**Learners should have prior exposure to basic HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS before taking this course (contact me if you'd like a link to my middle and high school courses which have this content)**

**Please be aware that I also have this class available as a flex/pre-recorded option**


Come explore ALL THINGS NUTRITION and a one-day meal plan project encompassing all of the required nutrients! This course will cover the following topics: macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat, protein), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and common diets that people choose (with an emphasis on a whole foods, balanced diet based on current MyPlate dietary recommendations developed by the USDA). See Syllabus below for more details.


During the last week, learners will bring all of this info together to create a ONE-DAY MEAL PLAN! They can present this either in written format, as a video (similar to a "day of eating" Youtube or TikTok video), as a drawing (3 plates with balanced meals drawn on the plates), or any other creative way they would like!

I have a down-to-earth teaching style and I like to spark excitement about topics by tying the lesson to learners' lives or adding interesting facts and real-life scenarios. I truly do love science and learners pick up on my enthusiasm! I encourage learners to share anything they would like to in the classroom that is related to the lesson: a picture of their healthy meal that day, an anecdote about how they changed their eating patterns and now have more energy, a story about a restaurant they visited that has adapted a healthy menu (maybe a picture of the menu), or more!

COURSE STRUCTURE:

1. 1 live class per week (55 min)
2. Lecture/discussion is broken up by Nearpod Interactive Slides to keep learners engaged and having fun! 
3. We will have an End-of-Class project (a one-day meal plan) due the last week.
4. I will grade or give feedback for all work turned in. Contact me if you would like a cumulative grade issued.

SYLLABUS: 

Week 1:
*Topics - Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins / MyPlate recommendations (this has replaced the food guide pyramid) / Reading a nutrition label
*Homework - study Nutrition Vocabulary Handout before class; analyze and share a nutrition label in your kitchen; answer the question of the week in the classroom.

Week 2: 
*Topics - Vitamins (functions, foods which contain them, deficiency symptoms, toxicity symptoms)
*Homework - study Nutrition Vocabulary Handout BEFORE class; answer the question of the week in the classroom

Week 3:
*Topics - Minerals (functions, foods which contain them, deficiency symptoms, toxicity symptoms) / One-day meal plan project guidelines
*Homework - study Nutrition Vocabulary Handout BEFORE class; answer the question of the week in the classroom; One-Day Meal Plan Project

Week 4:
*Topics - Common nutrient deficiencies, vitamin and mineral relationships and synergies, common diets that people choose and why / Discussing the benefits of a balanced, whole-foods diet and how to achieve that in today's busy society / A virtual trip through the grocery store / One-day meal plan project guidelines
*Homework - study Nutrition Vocabulary Handout BEFORE class; answer the question of the week in the classroom; comment on other learner's meal plans! 


*List of my high school classes:*
Cell Biology
Human Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology 
Nutrition 101 (this class)