Nutrition and Food

Overview

A lively and engaging 45-minute session designed for Year 3 pupils that enables them to understand the role of nutrition and how animals, including humans, obtain their food. The lesson aligns with the National Curriculum for England, ensuring pupils meet the expected scientific knowledge for this stage.

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National Curriculum References

Science Programme of Study – Animals, including humans (Key Stage 2 - Year 3):

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • Identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amounts of nutrition.
  • Understand that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

1. Explain why animals, including humans, need food.
2. Identify different types of nutrients animals need, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
3. Describe why animals cannot produce their own food and instead depend on eating other organisms.
4. Recognise the importance of a balanced diet for health.

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Success Criteria

Pupils can:

• Name at least three types of nutrients animals need.
• Explain that animals must eat food to get nutrition since they cannot photosynthesise (make their own food).
• Give examples of how animals get their nutrition (e.g., carnivores, herbivores).
• Show understanding by correctly classifying foods into simple categories (protein, carb, fats).

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Resources

• Large colourful posters/images of different food types and animals (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores).
• Paper plates for ‘Build Your Balanced Meal’ activity.
• Food picture cut-outs or cards representing various nutrients.
• Animal fact cards showing what different animals eat.
• A large “Nutrition Wheel” poster to demonstrate nutrient groups.
• Whiteboard and coloured pens.
• Pupils’ science notebooks.

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity – Food Around Us (5 minutes)

Intro Discussion and Brainstorming

• Begin by asking pupils: “What did you eat for breakfast?”
• Write answers on the board and briefly discuss the variety of foods shared.
• Introduce the idea: All animals, including humans, need to eat food to get energy and nutrients. They cannot make their own food like plants do.

2. Interactive Explanation – Why Animals Need Nutrition (10 minutes)

• Show the “Nutrition Wheel” poster with the five key nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals).
• Describe each nutrient's function using simple explanations and examples (e.g., carbohydrates give us energy, proteins help us grow).
• Emphasise that animals depend on eating other living things or plants to get these nutrients because they cannot photosynthesise like plants.
• Use the animal fact cards to show different diets (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore), asking pupils to classify each animal’s diet orally.

3. Main Activity – Build Your Balanced Meal (15 minutes)

Pupils work in groups of 4 to create a balanced meal.

• Give each group a paper plate and a selection of food picture cut-outs/cards representing different nutrients.
• Task: Create a balanced meal using the cards on the plate that provides sufficient nutrients for energy and growth.
• Groups discuss their choices and consider if the meal meets a healthy, balanced diet.
• Circulate to prompt thinking and ask questions, e.g., “Does your meal include protein? Why is it important?”
• Invite each group to share their meal and explain their choices using scientific language.

4. Active Game – ‘Who Eats What?’ (10 minutes)

A movement and comprehension game to consolidate learning.

• Prepare animal cards for 10 pupils to wear (e.g., lion, cow, human, eagle, rabbit).
• The rest of the class are food items (plants, meat cards).
• The animal ‘pupils’ must find and ‘eat’ the correct food items by moving and matching with the right ‘food’ pupils.
• Discuss why certain animals eat only plants or meat, reinforcing their inability to make their own food and the importance of nutrition.

5. Plenary – Reflect and Assess (5 minutes)

• Recap key learning points using a quick quiz format:
  • “Can animals make their own food?” (No)
  • “Name a nutrient animals get from food.”
  • “Why do animals need food?”
• Invite pupils to write one sentence in their science book, for example: “Animals need to eat food to get energy and grow because they cannot make their own food.”

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Assessment

• Informal assessment during group discussions and the “Build Your Balanced Meal” activity based on pupil participation and explanations.
• Observation of the ‘Who Eats What?’ game for understanding of diet types.
• Plenary quiz questions assess retention of core concepts.
• Written reflections provide evidence of individual understanding.

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Differentiation

• Support pupils with vocabulary sheets containing words like nutrition, nutrients, protein, carbohydrates, carnivore, herbivore.
• Provide picture prompts and sentence starters for writing tasks.
• Challenge more able pupils by asking them to explain why different animals need different proportions of nutrients or design a meal for a specific animal.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• Maths: Sorting and classifying food types; counting nutrients.
• PSHE: Discussing healthy eating and its importance for wellbeing.
• English: Speaking and listening during discussions and group presentations.

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Extension Ideas

• Create a simple food diary for a day, logging types of food eaten and identifying nutrient groups.
• Design a poster on balanced diets or an animal food chain illustrating how energy and nutrients flow.

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With dynamic activities, clear scientific language, and active learning, this lesson will both inspire and meet the National Curriculum expectations for Year 3 Science.