Steve's 5th Grade Class

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Food Pyramid Think Quest

Hello Researchers:

Today you will go on a Think Quest to read information and

answer questions about the Food Pyramid.

Look at the picture above, read the article below and then answer the following questions:

A food guide pyramid is a triangular or pyramid-shaped nutrition guide divided into sections to
show the recommended intake for each food group. The first food pyramid was published in Sweden in 1974.
The most widely known food pyramid was introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1992,
was updated in 2005, and then replaced in 2011. Over 25 other countries and organizations have also
published food pyramids.

Origin

Amid high food prices in 1972, Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare developed the idea of
"basic foods" that were both cheap and nutritious, and "supplemental foods" that added nutrition missing
from the basic foods. Anna Britt Agnsäter, head of the test kitchen at KF, a consumer co-op that worked
with the Board, held a lecture the next year on how to illustrate these food groups. Attendee Fjalar Clemes
suggested a triangle displaying basic foods at the base. Agnsäter developed the idea into the first food
pyramid, which was introduced to the public in 1974 in KF's Vi magazine. The pyramid was divided into
basic foods at the base, including milk, cheese, margarine, bread, cereals and potatoes; a large section
of supplemental vegetables and fruit; and an apex of supplemental meat, fish and eggs.

History

The USDA food pyramid was created in 1992 and divided into six horizontal sections containing depictions
of foods from each section's food group. It was updated in 2005 with colorful vertical wedges replacing
the horizontal sections and renamed My Pyramid. My Pyramid was often displayed with the food images
absent, creating a more abstract design.

Food groups

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a source of energy that can be transformed into glucose, the form of sugar that is
transported and used by the body, more quickly than proteins or fats. A diet too high in carbohydrates
can upset the delicate balance of a body's blood sugar level, resulting in fluctuations in energy and mood
that leave one feeling irritated and tired.

Vegetables

A vegetable is a part of a plant consumed by humans that is generally savory but is not sweet. A vegetable
is not considered a grain, fruit, nut, spice, or herb. For example, the stem, root, flower, etc., may be eaten
as vegetables. Vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals; however, different vegetables contain
different spreads, so it is important to eat a wide variety of types. For example, green vegetables typically
contain vitamin A, dark orange and dark green vegetables contain vitamin C,and vegetables like broccoli
and related plants contain iron and calcium. Vegetables are very low in fats and calories, but cooking can
often add these.

Fruits

In terms of food (rather than botany), fruits are the sweet-tasting seed-bearing parts of plants, or occasionally
sweet parts of plants which do not bear seeds. These include apples, oranges, plums, bananas, etc.
Fruits are low in calories and fat and are a source of natural sugars, fiber and vitamins. Processing fruits
when canning or making into juices may add sugars and remove nutrients. The fruit food group is sometimes
combined with the vegetable food group. Note that many foods considered fruits in botany because they
bear seeds are not considered fruits in cuisine because they lack the characteristic sweet taste,
e.g., tomatos or avocados.

Oils

The food pyramid advises that fats be consumed sparingly. Butter and oils are examples of fats.
Healthy sources of fat can be found in fish, nuts, and certain fruits and vegetables, such as avocados.

Dairy

Dairy products are produced from the milk of mammals, most usually but not exclusively cattle. They
include milk, yogurt and cheese. Milk and its derivative products are a rich source of dietary calcium,
but also provide protein, phosphorus, vitamin A, and vitamin D. However, many dairy products are
high in saturated fat and cholesterol compared to vegetables, fruits and whole grains, which is why
skimmed products are available as an alternative. For adults, three cups of dairy products are
recommended per day.

Meat and beans

Meat is the tissue – usually muscle – of an animal consumed by humans. Since most parts of many
animals are edible, there is a vast variety of meats. Meat is a major source of protein, as well as iron,
zinc, and vitamin B12. Meats, poultry, and fish include beef, chicken, pork, salmon, tuna, shrimp, and eggs.

The meat group is one of the major compacted food groups in the food guide pyramid. Many of the same
nutrients found in meat can also be found in foods like eggs, dry beans, and nuts, such foods are typically
placed in the same category as meats, as meat alternatives. These include tofu, products that resemble
meat or fish but are made with soy, eggs, and cheeses. For those who do not consume meat or animal
products, meat analogs, tofu, beans, lentils, chick peas, nuts and other high-protein vegetables are also
included in this group. The food guide pyramid suggests that adults eat 2–3 servings per day.
One serving of meat is 4 oz (110 g), about the size of a deck of cards.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_guide_pyramid

1) Look at the picture of the Food Pyramid. Give one example of something that you eat from each group.

