, the students could set goals to, for example, still draw up a petition and write to the company, but this time congratulating them on positive actions. Alternatively, students could return to step 2, and collect information about a different program, magazine etc.

Setting goals

5.

Students work out what will help and what will hinder them in relation to their goals eg. do not know how to communicate with the media, conduct a survey etc.

Identifying barriers and enablers

6. Who does what?

In their groups, students work out a plan - how and when they will do their petition, who will write to the company or whatever. At the start of each lesson, students review the plan and where they are up to.
As part of the plan, students return to the barriers and address how they will overcome the barriers (eg. how will they learn to write a formal letter, conduct a survey etc., do they need school permission to do this etc.)
Students may wish to devise and prepare foods that should be promoted and include photographs and notes on these to the TV company, magazine etc.

Planning

Producing

7. Implementing the campaign

Students carry out their plans

Acting

Evaluating

8. What did we learn?

In their groups, students discuss in what ways their project was successful, and in what ways it was not, and the causes for this.
Each group reports back to the class on their findings

Reflecting

Further design brief formulation for designing, making and appraising with information.

9. Advocacy

Students develop and implement a plan to disseminate their findings - either as a class group or as a small group (eg. article in the school or local newspaper, presentation to the school assembly, interview on the TV etc.)

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Technology process	Sample learning experiences	Learning process for nutrition education
Developing a context for the design brief	1. Setting the scene As students arrive, a video is playing a popular teenage soapie Class discussion on who watches which soapie, noting the % students who watch the three most popular ones In groups of three, students recall jingles from food products advertised on TV and present two to the class Teacher reads three statements related to the media and food eg. TV soapies encourage good food habits in teenagers; TV ads encourage good food habits in teenagers; and Magazines aimed at teenage girls encourage good food habits. For each statement, students to stand on a continuum line as to whether they agree or disagree. Students asked to comment on why they took that position. Teacher explanation that the class will explore the relationship between media and teenage food habits. Teacher explanation of the process they will be using (empowerment process), and putting the steps on a large chart for reference during the unit Students select their own small groups to work in, and in groups identify either one of the teacher's hypotheses or develop their own to work on.	Motivation
Investigating	2. What is the message? Students collaboratively in small groups collect information eg. record all the foods that are served in a particular soapie over a period of one week; record all the food advertisements in teenage viewing time for a period of one week; record the food-related message in a magazine over a period of the last 6 months.	Gathering information
	3. Evaluating the message Teacher modelling (revision?) of process for analysing and evaluating dietary information, giving examples of anticipated outcomes. In their groups, students analyse the foods promoted according to the Healthy Diet Pyramid (or Target on Healthy eating etc.), or the food messages in magazines. Students make judgments about the analyses which they have conducted. In what ways does the analysis show that the food habits promoted on television, or in magazines (or whatever their topic is) are good, bad or in between? They should be able to say: - what is good about the food choices - what is not good about the food choices - what will be the results if these food choices continue to be promoted. - In their evaluations, students should be able to come up with statements like: If the TV program continues to promote these types of food, then young people watching the show will be encouraged to .... and this will lead to ...	Analysing and evaluating information
Devising	4. Devising a campaign (system) to promote healthy eating As a result of their evaluations, students explore options and devise a campaign - for example, drawing up a petition and sending it to the TV station, food company or magazine etc. If the evaluations reveal that health promoting behaviours are promoted, the students could set goals to, for example, still draw up a petition and write to the company, but this time congratulating them on positive actions. Alternatively, students could return to step 2, and collect information about a different program, magazine etc.	Setting goals
	5. Students work out what will help and what will hinder them in relation to their goals eg. do not know how to communicate with the media, conduct a survey etc.	Identifying barriers and enablers
	6. Who does what? In their groups, students work out a plan - how and when they will do their petition, who will write to the company or whatever. At the start of each lesson, students review the plan and where they are up to. As part of the plan, students return to the barriers and address how they will overcome the barriers (eg. how will they learn to write a formal letter, conduct a survey etc., do they need school permission to do this etc.) Students may wish to devise and prepare foods that should be promoted and include photographs and notes on these to the TV company, magazine etc.	Planning
Producing	7. Implementing the campaign Students carry out their plans	Acting
Evaluating	8. What did we learn? In their groups, students discuss in what ways their project was successful, and in what ways it was not, and the causes for this. Each group reports back to the class on their findings	Reflecting
Further design brief formulation for designing, making and appraising with information.	9. Advocacy Students develop and implement a plan to disseminate their findings - either as a class group or as a small group (eg. article in the school or local newspaper, presentation to the school assembly, interview on the TV etc.)