Nutrition+Scooter+Relay


 * **Name of Activity:** **Nutrition Scooter Relay** ||

**Purpose of Activity:** The students will be able to demonstrate safe scooter travel and will be able to correctly identify foods from the six food pyramid groups. **Suggested Grade Level:** K-2 **Materials Needed:** 1. four wheeled scooters (enough for half your class) 2. pictures of foods from the six food groups (around 100-150 pictures)

**__Description of Idea__** I like to use this relay as a culminating activity for learning about the six food groups. Divide the students into pairs and have them spread out along one side of the gym with one scooter per pair. Spread out pictures of food from the six food groups along the opposite side of the gym. I like to use food group pictures that I ordered from a Dairy Council catalog that allots free monies to teachers every year, but any assortment of pictures will work. It is also nice to tack up a picture of the food pyramid on the same side of the gym that you spread out the pictures for struggling students to use as a resource. Once the gym is set up, give the signal to begin. One student from each group must travel on the scooter down to the opposite end of the gym while the other student runs/skips/gallops/etc. beside his/her partner on the scooter. The partner on the scooter must travel on his/her bottom or knees. Once they have made it to the opposite side each group must pick six different foods pictures of food that fit into the six food group categories before returning. Partners can check with each other and the food pyramid poster to make sure they have all six before returning. They must go back the same way they came, with the same partner on the scooter and the same partner moving alongside the scooter. Once the first group has returned, begin counting down from 30 seconds, signaling to the other groups that they need to get back to the other side of the gym before time runs out with whatever pictures they have. Once everyone is back, they can take 30 seconds to show their items to another group to double check their choices. Once the 30 seconds are up, collect all the food from the students, have them switch places and go again! While they race down, replace the food you have collected so that they can use those pictures again for the following round. The kids LOVE this game, and it gives the students multiple opportunities to check their knowledge with other students while giving me many opportunities to walk around and assess student learning levels.

**Assessment Ideas:** I have assessed student learning and comprehension levels in different ways for this game. Sometimes I use a check-sheet to mark who can correctly identify and place foods within the correct food groups, and sometimes (with the second graders) I use self assessment charts where students can mark their own levels of understanding. Since this activity takes place at the end of my nutrition unit I usually already have a pretty good idea of who can and can't identify foods and correctly place them within the six food groups, so this just gives me one more opportunity to check for understanding.

**Teaching Suggestions:** Be sure partners take turns on the scooters. This lesson idea can also be used as a lead up activity with grades 3-5 to assess what students already know about the food pyramid before a unit on the food pyramid is given.