Food for Sport
‘Food for Sport’ was a unit of work recently completed by children in Year 3 and Year 4 at Titchmarsh Church of England Primary School in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The work focussed on learning new skills from a number of subject areas and the children were asked to design and make a sports nutrition product, with packaging, for their school sports day.
We asked Evelyn Clawson, a teacher at the school and a Primary School Science and Design & Technology Subject Leader, for the Design and Technology Association, how she approached the unit with the children.
How did you introduce the idea of the importance of healthy eating to the children?
I initially asked them lots of questions to encourage them to think about their bodies – how does it change over time? What does it need to survive? How does it move? Where does this energy come from? This led onto a discussion about how their bodies use energy to enable them to grow and move which naturally led onto the role of food and eating the right type for good health. The eatwell plate was used effectively for teaching the children about eating a balanced diet.
What extra information did you include to make it link with sporting activities?
After discussing the role of food for their survival I directed their attention to the amazing achievements of world-class athletes through video footage of past Olympic Games. We talked about how good nutrition and hydration is one of the factors vital for peak performance and set about thinking of food products which would enable their best sporting performance.
What kinds of practical activities were included?
The children enjoyed sampling a wide array of commercial products aimed at enhancing sporting achievements. They learned to analyse the products and record their preferences using star profiles and used these as a reference to help inform their own product designs. The products were analysed for their taste, texture, appearance and energy content through star profiles. They also researched the internet for recipes for sports bars and sports drinks and tasted some of the ingredients they discovered to help inform their choice for their own products.
Did the children find anything else out about commercially produced food products?
To help inspire them to design a ‘professionally’ finished product, complete with their own packaging, catchy name and logo, I turned their attention to the marketing of commercially produced food products. One of our governors, Norm Edwards, a product designer, was invited to talk to them about the excellent work he did on drinks container designs for a major sports drink company.
What kinds of food products were made?
From their own research and ideas generated in their Food Technology Teams they chose their own food product – there was a vast array of ideas for smoothies, fruit juices, milk shakes and flapjacks.
Where did you make the products, what kind of food preparation facilities do you have at school?
Unfortunately we had to decline an offer of use of a food technology room in a local Middle School for this project due to time restrictions. The flapjacks were made in our small practical room in school which is well equipped with a sink, cooker, and food preparation area and has a good range of kitchen utensils. The fruit juices and smoothies were conveniently, safely and hygienically made in the classroom after covering the tables with washable tablecloths and providing them with safety instructions, cutting boards and plenty of containers. There was excellent support from a volunteer helper and several members of staff. We had excellent fun creating many delicious drinks that afternoon!
Did the food products work? How did the children test them?
Yes, I couldn’t believe how creative the children were and how delicious their products tasted. They willingly shared each others products to taste them and couldn’t wait to take them home to their families!
What was the verdict?
This memorable unit of work was genuinely enjoyed by all the staff and children involved in it. I realised the big impact these lessons had on them when many of the children enthusiastically told me that they had got a smoothie maker or juicer for their Christmas present and had made recipes they invented themselves through their holidays. The project truly captured every child’s imagination and offered me a lot of scope for planning rich and engaging learning opportunities. It was so rewarding to see the children so excited by their design ideas and so motivated through the sheer enjoyment of doing purposeful and practical activities.
