facebook Food Energy Basics for Kids | Science Lesson For Grades 3-5
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Learn About Food And Energy!

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A fun science lesson and video on food, energy and nutrition for kids in 3rd, 4th & 5th grade!

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DEFINITION OF FOOD

Food is any nutritious substance that people or animals eat to give them energy and building blocks to grow and repair. Our bodies tell us when we need food by feeling hungry. The types of food we eat determine what types of building blocks and energy sources our bodies use.

To better understand food and nutrition….

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN!

The food we eat gives our bodies materials for growth.

Flamingos eat foods that make them pink

Nearly all our food comes from either plants or animals. After it enters our digestive system, our bodies break it down into useful materials that have two uses.

Growth & repair (getting taller,  stronger or mending broken bones), and energy to think, stay warm, and move around.

Flamingos are an excellent example of how food is used for growth. Flamingos like to eat algae which has a lot of beta-carotene, a natural chemical that has a red color. The bird’s digestive system breaks down the algae, which releases the red chemical. The red chemical then gets deposited in the flamingo’s feathers as they grow, giving flamingos a pink color.

If you feed a flamingo food without the natural red chemical, it would not be pink. Even though we are not the color of our food like a flamingo, we are also made up the materials that we have eaten. You are what you eat!

The food we eat gives our bodies energy.

burning sugar to show that food has energy

Food also provides us with energy to move and stay warm. We can conduct experiments with food to show that it has stored energy by mixing it with an oxidizer and setting it on fire.

An oxidizer is a chemical that provides a lot of oxygen to help things release energy. The ability of food to burn shows that it contains stored energy.

The amount of energy and types of nutrients we get is determined by the types of foods we eat. Whole or natural foods contain lots of important nutrients. Unhealthy foods do not.

For example, broccoli contains carbohydrates, calcium, protein, fiber, iron, and vitamins. You need all these things to help you grow. Candy contains just sugar.

Energy from our food comes from the sun!

diagram of the sun's energy being transferred to humans

All the energy we get from food can be traced back to the sun.

The sun’s energy is transferred to plants, which use it to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars. That process is called photosynthesis. Plants are then eaten by animals, which are eaten by larger animals.

Through this process, the energy from the sun is transferred from one living thing to another.

For example, a plant captures energy from the sun through photosynthesis, and then the plant is eaten by a caterpillar. The caterpillar gets eaten by a turkey, and we eat the turkey for dinner. The whole process is powered by the sun.

What is (or isn’t) food?

broccoli and carrots on a plate which are food people can eat

For something to qualify as food it must give us building blocks to grow and repair AND energy.

Wood is from trees, which is a plant, but it is not food for humans because we cannot break it down and use it for energy.

Leather is from a cow, which is an animal. It can be used for food, but it wouldn’t taste very good.

Vitamins give us building blocks to grow and repair, but they do not give us energy so technically, vitamins are not food.

EXAMPLES OF FOOD AND ENERGY

plant growing without soil in a bowl of water

Hydroponic plants grow without soil by using minerals in the water. This is evidence that plants do not get their energy from the soil. All the energy to make them grow comes from the sun.

Bowl of crickets which are edible

Bugs are a delicacy in some countries. Many are high in protein and they can be cooked easily and quickly. Yum…

vitamins and minerals in a bowl which are not considered food

Vitamins and minerals are not food. They can provide us with building blocks to help us grow but they don’t give us any energy.

FOOD AND ENERGY VOCABULARY

Food
Any nutritious substance that people or animals eat in order to give them energy and building blocks to grow and repair.
Energy
It makes things happen. (Or more formally: the ability to do work)
Hunger
The feeling that makes you want to eat. It is actually our bodies telling us that we need food for more energy and building blocks.
Oxidizer
A chemical that provides a lot of oxygen to help things burn.
Digestive System
Made up of the stomach, intestines and other components, it allows us to break down food and absorb nutrients.
Photosynthesis
A process by which plants use sunlight to make sugar from carbon dioxide and water.
Hydroponic Plant
A plant that is grown without soil. It uses minerals dissolved in water to grow along with sunlight and carbon dioxide from the air.
Healthy Food
Healthy foods have a variety of nutrients that help give us energy and provide building blocks to help us grow and repair. Examples include fruits and vegetables.
Unhealthy Food
Things like candy, potato chips and soda. They are often high in sugar and fat, which is bad in large quantities. They do help us get energy but are not as effective as healthy food at helping us grow and repair.

FOOD AND ENERGY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

How does your body turn food into energy?

When a person eats food, their digestive system breaks it down into small pieces. Those small pieces are digested and absorbed by the body. Inside the body, food helps us get energy and also to grow and repair.

How is energy transferred from a plant to a person?

Energy is first transferred from the sun to the plant by photosynthesis. Then, the plant is eaten by a person. When this happens, energy is transferred from the plant to a person.

Why is sunlight energy important?

Almost all energy on earth can be traced back to the sun! Photosynthesis in plants converts light energy to chemical energy. Animals and people eat the plants and then the chemical energy in the plant can be used by animals (including humans).

