Food is Elementary Lesson #2 - Dietary Fats

During the second lesson of the Food is Elementary curriculum, children learned a great deal about dietary fats and how too much fat can stick to the inside of your blood vessels and lead to illnesses. The students were able to grasp this abstract concept by conducting two experiments. First they observed how butter will stick to the inside of a straw, which represented a blood vessel. Next they observed how heavy cream will stick to your fingers while skim milk will not. By utilizing these hands on experiences with different forms of fat, children were able to understand how some fats are more likely to stick to your blood vessels when eaten in large quantities over time, and that some fats are healthier for your body when eaten in moderation.

After conducting these experiments, students took the time to create self-drawn portraits of themselves, illustrating their heart and blood vessels within their bodies. It was also important to emphasize that the way in which a person looks like on the outside does not determine what is happening on the inside of their body. Body size and shape does not dictate how much fat is sticking to a person's blood vessels. Overall health depends upon a person's daily eating and activity habits.