10th Grade Build A Weekly Menu For A Space Station Lesson Plan Example

Topic:Building a weekly menu for a space station

Objectives & Outcomes

• Understand the challenges of building a weekly menu for a space station and how to take into account weight limitations and dietary guidelines.

Materials

• Calculator
• Space station nutrition guidelines
• Space station weight limitations (optional)

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever heard of a space station. Ask them to describe what they know about it.
• Show students a picture of a space station and ask them to describe what they see.
• Ask students if they know how astronauts survive in space for long periods of time. What kinds of food do they eat? How is the food prepared?

Direct Instruction

• Explain that there are certain factors that must be considered when creating a menu for a space station, such as weight and storage space.
• Show students a list of potential menu items and have them estimate the weight of each item.
• Have students brainstorm a list of different food categories (e.g. fruit, vegetables, meat, grains, etc.) and brainstorm a list of different foods within each category.
• Have students estimate the weight of each food item and add up the total weight of the menu.
• Discuss the nutritional requirements for astronauts, including dietary guidelines for calories, protein, and vitamins and minerals.
• Have students create a weekly menu that meets the nutritional requirements and weighs less than 1,000 grams (2.2 pounds).

Guided Practice

• Have students work in small groups to create a weekly menu that meets the nutritional requirements and weighs less than 1,000 grams (2.2 pounds).
• Have students present their menus to the class and discuss the reasoning behind their choices.

Independent Practice

• Assign each student or small group a different week of the year and have them create a weekly menu for a space station for that week that meets the nutritional requirements and weighs less than 1,000 grams (2.2 pounds).
• Have students present their menus to the class and discuss the reasoning behind their choices.

Closure

• Review the nutritional requirements and weight constraints for a space station.
• Discuss the challenges of meeting these requirements while staying under the weight limit and how the students addressed these challenges in their weekly menus.

Assessment

• Evaluate the weekly menus that the students created and assess their adherence to the nutritional requirements and their adherence to the weight constraints.
• Use the discussion during the closure to inform the evaluation of the student's work.