Food Choices Influencers

Overview

This 40-minute lesson is Lesson 2 in a Year 11 Health unit titled "Nutritional Knowledge and Choices." Students will explore the social, cultural, and personal factors influencing food choices, reflecting on how beliefs, family, and media shape eating habits. Group discussions relate to New Zealand's cultural competency frameworks, Tātaiako and Tapasā, promoting inclusion of Māori and Pasifika perspectives.

Curriculum Links

New Zealand Curriculum (Health & Physical Education strand)

• Level: Year 11 (Level 5)
• Achievement Objective:
• Personal and Community Health – Understanding influences on health and well-being to make informed decisions.
• Key Competencies:
• Thinking: Analyze different influences affecting food choices.
• Relating to Others: Share and respect diverse perspectives in group discussions.
• Managing Self: Reflect on personal food choices and influences.
• Principles: Inclusion, cultural diversity, Treaty of Waitangi partnership.
• Values: Respect, diversity, integrity.

Tātaiako Competencies (Māori learners)

• Whanaungatanga: Building relationships through sharing personal and whānau influences on food.
• Tangata Whenuatanga: Recognising the importance of place, identity, and culture in food choices.

Tapasā Framework (Pasifika learners)

• Va: Relating through connections and relationships around food choices.
• Ako: Promoting learning that connects with Pasifika identity and family influences.

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Learning Intentions

WALT: We Are Learning To analyze the factors that influence our food choices.

Success Criteria:

• Identify at least three different influencers on food choices (e.g., personal beliefs, family, media).
• Provide real-life examples for each influencer.
• Participate in group discussions showing respect for different cultural viewpoints.

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Resources Needed

• Highlighted case study texts (dyslexia-friendly) with visuals illustrating food choice scenarios.
• Whiteboard or chart paper and markers for mind mapping.
• Printed or projected questions to scaffold discussion.
• Mind map template (optional for extension).

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Lesson Structure

1. Connect & Recall (5 minutes)

• Activity: Quick warm-up reviewing prior learning from Lesson 1 on nutritional knowledge.
• Prompt: "Think about a time you chose what to eat. What made you choose that food?"
• Goal: Activate prior knowledge, personal connection to topic.

2. Explore Influencers (10 minutes)

• Activity: Students read dyslexia-friendly case studies describing different food choice situations influenced by:
• Personal beliefs (e.g., dietary preferences, health reasons)
• Family and whānau traditions/experiences
• Media and advertising
• Students underline/highlight key influencers and examples within texts.
• Differentiation: Visuals and simplified text for diverse learners.

3. Group Discussion & Sharing (15 minutes)

• Organise students into groups of 4-5 with a mix of cultural backgrounds to encourage sharing a range of views (supporting Tātaiako Whanaungatanga and Tapasā Va competencies).
• Each group discusses:
• Which influencers were strongest for the people in the case studies?
• Any similar influences from their own cultural or family backgrounds?
• How media influences their peers in everyday choices.
• Groups then share their key points with the class, encouraging listening and respecting different viewpoints (relating to others competency).

4. Create a Mind Map (Optional Extension - 5 minutes)

• Advanced learners create individual or group mind maps showing relationships between influencers and food choices.
• Encourage links between cultural identity, media, family, and personal beliefs.
• Mind maps can be shared next lesson or submitted digitally/photos taken for reflection.

5. Wrap-up & Reflect (5 minutes)

• Quick written or oral reflection: "Name three influencers on your food choices and give one example for each."
• Reinforce success criteria and collect reflections for informal assessment.
• Emphasise respectful sharing and how understanding influences helps make healthy food choices.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual Supports: Case study visuals paired with texts to support reading and comprehension.
• Chunked and Highlighted Texts: Reduce cognitive load for dyslexic learners.
• Collaborative Group Work: Peer support and sharing to scaffold understanding.
• Sentence starters and question prompts: Aid discussion participation for less confident learners.
• Extension Mind Map: For advanced learners to deepen and visualise connections.

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Cultural Competency Integration

• Discussion and activities deliberately incorporate Tātaiako and Tapasā frameworks to acknowledge Māori and Pasifika worldviews on food and wellbeing.
• Allow students to bring in and discuss family and cultural traditions related to food choices.
• Foster mana-enhancing, inclusive classroom environments where diverse perspectives are valued.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment through group discussions and oral sharing of examples.
• Reflective written/oral exit tickets assessing understanding of influencers and the ability to provide examples.
• Optional mind map submission demonstrating analytical thinking and relationship-building.

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This lesson is designed to empower ākonga to critically understand the diverse influences that shape their nutritional choices while respecting cultural identities and family contexts, fully aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Health and Physical Education learning area and inclusive teaching practices.