Pyramid Explorations™

The Balancing Act

The Balancing Act
Students learn that 4-2-3-2-6 gives them the right mix of foods from each food group. After reading Act III of The Pyramid Explorations™ Theater, they evaluate the aliens' diets.

• Understand that 4-2-3-2-6 is the minimum Five Food Group servings students they need for a healthy diet: 4 Milk Group servings; 2 Meat Group servings; 3 Vegetable Group servings; 2 Fruit Group servings; 6 Grain Group servings
• Evaluate a day's worth of meals and snacks using the 4-2-3-2-6 criterion

• The Pyramid Explorations Theater™ Act III PDF (1 per student)
• Pyramid Explorations™ Mini-Poster
• Review Act III and decide the number of students for each reading group. Small group options include:
  • 7 students in a group - 1 character per student
  • 6 students in a group - Since Bob and Jill have only a few lines, assign 1 student to read both parts
• Are They Getting Just the Right Mix? PDF worksheet (1 per student)
• Optional: 4-2-3-2-6 Grocery List PDF worksheet (1 per student)

• Begin with a review of the concepts presented in The Food Guide Pyramid activity. Have students think about how the Five Food Groups are similar to a star and share their thoughts. Review the fact that if one of a star's five points is missing, it's not a star. If one of the Five Food Groups is missing from the diet, the diet is not healthy.
• Briefly review each group using the following questions. For each food group, choose a food that is popular with your class. For example, a glass of chocolate milk for the Milk Group, etc.
  • Picture a __________________.
  • What key nutrient does the __________ provide? What are two ways the nutrient keeps you healthy?

  Milk Group (Calcium. Builds strong teeth and bones and helps clot blood.)
  Meat Group (Protein. Builds strong muscles and helps us grow.)
  Vegetable Group (Vitamin A. Helps us see in the dark and helps our skin stay healthy.)
  Fruit Group (Vitamin C. Heals cuts and bruises and fights infections.)
  Grain Group (Carbohydrates. Give us energy - Fiber. Helps us digest our food)

• Explain we need to eat a certain number of servings from each of the Five Food Groups every day that to make sure the body gets enough nutrients to grow and stay healthy. Students between ages 9 and 18 need at least 17 servings of nutritious foods every day!
• Distribute and review the Pyramid Explorations Mini-Poster, and identify the number of servings needed from each food group.
• Distribute Act III, "The Balancing Act." Assign roles and have students read the act in small groups. Position the groups so they can read with minimal disruption to one another.
• Ask students what rhythm they could use to remember the phrase: "4-2-3-2-6 Gives Me Just the Right Mix"? Give them a minute or two to experiment - then have several students offer suggestions. Review the main concepts in the story:
  • What does 4-2-3-2-6 stand for? (The number of servings students need each day from the Five Food Groups to get the nutrients needed for good health.)
  • What was the problem with what Roc and Marlah took from the buffet? (They chose nutritious foods but only one or two food groups.)
  • How many servings from the Grain Group do students your age need? (Six.) What are foods you might eat to get these six servings? (Accept all reasonable responses.)
• Distribute and have students complete Are They Getting Just the Right Mix? Review students' responses.
  (Responses for improving Marlah's diet include: add another serving of Meat; add one or two servings of Grain. Responses for improving Roc's diet include: add another Milk serving; add one or two Fruit servings.)
• Optional: Distribute and have students complete the 4-2-3-2-6 Grocery List. Ask several students to read the foods they provided for a specific food group.
• Wrap up by reminding students:
  • 4-2-3-2-6 is the minimum number of servings they need each day.
  • Students who are bigger need more servings from the Five Food Groups.
  • Students who are growing may need more servings from the Five Food Groups.
  • Students who are physically very active may need more servings from the Five Food Groups.
  • But for all students, 4-2-3-2-6 is the very least they should eat each day.

Going Further
Design Your Own Buffet
Have students create a buffet using the art medium of their choice: drawing, painting, collage, clay, etc. The buffet can include as many foods as they want as long as they include at least the minimum recommended number of servings from each of the Five Food Groups.

Note: PDF documents require the Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, click here to download a free copy.

Note: This activity is from the Pyramid Explorations™ student workbook. Pyramid Explorations™ is available from your local dairy council. Click here for contact information.

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