Healthy Choices

Lesson Overview

This 20-minute Food Technology lesson is designed for Year 10 students in a SEN (Special Educational Needs) school, focusing on healthy eating. The lesson aligns with the UK National Curriculum for Design and Technology – Cooking and Nutrition (Key Stage 4), which emphasises:

• Developing practical cooking skills
• Understanding nutrition and healthy eating
• Making informed choices for a balanced diet

This lesson is sensory-based, interactive, and differentiated to meet the needs of SEN students while ensuring engagement through a hands-on approach.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Identify at least three healthy food choices suitable for their diet.
2. Understand the importance of eating a balanced diet and how it affects their body.
3. Prepare a simple, healthy snack with teacher support.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction – Engaging the Senses (5 mins)

• Begin with a mystery bag activity: Place different healthy food items (e.g., a banana, a carrot, a piece of cheese) in a bag.
• Allow students to feel, smell, and guess what each item is before revealing them.
• Brief discussion: Why do we need food? What makes a food healthy?
• Introduce the Eatwell Guide, using a large, colourful visual on the board to simplify concepts.

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2. Hands-On Activity – Making a Healthy Snack (10 mins)

• Students will prepare a simple and healthy snack: Rainbow Wraps.
• Ingredients: Wholemeal tortilla, cream cheese, grated carrot, cucumber sticks, and spinach.
• Steps:
  1. Spread cream cheese on the tortilla.
  2. Arrange colourful vegetables inside.
  3. Roll up the wrap and cut in half.
• Each student can customise their wrap based on preferences and sensory needs.
• Encourage safe food handling skills (e.g., washing hands, using utensils correctly).

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3. Reflection and Plenary – "Healthy or Not?" Game (5 mins)

• Show different food images (e.g., apple, crisps, chocolate, chicken, broccoli).
• Ask students to sort them into healthy and less healthy categories using large labels.
• Discuss how different foods affect mood, energy, and overall health.
• Quick recap: What healthy foods did we use today? Would you eat them at home?

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Resources Needed

• Mystery bag with sample healthy foods
• Visual aids: Eatwell Guide, food images for sorting
• Ingredients: Wholemeal wraps, cream cheese, vegetables
• Basic equipment: Plates, child-safe knives, napkins

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual: Use images and real foods rather than written explanations.
• Sensory: Allow students to touch, smell, and taste to reinforce learning.
• Motor Skills: Support those with fine motor difficulties in spreading and rolling.
• Choice: Offer alternative vegetables based on dietary needs/preferences.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation: Are students able to recognise and describe healthy foods?
• Practical Task: Can they engage in making a healthy snack?
• Verbal Responses: Can they explain one reason why healthy eating is important?

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Teacher’s Reflection Notes

• Did students engage well with the hands-on activity?
• Were there any particular challenges, and how can they be addressed next time?
• How can this lesson be adapted further for different needs?

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Extension Ideas

• Food Tasting Session: Introduce unusual healthy foods for comparison.
• Home Challenge: Ask students to design their own healthy lunchbox for the next lesson.
• Cooking Progression: Next time, introduce chopping softer fruits with support.

This multi-sensory, interactive lesson structure ensures SEN students remain engaged while developing their understanding of healthy eating in a practical and inclusive way.