Educator Idea File: Fortune Teller

This works great with field trips where the students may not have any experience, such as a farm or farmer’s market. The students will write down predictions they have about what they will see or perhaps what is for sale at the market. During the field trips they will takes notes of what they actually see to compare with their predictions. This activity is really using the scientific method, whether the students realize it or not. They could also write an English paper comparing predictions with their actual experience. I think it is always a great idea to get as much out of a nutrition activity as possible. And guessing is one of those things that everyone really enjoys. They can learn and have fun at the same time. You can also use the fortune teller or guessing game for nutrition facts on packages, portion size awareness, amount of fiber, fat or sugar in popular foods and much more.By Heather Stinson, Child Nutrition Specialist, Indiana Department of Education, Office of School & Community Nutrition, Indianapolis, Indiana www.doe.in.gov/food