**Lesson Plan for Home Economics: Healthy Feeding Habits and Eating Practices**
**Grade Level:** Junior Secondary 1
**Duration:** 60 minutes
**Objective:**
1. Students will understand the importance of healthy eating habits.
2. Students will be able to identify different food groups and their nutritional values.
3. Students will learn practical ways to develop and maintain healthy eating practices.
### Materials Needed:
- Chart of the food pyramid
- Sample menus
- Food pictures/flashcards
- Handouts on healthy eating tips
- Whiteboard/markers
- Projector (if available)
### Lesson Outline:
#### Introduction (10 minutes)
1. **Greeting and Settling Down:**
- Welcome students to the class and ensure everyone is settled.
2. **Hook/Engage Activity:**
- Ask students: "What did you eat today?" Write different responses on the board.
- Brief discussion: "How do you feel after eating it?"
3. **Objective Overview:**
- Explain the aims of the lesson: understanding healthy feeding habits and eating practices.
#### Direct Instruction (20 minutes)
1. **Introduction to Healthy Feeding Habits:**
- Explain what constitutes healthy feeding habits.
- Discuss why it is important to have healthy eating practices (e.g., growth, energy, disease prevention).
2. **Food Groups and Their Nutritional Values:**
- Introduce the food pyramid/chart.
- Explain the different food groups: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.
- Discuss the role of each nutrient in maintaining health.
3. **Creating a Balanced Diet:**
- Show examples of balanced meal plans.
- Use flashcards/pictures to discuss which foods belong to which group.
#### Guided Practice (15 minutes)
1. **Interactive Activity:**
- Divide students into small groups.
- Distribute sample menus and pictures of various foods.
- Ask each group to categorize the foods into the correct groups.
2. **Discussion:**
- Have each group present their findings.
- Discuss why balance and variety are important in a diet.
#### Independent Activity (10 minutes)
1. **Personal Health Diary:**
- Give each student a handout that includes a daily food diary.
- Instruct them to list everything they eat for a day and analyze it.
2. **Reflection and Sharing:**
- Encourage students to share their food diary and discuss what changes they could make to improve their diet.
#### Conclusion (5 minutes)
1. **Recap:**
- Summarize the key points of the lesson.
- Reinforce the importance of a balanced diet and healthy eating habits.
2. **Questions and Answers:**
- Open the floor for any questions.
- Address any concerns or clarify any doubts.
3. **Homework Assignment:**
- Ask students to create a one-day meal plan for themselves following the guidelines of a balanced diet.
- Encourage them to involve their family in the planning process.
#### Assessment:
- Participation in group activity.
- Completion of the personal health diary.
- Homework assignment (meal plan).
### Follow-Up:
- Review the students' homework in the next class.
- Discuss any challenges they faced in maintaining healthy eating practices.
- Plan a class project on preparing a healthy meal together.