Growing Strong Together

Lesson Overview

Lesson Title	Introduction to Healthy Eating
Year Level	Year 2
Subject	Health and Physical Education
Curriculum Links	Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (Version 9.0) – Content Descriptor: ACPPS018 – Recognise situations and opportunities to promote health, safety and wellbeing
Time	60 minutes
Class size	20 students
Unit	Healthy Habits for Kids (Lesson 1 of 2)

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Learning Intentions

• Identify the main food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy.
• Understand why eating a variety of foods is important for their health.
• Develop basic categorisation and critical thinking skills through group activity.

Success Criteria

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Correctly sort foods into their corresponding food groups.
• Explain in simple terms how different types of food help our bodies.
• Share one healthy eating habit they can practise at home.

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Materials

• Large printed Food Group Posters (fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, dairy)
• Laminated food picture cards (a mix of healthy and sometimes foods)
• Blue tack or magnets
• Large chart paper and colourful markers
• “Healthy Plate” worksheet for each student
• A ‘mystery food’ box (small foods/models inside e.g., plastic fruits, cut-outs)

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Lesson Sequence

1. Warm Up (10 minutes) – Food Detective

Teacher Actions:

• Welcome students warmly and introduce today’s focus: Healthy Eating.
• Begin with a quick “Food Detective” guessing game. Pull items from the mystery food box one at a time.
• Describe the food without naming it directly (e.g., “I’m thinking of something red, juicy, and crunchy. It grows on trees!” → Answer: Apple).

Student Engagement:

• Hands shoot up to guess which food it is.
• Discuss briefly which foods are ‘everyday’ foods (healthy choices) and which are ‘sometimes’ foods.

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2. Explicit Teaching (15 minutes) – Meet the Food Groups

Teacher Actions:

• Using Food Group Posters, introduce the five main food groups:
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Grains
  • Proteins (meat, fish, eggs, legumes)
  • Dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese)
• Explain simply what each group does for the body (e.g., “Vegetables give us vitamins to help fight off sickness!”).
• Emphasise that eating from all groups helps our bodies grow strong, energetic, and happy.

Key Points to Highlight:

• Variety is key — “A rainbow on your plate!”
• Some foods are ‘sometimes foods’ because they don’t help our bodies as much.

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3. Guided Practice (20 minutes) – Food Group Sort Relay

Teacher Actions:

• Divide the class into 5 teams of 4 students.
• Give each team a pile of laminated food picture cards.
• On “Go!”, each team races to stick foods onto the correct Food Group Poster using blue tack/magnets.
• Encourage teamwork and discussion within groups before sticking.
• Once all cards are placed, review together as a class and discuss any common mistakes.

Differentiation Adjustments:

• Visual support: clear images and colour-coded borders for different food groups.
• Peer support: pairing stronger readers with those needing help.

Student Engagement:

• Movement-based activity to maintain energy levels.
• Collaboration and critical thinking encouraged.

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4. Reflection and Application (10 minutes) – Create Your Healthy Plate

Teacher Actions:

• Hand out the “Healthy Plate” worksheet.
• Students draw and colour a plate with a simple meal, ensuring they include at least one item from each food group.
• Walk around, prompting students with questions like:
  • “What vegetable will you choose?”
  • “Is there a protein food on your plate?”

Student Engagement:

• Creative expression through drawing.
• Chance for students to consolidate their understanding individually.

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5. Class Discussion and Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

Teacher Actions:

• Gather students together in a circle.
• Ask:
  • "What is one new thing you learned about healthy eating today?"
  • "What is one healthy food you want to try at home?"
• Praise all contributions warmly.

Optional Extension:

• Create a “Class Rainbow Wall” where students can add drawings or pictures of colourful healthy foods over the next week.

Exit Ticket Question: Before leaving, each student shares their favourite healthy food!

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Assessment

• Informal observation during group activity and worksheet completion.
• Anecdotal notes on students' participation in discussion and their ability to categorise foods appropriately.
• Collect and review "Healthy Plate" worksheets to check for understanding.

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Teacher Reflection (post-lesson)

• Were the students able to clearly identify the food groups?
• Did students engage actively in sorting and discussion?
• What adjustments might be needed for the next lesson ("Building a Balanced Meal") based on today's outcomes?

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Notes for Future Planning

Consider integrating a simple cooking or snack preparation session in a subsequent lesson to deepen understanding through hands-on experience. This ties perfectly into extending the students' knowledge about food choices and promoting lifelong healthy habits.

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"Healthy food is not just good for the body — it’s good for our happiness too!" 🌈

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Prepared in alignment with:

• Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
• Health and Physical Education, Foundation – Year 2 band curriculum specifications