What's on My Plate

Overview

In this fifth lesson of the “What’s on My Plate?” unit, students explore how culture influences food choices and meal practices. They learn to connect cultural dishes to nutritional value, and practise sharing ideas respectfully with peers to support wellbeing and inclusion.

Learning intentions

• Students will investigate how different cultural food practices influence food choices and wellbeing.
• Students will examine nutritional value of a cultural dish using reliable food information.
• Students will discuss family or community meal practices respectfully and identify similarities and differences.
• Students will plan and present a short “food and culture” share that supports safe, positive relationships.

Success criteria

• I can explain one cultural influence on a food choice using a clear example from my own life or my peers’.
• I can describe key nutritional features of a chosen dish (e.g. energy, protein, fibre, and key food groups).
• I can use respectful language when sharing and listening during small-group discussions.
• I can present my dish confidently and complete an exit ticket with a learned practice.

Curriculum links

• AC9HP8P10: plan and implement strategies, using health resources, to enhance their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing (linked to food choices and respectful peer interaction).
• AC9HP8P05: investigate strategies that influence how communities value diversity and propose actions they can take to promote inclusion in their communities (linked to cultural food practices and challenging stereotypes through respectful discussion).
• AC9HP8P09: investigate how media and influential people impact attitudes and beliefs in relation to health, safety, relationships and wellbeing (linked to using credible information when looking up nutrition).
• AC9HP8P10_E2: investigating food-serving recommendations and producing a guide to make healthy choices when buying food (adapted here into evaluating a dish using food-group thinking and healthier adjustments).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and warm-up. Teacher displays 3 “Food Culture Cards” with images or short descriptions (no brands): e.g. rice bowl, dumplings, tacos (or similar). Students choose one and do a quick think: “What culture might this connect to, and what makes you think that?”

2. 5–15 min · I Do: cultural dish + nutrition snapshot. Teacher models with a selected example dish (teacher-chosen cultural dish from the region represented in class if possible).

• Step A: “What is the dish and where is it commonly found?”
• Step B: “What might nutrients it provide?” using a simple nutrition lens: food groups (carbohydrates, protein, vegetables/fruit, healthy fats, dairy/alternatives) and “fibre + iron + protein” as key ideas for adolescent health.
• Step C: “How could we make it a healthier version while keeping cultural meaning?” (e.g. more vegetables, leaner protein, less added sugar/salt, portion awareness). Students record the model on a class template: Dish → Cultural practice → Food-group/nutrients → One healthier tweak.

3. 15–30 min · We Do: small-group family meal talk. Students form small groups of 4–5. Teacher provides sentence starters to support respectful discussion:

• “In my family, we often…”
• “That practice helps because…”
• “I notice a similarity/difference between…” Each student shares their “favourite cultural dish” (or a dish connected to their family/community). Group members respond with one positive comment and one curiosity question (no judgement). Teacher circulates using a checklist for respectful listening, inclusion and accuracy of nutrition language at a basic level.

4. 30–45 min · Present: dish share with nutrition value. Each student completes a 60–90 second share using a structured prompt card:

• Dish name and cultural connection
• Key ingredients (what food groups are present?)
• Nutritional value in plain terms (e.g. “It can provide protein and fibre if it includes legumes/vegetables; it may be high in energy depending on portion.”)
• One healthier choice strategy (not removing culture—just balancing) Teacher begins with volunteer examples to set expectations; remaining students share within groups while time is monitored by a timer.

5. 45–55 min · Whole-class debrief: inclusion and health decisions. Teacher leads a short discussion:

• “What did we learn about culture and food choices?”
• “How did sharing respectfully help our group wellbeing?”
• “What health information did we use (and how do we know it’s reliable)?” Students add one “class insight” to a board column: “Culture shapes…” and “We can choose by…”

6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket (assessment). Students write one short response:

• “One cultural food practice I learned from peers was…”
• “A health reason it might be beneficial is…” (one phrase only)

Resources

• Food Culture Cards (images and brief descriptions)
• Teacher nutrition snapshot template (Dish → Cultural practice → Food groups → Healthier tweak)
• Student prompt cards for 60–90 second shares
• Small-group sentence starters (respectful language and question stems)
• Simple class nutrition lens poster (food groups and “fibre/protein/iron” prompts)
• Timer
• Exit ticket slips or digital form

Assessment

• Teacher observation checklist during small-group discussions (respectful communication, inclusion, listening).
• Quick check of student nutrition snapshots for correct use of food-group ideas (not strict calorie counting).
• Exit ticket: one learned cultural practice plus a brief health-related reason.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide a partially filled template for students who need structure (e.g. blank boxes for food groups and one healthier tweak).
• Support: Offer word banks (e.g. vegetables, legumes, lean protein, healthy fats, fibre, portion, balance).
• Extension: Students can include a “media check” comment such as: “I used nutrition info from a reliable health resource, not a random opinion source.”
• EAL/SEN: Sentence starters and examples reduce language load; allow students to speak first then write shorter responses. Offer alternative formats (short oral recording or diagram with labels) for the exit ticket if required.