Fuel for Life

Overview

Today’s lesson builds students’ ability to plan and justify nutrition choices that support personal wellbeing and safety in everyday life. Students use Canva to create a short “Healthy Choice Guide” and reflect on how evidence-based information can shape decisions.

Learning intentions

• Students will investigate how nutrition affects energy, mood, concentration and wellbeing.
• Students will apply credible health information to make safer, healthier food choices.
• Students will plan and design a simple nutrition resource using Canva.
• Students will evaluate how their nutrition decisions could affect themselves and others.

Success criteria

• I can explain why different nutrients and food choices support health and wellbeing.
• I can identify at least 3 credible cues for choosing food (e.g. ingredients, serving size, balanced options).
• I can design a Canva guide that includes clear, accurate recommendations for Year 7 food decisions.
• I can justify my choices using simple evidence and reflect on possible impacts on myself and others.

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education: plan and implement strategies using health resources to enhance their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing.
• Health and Physical Education: investigate how media and influential people impact attitudes, beliefs, decisions and behaviours related to health and wellbeing.
• (Within today’s focus) students propose actions/behaviours that promote safe participation in physical activities and consider mood and mental wellbeing through nutrition choices (AC9HP8P10_E1).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook. Teacher shows the introduction slides and asks: “What would happen to your energy and mood if your lunch was swapped with a ‘sometimes’ food every day for a week?” Students do a quick think-write on one risk/benefit they expect.

2. 5–15 min · Mini-teach: nutrition and wellbeing. Teacher uses the introduction slides to explain key ideas: balanced meals, hydration, limiting added sugar and ultra-processed foods, and how nutrition affects concentration and mood. Students record 3 “nutrition facts I can use” on the nutrition choice planning worksheet.

3. 15–22 min · Credible choices: media influence check. Teacher prompts a discussion using the introduction slides: “Why might ads or influencers make food look like it’s ‘the best’?” Students identify one technique (e.g. before/after claims, catchy branding, misleading serving sizes) and write how to verify it.

4. 22–30 min · Model: turning information into a guide. Teacher demonstrates (without finishing it fully) how a strong guide should look in Canva: clear title, 3–5 recommendation cards, and one “why this matters” section. Students browse and select a Canva template style (e.g. poster or booklet layout) and plan their content on the nutrition choice planning worksheet.

5. 30–46 min · Canva creation: Healthy Choice Guide. Teacher releases students to build their Canva resource. Students work in pairs, using the introduction slides as the checklist while creating a “Healthy Choice Guide for Year 7 lunch/snacks” that includes:

• 2 example meals/snacks that support wellbeing
• 2 tips for making healthier choices at school/canteen or at home
• 1 “media check” line (how they will ignore hype and look for credible info)

6. 46–55 min · Share and refine. Teacher uses the introduction slides to structure quick gallery walk: one strength + one improvement suggestion. Students leave constructive feedback on a class list (teacher collects orally or via a quick teacher tick).

7. 55–60 min · Plenary: action and evaluation. Teacher asks students to complete a final reflection on the nutrition choice planning worksheet: “One strategy I will use this week is…” and “How could it affect my mood/energy and others (friends/family)?” Students turn in the nutrition choice planning worksheet.

Resources

• the introduction slides (slide deck covering hook, mini-teach, media influence prompts, Canva checklist, gallery walk prompts, and exit reflection)
• the nutrition choice planning worksheet (facts, media check, planning boxes, and exit reflection)
• Canva accounts or teacher-provided access (paired work)
• Devices/tablets with internet access (or offline-ready Canva templates if available)
• Projector/screen for teacher modelling
• Pens and highlighters
• Optional: printed canteen menu sample (if your school has one) for realism

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observes pair work using the the introduction slides checklist (accuracy and clarity).
• Formative: review student entries on the nutrition choice planning worksheet (nutrition facts and media influence check).
• Exit ticket: final reflection on the nutrition choice planning worksheet linking a nutrition strategy to wellbeing and impacts on self/others.

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters on the nutrition choice planning worksheet (e.g. “A credible sign is…”, “I will check the label by…”).
• Allow roles in pairs (Designer, Researcher, Checker) so students can contribute at different strengths.
• Offer extension choices: include a “swap list” (e.g. sugary drink → water/milk alternatives) and a brief justification.
• For students needing support, provide a reduced set of recommended foods/tips as options (teacher prepared).