Canadian Agriculture at a Glance Teacher's Kit > Lesson plans

Lesson : There's omegas in those hemp seeds

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Introduction
Curriculum connections
Notes to teacher
Teaching and learning strategies
Assessment/evaluation strategies
Accommodation and enrichment strategies
Links to other activities
Suggestions for further research

Introduction

This activity focuses on fat in our diet. The discussion centres on the nutritional benefits of omega fatty acids, which are found in hemp and other oilseeds.

Curriculum connections

• demonstrates an understanding of the diversity of agricultural endeavours in Canada.

Family Studies/Home Economics

• describes new technology and products related to food.

Science

• describes ways in which research into animal health and nutrition has brought about improvements in human health and nutrition.

Notes to teacher

This unit, which corresponds to the chapter "The Leading Edge" in the book, can be taught as co-operative group work, focusing on change and its effect on agriculture and our lives as consumers (PDF).

Teaching and learning strategies

1. Students read the article "There's omegas in those hemp seeds" on pages 293 to 296 in Canadian Agriculture at a Glance (PDF).
2. Students answer the following questions based on their reading:
1. What is the role of fat in the diet?
2. Why has fat in Canadians' diets become an issue?
3. What are the three types of fats we can consume? Where do we get them?
4. Why are omegas different?
5. How should we approach good food habits?
3. Students add terminology to their glossaries.

Assessment/evaluation strategies

1. Assess answers to questions for accuracy and completion.
2. Assess glossaries for accuracy and completion.

Accommodation and enrichment strategies

• Some students may require assistance in order to complete written work.
• Students with special needs may work with a partner to complete a task.
• Templates for note-taking should be provided to students with special needs.
• Main ideas and/or new information should be mapped out and organized to meet the needs of all students.
• Wherever possible, vocabulary lists should be provided with a discussion of context clues and related vocabulary.
• For enrichment, students may research other sources of omega fatty acids.

Links to other activities

This activity is linked to:

• A science-fiction harvest
• Growing herbs for the medicine chest
• Technology on the farm
• Farming with a mouse
• Dairy farming goes high tech

Suggestions for further research

• Students can investigate other ways in which omega is being added to our diet, e.g., the change in feed to laying hens to create eggs rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Students can use 2001 Census of Agriculture data in E-STAT for data analysis, graphing and mapping activities for specific geographic areas of local interest.

Please send comments or examples of how you used this lesson in your class to Learning Resources.

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