Sanitary and Unsanitary Food Habits

Submitted by: Anne Gostonczik
Endorsed by: Don E. Descy
Mankato State University

Date: May 13, 1997

Description:

Many germs are passed from person to person through unsanitary food preparation and handling. This leads to more illnesses in the home and at school. In order to prevent the spread of germs and sicknesses, students will act out several skits using sanitary and unsanitary habits.

Grade Level: Grades 4-5

Goal:

The students will understand the difference between sanitary and unsanitary food habits.

Objectives:

The students will be able to explain the most important sanitary habit. The students will be able to list three unsanitary food habits and explain why these habits are unsanitary.

Background Information:

This activity can be adapted for all ages of students, This activity teaches the student about sanitary and unsanitary habits with food preparation and handling. By doing the skits, the students will actually see why a habit is unsanitary or sanitary.

Concepts:

Students will be able to:

1. Relate importance of sanitary food habits with a healthy lifestyle.

2. Identify reasons for sanitary habits when preparing and handling food.

Materials:

Procedure:

1. Explain to the students that they will be acting out different scenarios.

2. Separate the students into six groups.

3. Give each group of students an index card. These index cards have written on them unsanitary or sanitary food preparation, unsanitary or sanitary serving habits, unsanitary or sanitary eating habits.

4. Give the students about five minutes to prepare their skits.

5. Allow each group to use the materials provided for in their skits.

6. Each group will act out their skit without telling the class which scenario they are acting out.

7. After the students are done acting out their skits, the class will guess what scenario was just acted out and why it was this type of scenario.

8. After each skit, the class will have a brief discussion about the skit.

Assessment:

1. Ask the students the difference between sanitary and unsanitary food habits.

2. Ask the students why it is important to have sanitary habits when dealing with food.

3. Ask the students to list three sanitary and three unsanitary food habits.

4. Ask the students for one way in which they will change how they deal with food.

Useful Internet Resources:

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
http://www.dhhs.gov/
http://www.healthfinder.gov/htmlgen/HFKeyword.cfm?Keyword=FOOD+SAFETY

CyberNutrition Archives
http://chd.syr.edu/chd/CyberNutritionArchives.html

Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC)
Follow this directory path: NAL Information Centers Food and Nutrition Information Center. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic gopher://www.nalusda.gov/

ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education --
Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Division
http://www.ericsp.org/hprdtoc.html

The Nutrition Expert
service. http://www.alaska.net:80/~tne/

Tufts University Nutrition Navigator
http://navigator.tufts.edu/

Copyright© Teacher's Desk.  Any reproduction of this site in any manner is strictly prohibited.  Revised: 19 Mar 2002 11:34:06 -0600.