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5th Grade Unit: Nutrition & Diabetes
Lesson 1: You're the Doctor! The presenter introduces a person with diabetes, and the class tries to diagnose the patient by asking questions and using the answers as clues. Students role play doctors, physicians assistants, phlebotomists, and lab technicians. They work in groups of four to test fake urine and blood samples with urine strips and glucometers. Lesson 2: Testing for Starch Students brainstorm foods that will break down into sugar and cause sugar to enter the blood. They taste two carbohydrates, a simple sugar and a starch. Then the class uses iodine to test a variety of foods for starch. Finally, the students make recommendations of foods that diabetics should eat only in moderation. Lesson 3: Your Digestive System The students learn about the anatomy and function of the digestive system as they build a 25-foot-long model of the digestive tract. Then they work in groups to assemble a puzzle of the digestive system and discuss how sugar enters the bloodstream. Lesson 4: The Role of Insulin The class reviews what they have learned about diabetes. They complete a worksheet after participating in a role-playing game about the role of insulin in regulating blood sugar levels. Finally, they listen to a guest speaker who explains the role of insulin in diabetes. Lesson 5: Diabetes and a Diverse Community Students learn that diabetes affects some communities more than other communities. They watch a short video about the Pima Tribe, which has one of the highest rates of diabetes. The students use pie charts to analyze information about the disease, and they generate preventive strategies for their own community.
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The nutrition and diabetes lessons cover basic nutrition, the anatomy of the digestive system, and diabetes diagnosis, prevention and treatment. 
Lesson Plan