Water WorksFor our Bodies!

Date: April 13, 2016

Time: 5:00-5:30
Location: Greenview Park, Pequannock, NJ
Target Group: 1st grade boys, Cub Scouts
Overall Goal:
To educate young, active boys the essential role that water plays in the body and understand how to
meet daily water needs to help them develop the habit of drinking water for good health.
Icebreaker/ Attention Grabber:
The instructor will conduct a game where the participants can start out in a standing or sitting
position. The instructor will then ask them questions about water or other drinks, such as "Do you
like to drink water?" or "Do you drink milk everyday?" If their answer is "Yes," they change to the
other position. If "No," then they stay the same. Also, when they answer, the participants will state
their name. This exercise helps the instructor learn about the participants and their drink preferences
and habits. By introducing these questions and ideas during the icebreaker allows, the participants
to start thinking about what they drink on a daily basis.

OBJECTIVES
1. Following the lesson, the
participants will understand
that water is essential to
keep them healthy and stay
alive.

GENERALIZATIONS
1. Waterisanessential
nutrientinhelpingthe
bodytransportnutrients
and waste products from
its metabolic processes.

Cognitive domainknowledge

LEARNING EXPERIENCES
1. A poster will be shown with visuals
demonstrating why water is important
to drink daily and the five ways to stay
hydrated. Activity sheets will be given
to the participants to help them
understand the importance of drinking
water everyday.
(10 minutes)

2. Upon completing the

lesson, the participants will
understand the importance
of consuming enough water
each day.

2. It is required that
children, 5-8 years old,
drink 5 cups of water a
day to promote healthy
habits.

2. A visual presentation of water bottles

will be used to demonstrate the amount
of water the participants should be
consuming each day.
(5 minutes)

Cognitive domainknowledge

3. At the end of this

nutrition intervention, the
participants will be able to
identifywaystoaddwater
totheirdailyroutineby
makingittastebetter.

3. Consuming water and

water-rich foods,
throughout the day is
necessary for replacing
fluid loss.

Cognitive domain- analysis

3. The instructor will set out a variety

of fresh fruits, such as strawberries,
oranges, and lemons on a table. The
participants will then squeeze each fruit
into a separate glass of water. The
instructor will then have the
participants rank the new flavors to
determine which makes their water
taste better.
(10 minutes)

4. Upon completing the

lesson, the participants will
practice ways to incorporate
drinking 5 cups or more of
water a day.

4. The daily consumption

of water results in the
healthy digestion and
strengthening of the body
in individuals.

Psychomotor domainpracticing

4. A handout of a water drinking

challenge will be given to the
participants to help them record their
daily water intake.

(5 minutes)

Teaching Aids/ Materials:

Poster (visuals)
Bottles of water (5 small 8 oz.)
Plastic cups
Fresh fruit (strawberries, oranges, and lemons) cut into slices
Bowls (3- for the fruit)
Tongs (3- to distribute the fruit)
Activity sheets on the importance of water consumption
Handout for the participants to use to record daily water intake

Summary:
Water is one of the body's most essential nutrients. It is the most abundant substance in the body,
making up about 60% of body weight (Why Water Matters, 2014). It also helps keep the bodys

temperature at 98.6 degrees and maintain blood volume (Why Water Matters, 2014). Water plays a
large role in lubricating joints and body tissues. The daily amount of water that a child needs
depends on factors such as age, weight and gender. Both girls and boys ages 4 to 8, for example,
should consume about 5 cups of water a day (Mullen & Shield, 2015). Temperature, humidity, a
person's activity level and his or her health overall affects their daily water requirements, as well.
Dehydration is a major consequence of consuming not enough water. It can also happen as a result
of illness, exposure to hot-temperature environments, and physical activity. It is important to
consume water before, during and after any form of physical activity. Some common symptoms of
dehydration include sudden thirst, sweating, feeling fatigue or weakness, or having a headache
(Why Water Matters, 2014). Hunger may sometimes result when dehydration occurs.
Because dehydration can occur it is important to stay hydrated to ensure your body is working
properly. The five steps to staying hydrated are: to drink water with meals and when you feel thirsty,
choose water over sugary drinks such as soda, sports drinks, or fruit juice, drink water during and
after exercise or other physical activity, and if time is spent outside in hot weather, extra water
should be consumed.
Evaluation:
A question and answer session will follow the nutrition intervention lesson. These questions will
help the participants recall the information discussed throughout the lesson and demonstrate what
they have learned about water and daily water consumption. Some questions asked by the instructor
will include:
Why is water important for our bodies?
How much water should you drink a day?
How do you know when you are thirsty or dehydrated?
Following the question and answer portion of the lesson conclusion, the instructor and the
participants will discuss and brainstorm the different ways they can incorporate water into their
daily diet. The instructor will also give the participants a handout, where they can record their daily
water consumption by coloring glasses of water. The instructor will challenge the participants to
complete the handout everyday when they get home to ensure they are consuming enough water.

Mullen, M., & Shield, J. (2015, June 11). Water: How Much Do Kids Need? Retrieved February 20,
2016, from http://www.eatright.org/resource/fitness/sports-and-performance/hydrateright/water-go-with-the-flow http://www.eatright.org/resource/fitness/sports-andperformance/hydrate-right/water-go-with-the-flow
Why Water Matters. (2014). Retrieved February 19, 2016.
https://www.healthteacher.com/lesson_assets/view/372