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Unit  World Olympics, p. 124
Lesson Name  The Role of Diet in Meeting the Dietary Needs of Olympic Athletes
with Different Religious Beliefs
Grade Band 

Elementary (Grades 3-5)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Required Materials

  • Based on the size of the class, determine how many small groups of five students per group will be created. (For example, a class of 29 students will have six groups – five groups of five and one group of four.)

  • Print, one to an index card, the description of each athlete from the Athlete List provided.

  • Bring a bag or large envelope in which to place the index cards so that groups choose their cards without seeing any information about the athlete.

  • Have copies of all handouts, so each student has a full packet of Handouts 1-6.

  • Have markers for each group.

  • Have tape to post students’ charts.
Standards / Competencies 

CASEL Core Competencies

  • Self-Awareness

  • Self-Management

  • Social Awareness

  • Relationship Skills

Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards

  • Listening and Speaking

  • Reading

NCSS Social Studies Themes

  • Individual Development and Identity 

  • Culture
Recommended Time  2 days
Essential Question  How do the Olympics meet the dietary needs of athletes with
different religious beliefs?
Learning Objectives 

  • Define the role of a dietician (an expert on diet and nutrition who advises people on what to eat in order to lead a healthy lifestyle)

  • Describe the dietary restrictions of some of the world’s religions

  • Explain why athletes have greater nutritional needs than average people

  • Collaborate with classmates in a small group to design meals for a randomly assigned Olympic athlete

  • Make a menu presentation to the class that reflects the nutritional needs, cultural background and religious restrictions of the small group’s Olympic athlete
Activating Prior Knowledge  Divide the class into groups of five students each. Distribute the
packet of six handouts to each student. Tell the class that each group
is a team of dieticians. Review the packet. Each of you has a chart that
shows the typical number of calories an athlete in a particular sport
needs when they compete, a copy of information from the University of
Utah, a set of three Athletes’ Plates and, finally, a handout describing
the dietary observances of different religions.
Core Instruction 

Ask each group to select a representative who will come up to pick an Olympic athlete for whom the team must plan a meal. The card the representative picks will have the athlete’s name, country, sport, and religion or dietary preference. It will also say whether to prepare a menu for a light, medium or hard day.

Remind students that they are encouraged to use their dietary tip sheets to help them plan.

Tell students they have 30 minutes to plan the menu for their athlete and prepare a brief five- to seven-minute presentation on who their athlete is and the menu they have created. Provide chart paper and markers to each group.

Hold the athlete index cards face down and ask each representative to come up and pick one.

Circulate around the room to answer questions and monitor group work to ensure that all students are actively engaged.

Tell students when they have 15 minutes of planning time left. Repeat at 10 minutes and five minutes.

If necessary, extend planning time to the beginning of Day 2.

Day 2

If necessary, provide some additional planning time. Make sure there is enough time for each group to present.

When each group has presented and posted their menu chart, ask:

How was planning a menu for an Olympic athlete different from
preparing a meal for a student?

What was your group’s greatest challenge?

How did you meet this challenge?
Wrap-up  Ask: How would you sum up what you
learned about being an Olympic athlete that you hadn’t known
before?

Download this lesson to access handouts.