Lesson Plan: Food and Nutrition

Class/Grade: I (Age group: 6–7 years)
Subject: Environmental Science (EVS) / Science
Topic: Food and Nutrition (भोजन और पोषण – simple Hindi support for explanations)
Duration: 40–45 minutes (short attention span; can include a snack break)
Alignment: Suitable for CBSE/NCERT/State Boards – Basic introduction (sources of food, healthy eating, variety in food)

Learning Objectives

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

  1. Name common foods and where they come from (plants or animals).
  2. Identify healthy foods and simple junk foods.
  3. Understand that we need different foods for energy, growth, and health.
  4. Sort foods into basic groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.).
  5. Enjoy talking about their favourite foods in simple sentences.

Key Vocabulary (Very simple words with easy explanations)

  1. Food (भोजन) – Things we eat
  2. Healthy (स्वस्थ) – Good for body
  3. Junk (जंक) – Not so good if too much
  4. Fruit (फल) – Sweet from plants
  5. Vegetable (सब्ज़ी) – From plants, not sweet
  6. Milk (दूध) – From animals
  7. Energy (ऊर्जा) – Power to play
  8. Grow (बढ़ना) – Become bigger
  9. Plate (प्लेट) – What we eat from
  10. Eat (खाना) – Put in mouth
  11. Drink (पीना) – Like water/milk
  12. Yummy (स्वादिष्ट) – Tastes good

(Teacher uses Hindi for quick help: "Healthy food से हम strong बनते हैं।")

Materials Required

  • Pictures/charts: Fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, bread, chips, biscuits
  • Real foods (safe): Apple, carrot, banana, roti, small milk packet (for show)
  • Big colourful plate chart (for "balanced plate")
  • Crayons, drawing paper
  • Rhyme printout or teacher sings
  • Sorting baskets or mats (for activity)
  • Stickers for rewards

Procedure

1. Warm-up (5–7 minutes)

Objective: Make children excited about food.

  • Greet with smile: "Good morning, my little friends! Who is hungry today?"
  • Simple rhyme/song: Sing "Hot Cross Buns" or Indian rhyme like "Aloo kachalu beta kahan gaye the..." then ask: "What foods do you like?"
  • Children share: "I like apple!" (Accept Hindi: "Mujhe seb pasand hai.") Teacher repeats in English.
  • Show a big smiley plate: "Today we learn about yummy and healthy food!"
2. Introduction to Food Sources (10 minutes)

Objective: Where food comes from.

  • Explain simply: "Food comes from plants and animals." (Hindi: "भोजन पेड़-पौधों और जानवरों से आता है।")
  • Show pictures/real items:
    • Plants: Apple, carrot, rice ("These grow on plants/trees.")
    • Animals: Milk, egg, cheese ("From cow, hen.")
  • Fun action: Children point and say "Plant!" or "Animal!"
  • Quick game: Teacher holds item → Class shouts source.
3. Main Activity 1: Healthy vs Junk Food (10 minutes)

Objective: Basic good choices.

  • Explain: "Healthy food helps us grow strong and play. Too much junk food makes us tired." Examples:
    • Healthy: Fruits, veggies, milk, roti.
    • Junk: Chips, candy, cold drinks (okay sometimes).
  • Sorting game:
    • Place pictures/real safe items on table or floor mats.
    • Children take turns sorting into "Healthy" basket and "Sometimes" basket.
    • Cheer: "Yes! Apple is healthy!"
4. Main Activity 2: Balanced Plate (10 minutes)

Objective: Variety in food.

  • Show big plate chart divided into parts: Fruits/Veggies, Grains (roti/rice), Milk/Protein, little sweets.
  • Explain: "We need all colours on plate – like rainbow!"
  • Drawing fun: Give paper/crayons. Children draw their "happy healthy plate" with 4–5 foods.
  • Share: One or two children show and say: "I have apple and milk."
5. Conclusion and Wrap-up (5 minutes)
  • Recap with actions:
    • "Food gives energy to... run!" (Children run in place.)
    • "Healthy food helps us... grow tall!" (Stretch up.)
  • Rhyme: "Eat fruits, eat veggies, drink milk every day. Be strong, be happy, and ready to play!"
  • Praise and stickers: "You are super eaters today!"

Assessment

  • Formative (during lesson):
    • Observation: Correct sorting, participation in rhyme/sharing.
    • Oral: "Is banana healthy?" / "Where does milk come from?"
  • Drawing (end): Check plates for variety (happy faces on good ones).
  • Self-assessment: Thumbs up: "I like healthy food!"

Differentiation

  • Advanced children: Name more foods or say why healthy.
  • Shy/struggling: Pair with friends, more teacher help with words/actions.
  • Active learners: Extra movement in games.

Homework

  • At home: Draw your dinner plate. Tell mom/dad one healthy food on it.
  • Eat one fruit and say: "This gives me energy!"

This lesson is colourful, tasty (visually!), and active to keep Grade I children happy and learning basics of nutrition through play!