Healthy Bodies, Healthy Body Image

Body image is an important part of our self-image. Our own perception of our body is often influenced by how we think others view us. Students will recognize that people are different in many ways, including physically. The focus of this lesson will be on accepting others and ourselves and being the best that we can be, including by maintaining our health, and encouraging those around us to do the same.

Additional Resources:

Eat Healthy, Feel Great by William Sears, Martha Sears, Christie Watts Kelly

Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to Food and Nutrition by Lizzy Rockwell

Staying Healthy: Eating Right (The Library of Healthy Living) by Alice B. McGinty

Being Active (Healthy Eating With My Pyramid) by Mari C. Schuh

“Why Is Physical Activity Important” poster [2]

Objectives

Students will:

• discuss what it means to be healthy and how food and exercise choices impact their bodies;
• set personal goals for improving their physical and emotional health, incorporating what they have learned about media and other messages impacting body image;
• take active steps to educate others in their school and community about health and its relationship to healthy body image.

Essential Questions

• What does it mean to be healthy? Why should you care about your health?
• How can having an unhealthy lifestyle (poor sleep, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, etc.) affect you?
• What does it mean to have a healthy diet?
• What do your family and school teach you about how to make healthy choices? 

Materials

• markers
• chart paper
• poster boards
• Charts (enlarge if possible): Different Forms of Exercise [3], Healthy Foods, Unhealthy Foods [4] and Healthy Alternatives [5] 

Procedures

1. Tell students that the focus of this lesson will be on the importance of being healthy. Pose the question: What does it mean to be healthy? Follow up with these other guiding questions. Chart the responses.

• How can having an unhealthy lifestyle (eating poorly, inactivity, lack of sleep, etc.) affect you?
• What does it mean when someone says that you should eat healthy foods or have a healthy diet?
• What are some foods that are considered to be healthy? Why is that so?

2. Explain to students that what is evident from their responses is that there are many things that people can do to make sure that they keep their bodies healthy. Ask: How can we do that? Solicit answers and chart responses. (For example: exercise, eat well, get a lot of rest)

3. Highlight responses that relate to exercising, or keeping fit, and being mindful of the kinds of food they eat. 

4. Break the students into groups of four. Give two of the groups the Different Forms of Exercise [3] chart. Give another two groups the Healthy Foods, Unhealthy Foods [4] chart. Give the remaining groups the Healthy Alternatives [5] chart. Each group will work together to brainstorm, then write or sketch as many items as they can come up with that relate to their specific chart. Check in on group(s) working on the Healthy Alternatives [5] chart. Remind them of the larger group discussion of foods that are considered to be healthy. If not discussed, generate a brief discussion on low-fat or fat-free foods and processed and unprocessed foods to aid them in their thinking of healthier food choices.

5. Gather students together, making sure that each chart is placed in an area visible to the group. Have each group share their charts and any discussion that came up from their group work. Tell students that the information that they have uncovered is information that can be helpful not only to them but also to others in their community who may need to know ways that they can be healthier.

6. Refer students to the Our Bodies and the Media [6] lesson, where they learned about the media and its affect on people’s body image. Explain that they will now get a chance to create a poster campaign with encouraging fun slogans to inspire viewers to make healthy choices from the perspective of working in the media.

7. Form small groups again. Give each group a blank poster board and markers. Using the information from the charts that were generated earlier, instruct the groups to create a poster specific to their chart. This will ensure a variety of posters discussing exercise and healthy eating. Similar to the advertisements reviewed in Lesson 2, their posters should be eye-catching and attention-grabbing yet share key information about exercise and healthy eating.

8. Students will review all posters, using the carousel review method. Hang each poster up around the room, alongside a blank piece of chart paper and a marker. Each group of students will then rotate around the classroom, stopping at each poster for 2-3 minutes. At each poster, students will discuss what they see, and share ideas about potential enhancements or omissions (if any) that can be made with their small group. Each group will then post their ideas on the blank chart paper, for all groups to see.

9. Allow time for the groups to return to their original posters, to read suggestions, and make any edits they deem necessary. The final posters should then be strategically placed around the school building.

Standards

Activities address the following Common Core Anchor Standards for Language Arts and Social Studies [7].

Reading

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7 [8] Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.9 [9] Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Writing

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2 [10] Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 [11] Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.5 [12] Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8 [13] Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

Speaking and Listening

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 [14] Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2 [15] Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4 [16] Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.5 [17] Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.