De Anza College
Contemporary Nutrition
Quarter: Spring 2015 (4 units)
Location: S57; T/TH 9:30-11:20
Instructor: Gigi Acker, MPH, RD
Office Hours: Friday 8:30-9:30 am
N-10
Office Hours Location: S57
Email: ackergeorgia@deanza.edu
Work Phone: 650-303-8199
Website: www.deanza.edu/faculty/ackergigi
Course Description: Physiological, psychological and practical aspects of obtaining a healthy diet.
Relationship of nutrients to health and well-being. Evaluation of current nutritional issues and
controversies.
Prerequisites: English Writing 100B and Reading 91 or 100 or English as a Second Language 24
or 72 and Mathematics 200 are advised. It is expected that you can do simple math problems,
including those that use percentages and ratios.
Course Materials:
 Recommended but not required: Nutrition Concepts & Controversies by Frances Sizer & Ellie
Whitney, 11th or 12th edition. (2 copies are on reserve in the library)
 Required: One pack of 3 inch by 5-inch index cards, any color. Bring to class every day.
 Access to the Internet
Student Learning Objectives: Students will be able to:
1. Evaluate a meal plan or a diet for meeting the criteria of a healthy diet.
2. Evaluate nutrition claims about a dietary supplement, food or diet for accuracy and health
enhancing potential.
Attendance:
 Attending class is very important. Please do your best to come to every class, on time.
 If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed from a classmate.
 It is YOUR responsibility to withdraw from the course if you wish to drop. Failure to do so
may result in your receiving an “F” grade.
 Mobile phones must be put on silent or turned off during class.
Exams:
 There are no make-up exams except for unavoidable circumstances with documentation.
 No exam will be handed out after the first exam has been completed and returned.
 You will need an 882-E or 2052 scantron sheet and #2 pencil for each exam.
 Once the exam begins, you will not be allowed to go to the bathroom.
 You need to return your exam copy to receive the grade on your scantron
 The grade you receive on your scantron cannot be adjusted.
 The final exam is not comprehensive.
 Exam questions are taken from the lectures, videos, discussions & in-class activities.
 Cheating is not tolerated and will result in a zero on the test and notification to the Dean of
Student Development.
Assignments:
 In-class activities using notecards and worksheets cannot be made up if absent.
 Assignments must be turned in before the end of the class that the assignment is due. An
assignment turned in after the close of the class that it is due is considered late.
 SuperTracker assignment will be accepted up to 3 classes after the due date. Late
assignments will be marked down 10% for each class it is late.
Record Your Grade Here
Exam 1
Exam 2
Final Exam
In-Class Activities (weekly)
SuperTracker Diet Analysis Assignment
Label Reading Assignment
TOTAL
Grading Scale
93-100%
A
90-92%
A-
87-89%
B+
83-86%
B
80-82%
B-
77-79%
C+
70-76%
C
67-69%
D+
63-66%
D
60-62%
D-
59% or below
F
100 points
100 points
100 points
75 points
60 points
25 points
460 points
Date
4/7 T
Topic
Class Introduction
4/9 TH
Introducing the Nutrients
Nutrition Research
4/14 T
4/16 TH
4/21 T
4/23 TH
4/28 T
4/30 TH
5/5 T
Fat & Heart Disease
Protein
Exam Review
Exam #1 (100 points)
Genetically Engineered Foods
Video: Harvest of Fear
Video: Food Inc.
5/14 TH
Video: Food Inc.
5/28 TH
Chapter 5: p. 145-178
Chapter 6: p. 190-209
Bring scantron 882-E
or 2052
Chapter 12: p. 479-485
GE Foods, Discussion
5/12 T
5/26 T
Bring Video Questions
(on class website)
Video: Heart Disease in America
Conventional & Organic Farming
5/21 TH
Chapter 12: p. 464-473
Water & Fluid Balance
Carbohydrates
Chapter 2: p. 61-67
Low Carb Diet
Exam Review
Chapter 4: p.103-144
Video: Fat: What No One is Telling You
Achieving & Maintaining Healthy Weight
Chapter 9: p. 320-366
Healthy Weight, cont.
6/4 TH
Vitamins & Minerals
Chapter 7 & 8
Phytochemicals
Chapter 8: p. 278-287
6/11 TH
6/16 T
Food & Supplement Labels
Food & Supplement Labels, cont.
Video: Fair Trade
Chapter 2: p. 48-59
6/18 TH
Label Reading Assignment @ Whole
Foods (25 points)
Field Trip to Whole Foods
20955 Stevens Creek Blvd
6/24
WED
FINAL EXAM @ 9:15
Field Trip Forms Due
(2 copies)
Bring scantron 882-E
or 2052
Exam #2 (100 points)
6/2T
6/9 T
Due Dates
Chapter 1: p. 13-17, 23-28
Nutrition Research
Video: Semi-Starvation Study
5/7 TH
5/19 T
Readings
SuperTracker Due
(60 points)
Meet @ Whole Foods
Bring class notes
Bring scantron 882-E
or 2052