TEACHER ENRICHMENT INITIATIVES

Activity 5A: Fat Minder®: How to Keep an Energy Balance

Students will create a personalized model of human body fat using clay, plaster of Paris, and silicone caulking. Once the model is complete, students will measure the mass of their Fat Minder® and determine how many calories they would have to take in to store a mass of body fat equal to the mass of the Fat Minder®. Next, students will examine how much exercise they would have to do to in order for their body to use a mass of body fat equal to the mass of the Fat Minder®. Finally, as a lead-in to hydrodensitometry, students will measure the volume and calculate density of their Fat Minder®. The Fat Minder® is then glued onto coasters to serve as a reminder to “keep an energy balance”.
 
Objectives: 
  • Measure mass and volume of their Fat Minder®
  • Calculate density of their Fat Minder®
  • Calculate calories used during a given amount of exercise
  • Determine how much exercise would be required to lose a mass of body fat equal to the mass of their Fat Minder®
  • Calculate calories contained in a given amount of food
  • Determine how much food would be required to gain a mass of body fat equal to the mass of their Fat Minder®
  • Describe how to keep an energy balance to manage body weight
Downloads: 
PDF icon Teacher Background Information 5A
PDF icon Teacher Administrative Information 5A
PDF icon Student Background Information 5A
PDF icon Student Data Pages 5A
PDF icon Student Fat Minder® Coaster 5A
Office presentation icon Fat Minder® Power Point Slide Show

Resource:

Fat Minder® PowerPoint Presentation

Keywords: 

Fat Minder®, calorie, energy balance, Archimedes Principle, mass, volume, density, exercise, physical activity

 

Activity Icon - %2
Activity Code: 
5A
Unit Reference: 
Corpulosity: A Study of Obesity
Lesson Reference: 
Lesson 5: Fat: Out of Balance?