When I created QR Code Stations in my child development class to learn about newborn care, I had no 
idea that they would be such a hit! My students really like getting out of their seats, moving from station to station in order to learn about various topics. So, I decided to give it a try with the essential six nutrients and the results proved to be successful once again. So, below you will find a new lesson about the essential six nutrients, utilizing the infamous QR Codes!
Set
- Write/Project the following on the board or screen: Can Fanny Play Violin Much Worse? Many students ask, “What kind of phrase/question is that?” I explain that it is a mnemonic device to help remember the 6 essential nutrients. Using the first letter of each word, can you identify the 6 essential nutrients?
- Share responses and make sure they know that the first letter of the mnemonic device refers to the following essential nutrients: Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Vitamins, Minerals, and Water.
Materials
- iPads, Tablets or Phones with QR Code Scanner
- Lab Ingredients
Activities
- Discuss why is it important to know about these essential nutrients? Explain that they are necessary in helping our bodies function as they should. Eating too many, known as excesses and consuming too little, known as deficiencies can cause some serious health issues. Show the nutrition deficiencies and excesses PPT slide from this lesson illustrating some of these. The only way to prevent them or reduce our risk for them is to eat a nutritionally balance diet.
- To learn more about each nutrient, students will participate in a nutrient station activity where they will use their iPads to scan QR Codes in order to complete notes about each nutrient. See below for all QR Codes and Notes Form. Students will have a certain number of minutes to visit each station in order to keep them moving and not wasting time.
- After students collect their notes from each station, we discuss their answers in more detail as well as for correctness.
- Students will then use their notes to help them analyze a provided recipe for nutritional value. This will also be the recipe they prepare and serve in the foods lab as it contains all of the essential six nutrients.
- After preparing, the Italian Wedding Soup, students will review their notes in preparation for a short quiz. For this quiz, you will copy the Essential Nutrient Quiz on one side and the Essential Nutrient Answer Choices on the reverse side. Students will write the correct letter that corresponds with the correct question.
Attachments
- Nutrient Stations Notes Form
- Nutrient Stations Notes Form–Digital (please make a copy)
- CarbohydrateQRCode
- Carbohydrates–NutrientStationArticleSections
- FatQRCode
- NutrientStationArticleSections–Fats
- ProteinArticleSectionQR
- Proteins–NutrientStationArticleSections
- VitaminsArticleSectionQR
- NutrientStationArticleSections–Vitamins
- MineralsArticleSectionQR
- Minerals–NutrientStationArticleSection
- WaterArticleSectionQR
- Water–NutrientStationArticleSection
- Recipe Analysis–Italian Wedding Soup
- Recipe Analysis–Italian Wedding Soup–Digital (please make a copy)
- Easy Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
- Essential Nutrients Quiz
- Essential Nutrients Quiz–Digital (please make a copy)
- Essential Nutrients Quiz Choices
Image courtesy of fantasista at Free Digital Photos
Thank you for the amazing lessons! Just curious, what grades do you teach?
You’re Welcome! I teach grades 7-12 and I’m a one person department!
What grade level did you use this lesson with? Thank you!
I actually use this lesson with 8th graders!
Do you have the directions for the soup?
I just posted the recipe/link in the attachments.
Do you complete this activity in 1-2-3 class periods? I have 4 labs in my kitchen and 33 students. I’m thinking this is a 3-4 day lesson to give them time to cook too.
I have 43 minute periods and half as many students and it usually takes me 2 periods for students to get through the stations and go over/discuss the answers, one period to analyze the recipe and go over the lab, one period for the actual lab and the beginning of the 5th period to take the quiz and then I move on. Note: I’m also doing this with 8th graders so high school students may not need as much time at the stations.
I think I'm completely missing something. Do I go to a certain website in order for the scan to work or how am I able to have students scan these codes into their phones in order to get the information. Thanks for your help. Great lesson!!!
Students must have a QR Code Reader app on their phone, tablet or iPad in order to scan the code that leads to the nutrition information. Students can download the app for free they just need to go to their apple or android stores to do so.