Foods that help our brain to study
Choosing to eat nutritious foods can benefit students’ physical health and wellbeing, especially during stressful periods of study or exams. By helping them to become aware of nutritious brain foods, we can support them to make responsible food choices.
Year level
7-12
Duration
5 minutes
Type
In class activity
SEL Competencies
Self-awareness
Self-management
Responsible decision-making
Learning intention
Students will understand the benefits that nutritious foods have on their brain during times of stress.
Key outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
identify snack and meal options that will nourish their brain
explain the benefits of a balanced and nutritious diet on the brain and our ability to study
create a snack or meal that will support their brain to work well.
Materials needed
Access to ReachOut.com article ‘Foods that help our brain study’
Post-It notes or equivalent
Poster or communal space to display Post-It notes
Mapped to
Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Plan and implement strategies, using health resources, to enhance their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing (AC9HP8P10)
Plan, justify and critique strategies to enhance their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing (AC9HP10P10)
Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities
Personal and Social Capability:
Self-awareness
Self-management
Critical and Creative Thinking:
Generating
Literacy:
Speaking and listening
Reading and viewing
Writing
NSW PDHPE Syllabus
Investigates health practices, behaviours and resources to promote health, safety, wellbeing and physically active communities (PD4-7)
Plans, implements and critiques strategies to promote health, safety, wellbeing and participation in physical activity in their communities (PD5-7)
Victorian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Investigate and select strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing (VCHPEP126)
Evaluate health information from a range of sources and apply to health decisions and situations (VCHPEP148)
Activity 1
Instructions
5 minutes
Hand a Post-It note (or equivalent) to each student.
Ask students to write on their Post-It note the name of a snack or a food that they commonly consume before or during study periods.
On a whiteboard and/or poster, write the headings: Brain Boosting and Brain Draining.
Have students categorise their Post-It notes by placing them in either category on the whiteboard.
Share the article ‘Foods that help our brain study’ with students to read.
Lead a whole-class discussion on whether the students’ food items are in the correct categories, and why.
