Introduction
Obesity is a critical problem in the United States that contributes to poor population health and increased healthcare expenses. One of the main causes of obesity is unhealthy eating, and developing appropriate nutritional habits can help people to achieve a healthy weight and decrease the risk of obesity. The proposed lesson will seek to teach students about obesity and healthy nutrition that can assist in preventing it.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will have an improved understanding of obesity causes and consequences.
- Students will learn about the influence of obesity on the U.S. economy and population health.
- Students will be able to identify their unhealthy eating habits.
- Students will have the knowledge necessary to ensure a healthier approach to nutrition.
Curriculum Alignment
The lesson will be a part of a teaching event, and thus is not part of any curriculum. However, it relates to important healthcare subjects, such as chronic disease management, population health, and nutrition.
Classroom Time
The lesson will be taught in one block, and the required time for it is 80 minutes. There will be two main topics included in the lesson, each occupying around 40 minutes of classroom time. The teacher will provide students with a 10-minute break in the middle of the session to allow for bathroom visits and rest.
Materials Needed
Presentation slides will be printed out with space for notes next to them. Students will need pens or pencils to make notes and highlighters to mark important details in the presentation.
Technology Resources
The lesson will require one computer, one projector, internet access, and PowerPoint or other presentation software installed on the computer.
Pre-Activities
Prior to the lesson, students will complete a questionnaire assessing their knowledge of obesity and nutrition. The questionnaire will also include questions about their current eating habits and health status.
Activities
The lesson will be separated into two parts, each with a separate presentation and discussion. The discussions will be structured to include key points on each topic. For the first topic, the discussion will focus on obesity prevalence, causes, and health consequences, and both the lecture and the discussion will be structured around these points. For the second part of the lesson, the lecture and the discussion will include the role of nutrition in preventing obesity, unhealthy eating habits, nutritional groups, and strategies for reducing caloric intake. The lesson will thus include both active and passive learning and will use structured learning activities to achieve learning outcomes (Scheckel, 2013). There will also be a final discussion where students reflect on the learning experience and discuss how they will apply it in their life.
Assessment
The assessment will be based on the final discussion, and the instructor will determine the success of the lesson based on the students’ reflection. The instructor should look for ideas that show a greater understanding of the problem of obesity, as well as enthusiasm for improving eating habits. If the learning was productive, students should voice their intentions to apply healthy strategies taught in the lesson in their daily lives.
Critical Vocabulary
- Obesity is a health condition that occurs when a person has a significant amount of excess fat in their body.
- Diabetes is a metabolic condition that is caused by disruptions in glucose metabolism, which lead to high blood glucose. Unhealthy eating is among the key causes of type 2 diabetes.
- Heart disease refers to conditions that result in impaired blood circulation due to structural or functional changes in the heart and blood vessels.
- Macronutrients are chemical compounds that are present in food in large amounts. The three main macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
- Healthy nutrition is the practice of eating foods that have optimal macronutrient contents and refraining from foods that are high in saturated fat or sugar.
Lesson Plan Analysis
The proposed lesson plan was based on scholarly resources and learning theories to ensure adequate outcomes. First of all, the structure of the lesson plan followed the guidelines recommended by Learn NC (2005), as well as the recommendations offered by Milkova (2014), Ullman (2011), and National Capital Language Resource Center (n.d.). The lesson has a clear structure, with two separate parts addressing the main focus topics. Dividing the lesson into two parts will help students to memorize the material and ensure adequate comprehension of each topic.
Secondly, the activities included in the lesson involve both passive and active learning. Passive learning is useful, as it enables instructors to share a significant amount of information with students, whereas active learning promotes comprehension, interest in learning, and retention of information (Scheckel, 2013). The components of the lesson plan also demonstrate the Four Aces of Effective Teaching as defined by Bulger, Mohr, and Walls (2002).
The plan contains learning outcomes that can be measured during the final discussion, and has a clear structure and focus in terms of topics and content. The instructor will demonstrate enthusiasm about the topic during presentations and discussions, which will also help to stimulate student engagement. Another important concept that was incorporated in the planning is the experiential learning cycle (McLeod, 2013). The students will be presented with a learning experience and given the opportunity to reflect on and draw conclusions from it. The final stage of the cycle is applying the knowledge, and one of the main goals of the lesson is to encourage students to develop healthy eating habits.
Lastly, the lesson was planned based on behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist learning theories. The behavioral approach focuses on students’ responses to an external stimulus (Candela, 2013; Munoz, 2011). The lesson will provide students with the knowledge necessary to avoid unhealthy eating when presented with an opportunity, thus altering their behavior. The cognitive learning theory focuses on structured learning and modeling the correct behavior (Candela, 2013).
Based on this theory, learners use the information to construct personal meaning, and the lesson will provide them with information and skills to apply new knowledge in their lives (Grider, 1993). Similarly, the constructivist learning theory focuses on interpretations of information by learners (Applefield, Huber, & Moallem, 2000). As a result of the lesson, students will develop situation-specific knowledge about nutrition that will assist them in making healthier food choices.
Overall, the proposed learning plan will be helpful in increasing students’ understanding of obesity and healthy nutrition. The learning experience includes activities that will promote retention, reflection, and engagement, thus achieving the defined learning outcomes. As adult learners are focused on solving problems and applying knowledge in life, the lesson will provide them with strategies for enhancing nutrition and decreasing the risk of obesity (Merriam, 2001). The use of constructivist, cognitive, and behavioral learning theories helps to ensure that the information taught in the lesson is useful, meaningful, and relevant to students.
References
Applefield, J. M., Huber, R., & Moallem, M. (2000). Constructivism in theory and practice: Toward a better understanding. The High School Journal, 84(2), 35-53.
Bulger, S. M., Mohr, D. J., & Walls, R. T. (2002). Stack the deck in favor of your students by using the four aces of effective teaching. Journal of Effective Teaching, 5(2), 601-26.
Candela, L. (2013). From teaching to learning: Theoretical foundations. In D. M. Billings & J. A. Halstead (Eds.), Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (pp. 202-243). St. Louis, PA: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Grider, C. (1993). Foundations of cognitive theory: A concise review. Web.
Learn NC. (2005). The parts of a lesson plan. Web.
McLeod, S. (2013). Kolb’s learning styles and experiential learning cycle. Web.
Merriam, S. B. (2001). Andragogy and self‐directed learning: Pillars of adult learning theory. In S. B. Merriam (Ed.), The new update on adult learning theory: New directions for adult and continuing education (pp. 1-13). San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass.
Milkova, S. (2014). Strategies for effective lesson planning. Web.
Munoz, L. (2011). Behaviorist learning theory. Web.
National Capital Language Resource Center. (n.d.). Planning a lesson. Web.
Scheckel, M. (2013). Selecting learning experiences to achieve curriculum outcomes. In D. M. Billings & J. A. Halstead (Eds.), Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (pp. 170-186). St. Louis, PA: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Ullman, E. (2011). How to plan effective lessons. Education Update Magazine, 53(10). Web.