2) What is the Food Pyramid supposed to show you? In what country was the Food Pyramid originally developed?

3) Why do you think the Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group is at the bottom? Why is the Fats, Oils and Sweets Group
at the top?

4) The article lists the six different food groups. Pasta, bread, cereal and rice are examples from which group?

5) In which food group do we find fats. List two examples of fats found in the article. Give one example of a healthy
source of fat.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

The Slave Trade in the American Colonies

Hello Students:

We have begun a social studies unit on The United States. We have looked at events leading up to the Revolutionary War, a war fought for the independence of the colonists. Today, we will look at a group of people who did not come to this country voluntarily and who had to fight many other battles on the road to their independence. We will make an inquiry into the Slave Trade in the American Colonies and later the United States.

Click here to read a short article about slavery. When you have finished, answer the following questions in your social studies notebook:

1) European colonists were not the only people who made up the population of the American colonies. ___________ who had been captured, brought to America, and enslaved, also lived in the New England colonies.

2) Fewer than ________ slaves lived in the colonies of New England in the year 1700. By the end of the 18th century, the population of enslaved Africans had reportedly reached _________.

3) When the America declared its independence in 1776, ___________ had the second largest slave population in America.

4) Define the following terms:

a. slaves

b. 18th Century

c. population

d. colonists

e. cultures

f. enslaved

g. customs

h. colonized

The Slave Trade in the American Colonies

Hello Students:

Click <a href="http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ss5/b/colslavetrl.cfm">here</a> to read a short article about slavery. When you have finished, answer the following questions in your social studies notebook:

2) Fewer than ________ slaves lived in the colonies of New England in the year 1700. By the end of the 18th century, the population of enslaved Africans had reportedly reached _________.

3) When the America declared its independence in 1776, ___________ had the second largest slave population in America.

4) Define the following terms:

a. slaves

b. 18th Century

c. population

d. colonists

e. cultures

f. enslaved

g. customs

h. colonized

The Slave Trade in the American Colonies

Hello Students:

2) Fewer than ________ slaves lived in the colonies of New England in the year 1700. By the end of the 18th century, the population of enslaved Africans had reportedly reached _________.

3) When the America declared its independence in 1776, ___________ had the second largest slave population in America.

4) Define the following terms:

a. slaves

b. 18th Century

c. population

d. colonists

e. cultures

f. enslaved

g. customs

h. colonized

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Forces That Shape The Land: Continental Drift and Ice, Wind and Water

Hello Researchers:

In our last lesson we learned how once upon a time the earth was one big land mass, Pangaea. Today we will learn how Pangaea broke into pieces and became the seven continents we know today. We will also take a look at the forces that shaped the land of the Western Hemisphere and how they continue to do so today.

Questions:

1) According to the article, how can we summarize the land of the Western Hemisphere?

2) Use continental drift in a short paragraph about the breaking apart of Pangaea.

3) How might land once covered by glaciers look different from places that never had glaciers?

4) Write a description of how natural forces might change the Western Hemisphere in the future.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Looking at the Land: Creating Regions

Hello Researchers:

Read the article below and answer the questions that follow. Click on each part to enlarge.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Questions:

1) What features can be used to organize land into regions?

2) Countries are ______________ regions.

3) Define the word economy.

4) Use boundary and region in two sentences about ways of organizing the Western Hemisphere.

5) What type of map would you use to show baseball fields in Brooklyn?

Art Activity:

Draw how New York City might look in an ariel photograph and on a map. Explain the similarities and differences.

Pangaea Think Quest

Hello Researchers:

Today you will go on a Think Quest to research information and answer questions about the Pangaea Theory.

Click here and answer the following questions:

1) What is the Pangaea Theory?

2) What does Pangaea mean in Greek?

3) It says in the article that "The Pangaea theory was treated with much skepticism when it was first raised." What does skepticism mean?

4) Give three examples of evidence that has led scientists to believe that the Pangaea Theory is true. Explain each example.