11-14 year olds

Starter activity

Ask students to sketch a 24-hour time line, similar to the one below. They can mark on when they eat, and draw a graph line to show how they feel their energy levels vary during the day.

Main activity

Work through IP ‘Energy from food’. Ask students to list all the high energy foods they can think of. Ask questions around the topic, e.g. which foods would be suitable for a packed lunch? Which might a tennis player eat during breaks in a match? Then work through IP ‘Energy in, energy out’.

Once you are happy that the key concepts from the two IPs are understood, students could work on either AS ‘Make a meal of it’ and/or AS ‘Design a better breakfast’, depending on the time available. For the latter, you should begin by watching the three videos and then handing out copies of the AS.

Plenary

Discuss students' work and ideas in relation to the AS tackled above.

Homework and extension ideas

AS 'Design a better breakfast' could be used for homework (although it would be best to show the videos in school as a way of introducing the activity). Students could then try out their designed breakfast with friends or family, get feedback about its strengths and weaknesses, and adapt the breakfast accordingly.

Students could collect food package labels (about 20) and look for the energy content markings (in J or kJ). Then ask them to create a list of foods in order of their energy per 100g (high to low).

Important notes

You will need to be sensitive to social issues which might affect individuals in the class and their willingness to discuss family eating habits.

Resources
	Energy ups and downs
	Follow our interactive energy meter for a typical day
	Energy from food
	Why does the body need energy, and what happens to energy levels through the day?
	Energy in, energy out
	How do you balance the energy you take in and the energy you need, and where do calories come in?
	Make a meal of it (pdf version)
	Different foods have different moods – try planning a menu here (Word version)
	Design a better breakfast (pdf version)
	Create a healthy and energy-boosting start to the day! (Word version)
	My best breakfast video
	Description of the resource goes here
	Tasty toppings video
	Description of the resource goes here
	Super cereals video
	Description of the resource goes here