Could Vitamin D
Help Cut Winter Colds?
Subjects
Arts & Humanities
--Language Arts
--Literature
--Visual Arts
Mathematics
--Measurement
--Statistics
Health
--Nutrition
--Our Bodies
Science
--Life Sciences
----Biology
--Process Skills
Grades
Grades 2-up
News Content
Doctors are learning more about the effects of vitamin D on colds and the body.
Anticipation Guide
Before reading, ask students to share what they know about vitamins. Do any of the students take vitamins each day? Why do they take them? Ask questions that lead them to a basic understanding that different vitamins help the body stay healthy in different ways.
News Words
Next, introduce these words that appear in the News Word Box on the students printable page: vitamin, yogurt, guidelines, yolk, nutrition, and sardines. Discuss the meanings of any of those words that might be unfamiliar. Then ask students to use one of those words to complete each of these sentences:
Read the News
Click for a printable version of this weeks news story Could Vitamin D Help Cut Winter Colds?
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More Facts to Share
You might share these additional facts with students after they have read this weeks news story.
Comprehension Check
Recalling Detail
Think About the News
Discuss the Think About the News question that appears on the students news page.
What nicknames did students share? Doctors often refer to Vitamin D as the sunshine vitamin" because sun exposure triggers the bodys production of the vitamin. But maybe your students came up with an even better nickname.
Follow-Up Activities
Health and study skills. Share with students the Internet source KidsHealth for Kids: Vitamins from KidsHealth.org. Have them use the information about vitamins on that page to complete a chart that looks like the one below. Next to each vitamin they should write at least three foods that are sources of that vitamin.
Vitamins Food Sources of the Vitamin Vitamin A
Important for eyesight and healthy skin. B Vitamins
Give you energy and help provide oxygen. Vitamin C
Helps keep the body healthy and free of infection. Vitamin D
Builds strong bones and teeth, and fights colds. Vitamin E
Helps build healthy eyes, skin, and blood. Vitamin K
Helps to clot blood: to stop a cut from bleeding.
Health nutrition. Gather a wide variety of food packages (or assign this activity for homework, where students can investigate the foods in their familys refrigerator and cupboards). Challenge students to study the nutrition food labels on a wide variety of foods. Have them list in a notebook or on a chart any foods that are good sources of the vitamins listed on the chart above. Students might create a mural for each of the vitamin groups and attach to the murals the food packages that are the best sources of those vitamins.
Language arts - reading. Feed" students desire for information by sharing one of these nutritious" books.
Assessment
Use the Comprehension Check (above) as an assessment. Or have students work on their own (in their journals) or in their small groups to respond to the Think About the News question on the news story page.
Lesson Plan Source
Education WorldNational Standards
FINE ARTS: Visual Arts
GRADES K - 4
NA-VA.K-4.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines (e.g., making a mural)
NA-VA.5-8.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines (e.g., making a mural)
NA-VA.9-12.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines (e.g., making a mural)
LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills
MATHEMATICS: Connections
GRADES Pre-K - 12
NM-CONN.PK-12.3 Recognize and Apply Mathematics in Contexts Outside of Mathematics
MATHEMATICS: Representation
GRADES Pre-K - 12
NM-REP.PK-12.3 Use Representations to Model and Interpret Physical, Social, and Mathematical Phenomena (e.g., interpret a food label)
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH: Health
GRADES K - 4
NPH-H.K-4.1 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
NPH-H.K-4.2 Health Information, Products and Services
NPH-H.K-4.3 Reducing Health Risks
NPH-H.K-4.4 Health Influences
GRADES 5 - 8
NPH-H.5-8.1 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
NPH-H.5-8.2 Health Information, Products and Services
NPH-H.5-8.3 Reducing Health Risks
NPH-H.5-8.4 Health Influences
GRADES 9 - 12
NPH-H.9-12.1 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
NPH-H.9-12.2 Health Information, Products and Services
NPH-H.9-12.3 Reducing Health Risks
NPH-H.9-12.4 Health Influences
SCIENCE
GRADES K - 4
NS.K-4.1 Science as Inquiry
NS.K-4.3 Life Science
GRADES 5 - 8
NS.5-8.1 Science as Inquiry
NS.5-8.3 Life Science
GRADES 9 - 12
NS.9-12.1 Science as Inquiry
NS.9-12.3 Life Science
See recent news stories in Education Worlds News Story of the Week Archive.
Article by Ellen Delisio and Gary Hopkins
Education World®
Copyright © 2009 Education World
03/11/2009