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Entire Activity Download (17 pages - 4.5 MB)
Individual Downloads
Keywords
fat minder, calorie, energy balance, Archimedes Principle, mass, volume, density, exercise, physical activity
Search Curricular Keywords
Resource
FatMinders™ PowerPoint Presentation
html version ppt version 1.3MB
Objectives
With a Fat-Minder™ made from clay, plaster of Paris, and silicone caulking, students will be able to:
- 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
Background
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 FatMinder™. 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-Minders™ are then glued onto coasters to serve as a reminder to “keep an energy balance”.
Materials: (Per Fat-Minder™)
- Sculpy clay (small amount in zip-loc bag)
- 3/4 c dry plaster of Paris (pre-measured into Styrofoam bowl)
- 1 c tap water (approximately)
- 1 sturdy Styrofoam Bowl
- 3 small Styrofoam cups
- 2 small paper plates
- 2 sturdy plastic spoons
- 2 toothpicks
- Red auto gasket silicone (small amount placed on paper plate just before being used)
- Clear 100% Silicone caulking (approximately 2 spoonfuls placed in small Styrofoam cup just before using)
- 1 drop yellow acrylic paint
- 1 triple beam balance
- 1 150 ml plastic graduated beaker (with the smallest increments possible so to accurately measure volume displacement)
- 1 copy Student Information Page
- 1 copy Student Data Pages (per student)
Activity Management Suggestions
Pre-measure as many of the ingredients as possible to manage materials
and time effectively.
While waiting for the plaster molds to dry, students can be working
on lesson content.
Another option for measuring the volume of the Fat-Minder™ can be
found in Activity 3B: Hy-Density: An Exploration of Hydrodensitometry Part 6 – It’s a Stick! It’s Clay! No, It’s Denso Man!.
Extensions
Students can research the obesity epidemic in the US and recommend
interventions to help.
Activity References Used
Centers for Disease Control National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey website: http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/
Medline Plus website: http://medlineplus.gov/
National Heart Lung and Blood Website: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov
National Library of Medicine Pub Med website:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New York:
General Learning Press.
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