Running head: MODIFICATION 1

Modification for Brain-based Learning

Jeannie Denny
EDU 417 Cognitive Studies Capstone
Instructor: Colleen Lindecker
May 7, 2014









MODIFICATION 2

Modification for Brain-based Learning
Food Pyramid Lesson Plan:
Grade level: 2
Duration: 2 classes
Objectives: Students will:
Understand that proper nutrition leads to a healthy, functioning mind and body
Become familiar with the USDA food pyramid and be able to identify the food groups
Participate in activities and accomplish tasks that will create meaning and connection
with the lesson information
Materials:
The Food Pyramid short movie presentation
Multiple audio devices for music station (mp3s, tape recorders, CD players, headsets)
Pictures/cut-outs from magazines, newspapers, food labels, or internet print-outs
(provided by teacher as well as donations from parents, asked for in advance via class e-
mail and class newsletter)
Paper plates
2 Computer laptops (classroom property or on-loan from school computer lab or library)
Books about food (from advance recruiting of Media Specialists help)
Construction paper and Lined paper
Colorful and clearly labeled food pyramid chart
Colorful Bulletin board displays representing the four food groups
MODIFICATION 3

Pencils, Crayons, Colored Markers
Clear instruction procedures for each activity station
Procedures:
Day 1: Teacher begins by prompting a class discussion about favorite foods/meals (providing
some examples and making sure to be culturally inclusive). These foods are written on White
board for future reference. Teacher also aids discussion by asking questions about diverse kinds
of foods, (example: Has anyone ever eaten sushi before? ) and further prompting for inclusion
of foods from each food group, (example: What are some fruits and vegetable that you like to
eat? Teacher then goes on to give a brief explanation about food fueling our minds and
bodies and how there are different groups that provide different vitamins and nutrients that are
needed. This introduction leads into the short movie presentation about the food pyramid. After
the movie is done, the Teacher summarizes the points of the movie, repeating the four main food
groups and then prompts more discussion, asking about the list on the white board and which
foods belong to which group. The Teacher writes the name of the food group next to each food
on the list. After the discussion, the Teacher takes the children on a mini field trip to the
cafeteria where she has pre-arranged for the manager of the cafeteria staff to give a tour of parts
of the kitchen, along with a description of how he/she plans meals based on the food group
recommendations. The lesson for the day ends with the teacher giving a teaser about some fun
activities about the food groups they will be participating in the next day.
Day 2: The students will engage in activities divided into stations around the room including:
Music station
Arts and Crafts station
MODIFICATION 4

Computer station
Reading station
The Teacher will begin by assigning students to a group (one of the four main food groups)
(example: Tim, you are part of the vegetables and fruits group.) After all students have
been assigned to a group, they are told what station they are to begin with, so that each of the
four groups starts at a different station. The students will rotate freely to each of the other
stations as they complete each task.
Music station: Students will listen to two different songs about food (On Top of
Spaghetti and Peanut Butter and Jelly) and listen for their assigned food group
represented in the song. On construction paper or lined paper provided, they will then
either write a brief summary of which song/part of the song/food identified they
heard, or they will draw a picture representation of the song that includes the food
they identified, and label the food and group.
Arts and Crafts station: Students will use a paper plate and fold it in half twice to
create four sections. Then they will use the food picture clippings to paste the
recommended daily amount of each food into each of the four sections, so that when
they finish they will have 6 bread/grains, 4 fruit/vegetables, 3 milk/dairy, 2
meat/fish/protein. The food pyramid with recommendations will be prominently
displayed at station for the students to reference.
Computer Station: Students (two at a time) will take turns engaging in an educational
website game at: http://www.healthyeating.org/Healthy-Kids/Kids-Games-
Activities/Power-Up-Your-Breakfast.aspx, called Power up your breakfast! which
MODIFICATION 5

