Your next great Lessn starts here.

Welcome to Read-Along: All About Food! – Today’s reading adventure: Food! – Reading together is fun and educational – We’ll enjoy a story and learn new words – Exploring various foods – Fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins – Understanding food importance – Why do we need to eat a variety of foods? | This slide is designed to excite first graders about the day’s read-along session focused on food. Emphasize the joy of reading together and how it can help them learn. Introduce the concept of different food groups and their roles in our health. Encourage the children to think about their favorite foods and how they fit into these categories. The goal is to make them curious about the nutritional value of foods they eat daily. During the read-along, pause to discuss new vocabulary and ask questions about the foods mentioned in the story to ensure comprehension and engagement.

What is Food? – Food helps us grow and stay healthy – Many kinds of food: fruits, veggies & more – Fruits are sweet, veggies can be crunchy – Each food type benefits our body – Grains give energy, proteins build muscles – Learning food groups | This slide introduces the concept of food to first graders, emphasizing its importance for growth and health. Start by explaining that food is anything we eat that provides us with nutrition. Highlight the variety of foods available, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy, and discuss the basic benefits of each category. For example, fruits can be sweet and full of vitamins, while vegetables might be crunchy and full of fiber. Grains are a good source of energy, and proteins help to build our muscles. Use this opportunity to introduce the food groups and their role in a balanced diet. Encourage the children to think about their favorite foods and what category they fall into. This will set the foundation for understanding nutrition and the importance of eating a variety of foods.

Fruits and Vegetables: Colorful and Healthy – Fruits & veggies are vitamin-rich – Vitamins help our body grow strong – They boost health in many ways – They help our eyes, fight illness, and keep skin glowing – Can you list fruits or vegetables? – Why are they important for us? – They keep us healthy and energetic | This slide introduces first graders to the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, emphasizing their vitamin content and the role they play in maintaining good health. Encourage the children to think of and name various fruits and vegetables they are familiar with. This can be turned into a fun class activity where students can draw or bring in pictures of their favorite fruits and vegetables to share with the class. Discuss how these foods help us see better, fight off germs, and keep our skin healthy. Highlight the importance of a balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables to promote overall well-being.

Grains Give Us Energy! – Grains help us play and learn – Grains are like our body’s fuel for fun and school – Found in bread, cereal, rice, pasta – Yummy grains are in many of our favorite foods – List grain foods you ate this week – Think about your meals: What grain foods did you enjoy? | This slide is aimed at helping first graders understand the importance of grains in their diet. Explain that grains are a source of energy, which is like fuel that helps our bodies to play, learn, and grow. Show examples of grain foods such as bread, cereal, rice, and pasta, and ask the children if they can name any of these items. For the activity, encourage the students to recall and list the grain foods they have eaten during the week. This will help them to connect the concept of grains to their everyday life and understand the role of grains in their diet. The activity can be done as a class discussion or in small groups, and students can draw or write the grain foods they remember eating.

Protein: Building Strong Bodies – Protein helps us grow strong – It’s like the building block for our muscles! – Found in meat, beans, eggs, nuts – Chicken, lentils, scrambled eggs, almonds – What protein foods do you enjoy? – Drawing our favorite protein foods – We’ll draw and color pictures of them! | This slide introduces the concept of protein to first graders, emphasizing its importance in building and repairing muscles. Start by explaining protein in simple terms, comparing it to building blocks that help our bodies grow strong. Provide examples of protein-rich foods, and use visuals if possible to help students identify them. Encourage the children to think about and share their favorite protein foods, fostering a class discussion. Conclude with a fun drawing activity where each student illustrates their preferred protein source, which will help reinforce the lesson and engage them creatively.

Dairy: Strong Bones and Teeth – Dairy helps our bodies – Milk, cheese, yogurt make bones strong – Examples of dairy foods – Milk, cheese, and yogurt are dairy – Discuss our favorite dairy – Share what dairy foods you love – Importance of dairy | This slide introduces the concept of dairy and its benefits to first graders. Start by explaining how dairy is essential for keeping our bones and teeth strong. Show examples of dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt. Engage the class by asking them to think of and share their favorite dairy foods. This can be an interactive part of the lesson where students can also learn from their peers’ preferences. Emphasize the importance of including dairy in their diet for good health. For the activity, you can have students draw their favorite dairy product, bring a dairy food for show and tell, or even have a dairy tasting session if possible.

Reading Time: A Food Adventure – Let’s read a food story together – Listen as I read the story aloud – Observe the food pictures carefully – What foods do you see? What colors are they? – Think about our food discussions – Remember what we learned about each food | This slide is designed to engage first-grade students in a read-along activity focused on food. The teacher will read a story about food aloud, and students are encouraged to follow along. They should pay close attention to the pictures in the story, which will help them connect the text to visual elements. This activity will help reinforce their understanding of different types of food and encourage them to think about the discussions they’ve had in class about food. The teacher should pause after reading to ask questions about the pictures and the story to ensure students are comprehending the material. This interactive approach to reading will help students develop their listening and comprehension skills.

Class Activity: My Favorite Foods Collage – Gather pictures or draw your favorite foods – Include a variety from all food groups – Create your own food collage – Use glue and paper to arrange your food pictures – Share and explain your choices – Tell us what you love about them and how they help you grow strong | This activity is designed to combine creativity with learning about food groups and healthy eating. Provide students with magazines, scissors, glue, and paper to create their collages. If possible, have them draw their favorite foods as an alternative. Encourage them to think about the food groups and choose a balanced variety of foods. Once the collages are complete, each student will present their collage to the class, explaining their food choices and what they know about each food group. This will help them practice speaking skills and reinforce their understanding of healthy eating habits. Possible variations of the activity could include focusing on a specific food group, creating a meal plan collage, or even a ‘rainbow foods’ collage to emphasize a variety of colors in their diet.