Using Live Species Around Campus to Understand Diets
A multi-level approach for students with exceptionalities
By Stacy Craft Disorder (ASD) who are obese.1 H
EALTH AND WELLNESS ARE imperative to individuals with special needs, particularly so for the one-third of individuals with Autism Spectrum Although exercise is neces-
sary to maintain proper health, it can be difficult to engage others in exercise when it is viewed negatively; however, diet — or rather, food and eating — is a topic that many people with ASD enjoy, with favorite foods being chicken nuggets, french fries, and pizza.2,3,4 Every living thing “eats,” whether it be plants converting
sunlight into sugars, horses eating grass, or humans eating chicken. Helping students understand what a plant or animal eats may help them meet educational requirements, and it could better connect students with nature because we can often readily draw parallels between our actions and those of other species. Often, individuals with ASD are ostracized by their peers due to their difficulty understanding emotion; however, Poon, Teng, Chow & Chen5
found that individu-
als who are ostracized may also connect better with nature and desire to engage with it. Therefore, it is important to encourage that connection through a positive topic — diet.
Discussing diet can be difficult initially, so using exam-
ples from other species aids in starting and continuing a discussion. For example, students who do not enjoy eating plant-based foods might enjoy discussing herbivores. Sim- ilarly, students who struggle to eat enough animal protein may connect with carnivorous or omnivorous species. Allowing students to connect with their favorite or preferred species based on diet allows them to open up to new foods, while enhancing their brains’ ability to retain and under- stand concepts in the science education curriculum. In most curricula, discussion of animal diets typically
occurs across several grade levels, intentionally building upon previously-obtained knowledge to ensure a well- rounded education. However, it is common for special education students to be left behind when content is not presented at a level or in a way that they can understand. Therefore, this lesson includes hands-on activities with real life examples to educate these students for their success. As students categorized as having special needs are not all at the same level, regardless of their designation, there are four levels of difficulty within this lesson that can either be used consecutively to build knowledge or to provide edu- cators with multiple starting points for teaching matter and
Green Teacher 122 Page 41
Photo by Deborah Breen Whiting
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