What does food give us?

It gives us energy and building blocks to keep our bodies healthy and functioning properly.

How do plants and animals take in the food they need to survive?

Plants do not ingest the food they need for survival. They must create their food through the process of photosynthesis. Animals ingest, or eat the food they need for energy from sources such as plants or other animals.

How do we know that plants obtain materials needed for growth primarily from air and water.

One piece of evidence is hydroponic plants. They grow without any soil. It uses water, air and sunlight to grow. You can further confirm that a plant requires water, air and sunlight by trying to grow a plant in the dark or without water.

Why is it important to think about the types of foods you eat for energy?

Some foods contain very important nutrients that help the body grow. Others contain additives and other substances that are bad for you in large quantities.

WATCH THE FULL FOOD & ENERGY EPISODE!

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We Cover All Major Science Standards in Grades 3-5
Image play Four Seasons and Day Length
Image play Chemical vs. Physical Changes
Image play Bacteria & Viruses
Image play Who is Dr. Jeff?
Image play Patterns in the Sky
Image play Variation of Traits
Image play Multicellular Organisms
Image play Introduction to Sound
Image play Balanced & Unbalanced Forces
Image play Atoms & Molecules
Image play What is Engineering?
Image play Weathering & Erosion
Image play Tectonic Plates
Image play The Five Senses
Image play Structure of Living Things
Image play Solar & Lunar Eclipses
Image play Introduction to Weather
Image play Water Cycle (3-5 Version)
Image play Chemical Reactions
Image play Simple Machines
Image play Properties of Matter
Image play Natural Selection
Image play Oceans, Lakes and Rivers
Image play Earth’s Orbit & Rotation
Image play Electricity & Circuits
Image play Living vs. Non-Living Things
Image play Fossils & Extinction
Image play Electromagnetic Spectrum
Image play Heating and Cooling
Image play Energy Transfer
Image play Plant & Animal Cells
Image play Inspired by Nature (Biomimicry)
Image play Sun and Other Stars
Image play Causes of Seasons
Image play Introduction to Light
Image play Brain Processing of Senses
Image play Symbiosis (Interactions Between Organisms)
Image play Pollination and Seed Dispersal
Image play Adaptations and the Environment
Image play Electric & Magnetic Fields
Image play Material Properties and Purposes
Image play Collisions
Image play Classification of Living Things
Image play Gravity Pulls Things Down
Image play Magnets & Static Electricity
Image play Gravitational Forces Between Objects
Image play Pushes and Pulls
Image play Food Webs
Image play Synthetic Materials
Image play Introduction to Traits
Image play Conservation of Matter
Image play Competition in Ecosystems
Image play Plant Growth Conditions
Image play Ecosystems
Image play Wave Reflection, Absorption & Transmittance
Image play Animals Help Their Babies Survive
Image play Patterns of Motion & Friction
Image play Comparative Anatomy
Image play Solids, Liquids and Gases
Image play Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources
Image play Engineering Design Process
Image play Plants Need Water And Light
Image play Human Body Systems
Image play What is Science? (6-8 Version)
Image play Biodiversity of Life on Earth
Image play Natural Disasters
Image play Intro to Thermal Energy
Image play Sunlight Warms the Earth
Image play Extreme Weather Solutions
Image play Food Webs: Cycling of Matter & Flow of Energy
Image play Habitats
Image play How Do We Use Food
Image play Properties of Elements
Image play Parts of a Plant
Image play Wave Properties
Image play Water Cycle (6-8 Version)
Image play Communication Over Distances
Image play Moon & Its Phases
Image play Potential vs. Kinetic Energy
Image play Maps of Landforms
Image play Interactions of Earth’s Spheres
Image play Reproduction of Living Things
Image play What Is Science? (K-2 Version)
Image play Light Reflection & Vision
Image play Genes & Mutations
Image play Classification of Materials
Image play Particle Nature of Matter
Image play The Solar System
Image play Natural Resources
Image play Weather vs. Climate
Image play Photosynthesis & Respiration
Image play Changing the Shape of Land
Image play Animal Group Behavior
Image play Rocks & Minerals (Including Rock Cycle)
Image play Reducing Our Impact on Earth
Image play Information Transfer
Image play Rock Layers (Geologic Time)
Image play External Animal Parts
Image play Earth’s Landscapes
Image play Heat: Transfer of Thermal Energy
Image play Living Things Change Their Environment
Image play Animal & Plant Life Cycles
Image play Biotechnology
Image play Timescale of Earth’s Events
Image play Water Quality & Distribution
Image play Maintaining Biodiversity
Image play Animals Need Food
Image play What Is Science? (3-5 Version)
Image play Predicting Natural Disasters
Image play Digital vs. Analog Signals
Image play Newton’s Laws of Motion
Image play Climate Zones & Ocean Currents
Image play Air Masses & Weather Fronts
Image play Intro to Climate Change
Image play Natural Resource Distribution
Image play Human Impacts on the Environment
Image play The Fossil Record
Image play How To Be A Scientist (College & Careers)
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