provides information about the importance of eating a healthy breakfast within a
short/fun game.
Reading Station: In the class reading center, students will choose from a variety of
books (from class book collection and additional choices provided by school
Librarian) all involving food and nutrition (examples: Green Eggs and Ham and
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). On the top half of lined paper provided they
will be asked to list all the food groups found in the story along with the example of a
food from each group. Then they will be asked to list the food groups absent from the
story and list examples for foods that belong to each of those groups.
Accommodations for children with special needs:
Clear instructions both verbally and written would be provided along with illustrations
and visual cues
The room parent and other parent volunteers would be recruited for help with the
stations activity for supervision and guidance of the majority of the students so that the
Teacher can monitor specific students who need extra help
Teacher would discuss lesson and activities with Resource Room specialist and extra
help could be brought into the classroom, or, if needed, student could perform activities
in resource room with specialist if the environment was thought to be over-stimulating
to the student.
Resource room specialist could go over material prior to the lesson to prepare student for
the information and activity and a visual lesson organizer and schedule could be
provided for student to refer to and check off.
MODIFICATION 6

Brain-based Modifications
The original lesson plan began on day one with a class discussion and viewing the movie
about the food pyramid. I included these elements as well because I liked the verbal engagement
with the class and the visual aid of the video, but instead of assigning home work where the
students were asked to chart the foods they eat over the course of a day, I chose to have the
students go on a mini field trip to the cafeteria for a tour of parts of the kitchen along with a
presentation by the manager of the food department. The reason I chose the trip to the cafeteria
is because it provides a real-world example that would aid in the understanding of the presented
information as well as helping form a memory that will aid with retention (Wolfe, 2010). I also
made the conscious choice not to give homework because there is benefit to the brain having
some down time to absorb and process the newly acquired information (Jensen, 2008).
On day two of the original plan students would be grouped in pairs and discuss their food
chart/journal in relation to the food pyramid. I also chose to make groups out of the students;
however it was to provide another chance to repeat the four main food groups (which acts as a
review of information that helps to provide better recall of the previous days material), as well
as, to create an organizational beginning to the stations activities and an environment conducive
to learning (Wolfe, 2010) (Gregory & Chapman, 2007). In lieu of the discussion and paired
written project, I decided to use stations because they provide opportunities for discovery,
creativity, and the use of multiple intelligences (Gregory & Chapman, 2007). Instead of one
dimension of learning, the stations offer visual, hands-on, creative, musical, technological, as
well as, using writing and reading skills. The use of visual aids as part of the stations and the
inclusion of colorful displays around the classroom benefit retention of the information and
comprehension of the concepts being taught (Wolfe, 2010). The use of fun songs, popular
MODIFICATION 7

childrens books, and web-games helps to increase students interest and motivation and some
studies suggest that music can stimulate the brain for memory and imagery (Fischer &
Immordino-Yang, 2008). Movement is another positive element to using stations and it will
prevent energy lags, increases circulation, and stimulate brain function (Jensen, 2008).
Students with special needs will benefit with this multi-dimensional approach to this
lesson as well. Children with autism are often very visual with regards to learning and the
various visual elements of the stations would provide rich opportunity to engage with the
material (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2010). Providing graphic organizers and visual
directions as well as verbal also benefit many students with learning deficits (Turnbull, Turnbull,
& Wehmeyer, 2010). Station work also allows for working at individualized paces and level of
difficulty (Gregory & Chapman, 2007). Students with ADD, ADHD, and autism, who may have
difficulty sitting still though desk work, can enjoy the movement between stations where they
can exhaust surplus energy (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2010).
I believe that this modified lesson plan can offer all students a rich and memorable
experience in learning about food and nutrition with several brain-based strategies and multiple
intelligences included.





MODIFICATION 8

References
Fischer, K. W., Immordino-Yang, M.H., &, (2008). The jossey-bass reader on the brain and
learning. (1
st
ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Gregory, G. & Chapman, C. (2007). Differentiated instructional strategies: One size doesnt fit
all (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Ltd./Corwin Press.
Jensen, E. (2008). Brain-Based Learning, the New Paradigm of Teaching, 2
nd
Edition. Corwin
Press:Thousand Oaks, Ca
Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R., & Wehmeyer, M., (2010). Exceptional lives- Special Education in
Today's Schools. (6th ed.) Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
Wolfe, P. (2010). Brain Matters: Translating research into classroom practice. (2
nd
ed.).
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.