Western Nevada College
Spring 2016
Nutrition 121 Human Nutrition
Syllabus:
Catalog Course Description, Nutrition 121:
Offers a beginning course in the principles of human nutrition including a study of each
of the major nutrients and how they relate to good health and a well balanced diet.
Includes four laboratory experiences.
Course Objectives
A beginning course in the principles of human nutrition, focusing on the major nutrients;
including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, water, vitamins, minerals and the role these
nutrients play in human health. This course includes planning a well-balanced diet and
evaluating nutrition fact versus fallacy. Four laboratory experiences are required.
o Students will gain factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods,
trends) about human nutrition. Including defining terms such as nutrients,
nutritional status, recommended dietary allowances, dietary reference intakes, and
essential nutrients.
o Students will improve problem solving, creative, and critical thinking skills,
including distinguishing nutrition fact from fallacy.
o Through the laboratory experiences, students will understand and apply the
principles of nutritional assessment.
o Through laboratory assignments, students will gain an understanding of data
collection and interpretation. Students will calculate nutrient percentages on
nutrition labels and in planning a well-balanced diet.
General Education Student Learning Outcome:
Students who successfully complete NUTR 121 satisfy the General Education Learning
Objectives of: Understanding the methods of science. Appreciating the role that science
and technology plays in the modern world. Have college-level skills in reading, writing,
and oral communication appropriate to their degree and/or emphasis. Develop effective
and efficient learning skills, including locating and evaluating information. Establish
useful problem solving, creative reasoning, and critical thinking skills.
Text: Nutrition: An Applied Approach, My Plate Edition; 4th Ed. by Thompson.
There are also Lecture Notes by Dr. Duvall.
Instructor: Kate Duvall, DC. (Dr. Duvall) You can contact me by email:
kathleen.duvall@wnc.edu. I do not have an office or regularly scheduled office hours, so
contact me by email, and office time can be arranged. I can also be reached through the
Liberal Arts Division, 445-3290. My mailbox is in Bristlecone building.
Class Meetings: 1 pm to 3:45 pm Mondays. Attendance is part of the graded point total;
late arrival or early departure can be considered equal to an absence. Please be quietly
seated and ready to take notes when class starts.
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Western Nevada College
Spring 2016
Classroom behavior expectation:
o Phones should be turned to vibrate before the start of class. Interruptions should
be avoided. While some situations cannot be anticipated, it is expected that you
will do your best to minimize disturbance to fellow students.
o Be respectful of your fellow students and our time together.
o On lab days, please follow all the lab rules, as these rules are intended for your
safety. If food items are part of lab, DO NOT EAT anything unless you are
instructed to do so. Please be sure that all areas are cleaned completely for the
next class to use the room.
o There is a great deal of material to cover during our time together, so we must try
to keep digressions to a minimum. Please plan to limit questions during lecture,
and ask for further discussion outside of class time.
Study hints: Study some amount each day. Take extra B vitamin and get adequate rest
before tests (this helps reduce physiological stress). Try to relate the subject matter to
events in your own life. The more connections you can make between what you already
know and new learning, the more likely it is that the new learning will stick in your brain.
Grading and Testing: People tend to remember the answers they gave on the test;
therefore, tests should reinforce learning the right answer as much as possible. A large
number of simple questions will anchor more knowledge than just a few complicated
questions. Much of this field of study involves learning new vocabulary, or at least,
learning specific meanings for vocabulary terms. Test questions will be primarily in the
form of multiple choice or short fill in the blank. It is my hope that everyone will learn a
lot and get very high scores.
Grading Scale:
A
B
C
D
F
Instructors do not give “W”.
Registrar’s office.
Scoring:
Attendance
Lab Worksheets (4)
Midterm One
Midterm Two
Homework Paper
Final
90-100% (A- at 90/91; A+ is not an option)
80-89% (B- at 80/81; B+ at 88/89)
70-79% (C- at 70/71; C+ at 78/79;)
60-69%
Less than 60%
If you wish to withdraw, you must do so through the
15 pts. (1/2 point per meeting)
20 (5 pts each lab)
20
20
5
20
Make up Exams: Please plan on taking the scheduled exam. I am not required to offer a make
up exams.
Academic Dishonesty: Cheating in any form cannot be tolerated. Your mind, and what you do
with it, are the only things you truly own in life. Please refer to the Student Handbook and other
WNC official policy statements.
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Western Nevada College
Spring 2016
Homework Paper: Science requires reading and writing to convey thoughts in a clear manner.
A two-page paper will be due by March 28. This is not a full research paper; what I want is a
persuasive essay. Pick any one food item, and state both what is “good” about this food, and
what is “bad”, based on the nutritional characteristics we have discussed. The food item can be a
single ingredient, like avocado, or a mixture, like pizza (as long as you give the specific recipe).
The scientific reference for evaluating the food item will be the USDA.
The paper should have the format of Introduction, Body and Conclusion. The grading for the
paper is as follows: 1 point for a paper with a title and your name on it, on time. 1 point each for
the segments Introduction, Body and Conclusion. 1 point for having the Conclusion sentence as a
supported opinion relating directly to the Topic sentence of the Introduction.
Extra Credit: At my discretion, up to 5 points can be added to your grade through extra credit,
which can be earned through writing a second 2 page written essay. Prior approval of the topic is
required. Topics for the EC essay can include subjects such as ‘Hunger in America’, ‘Federal
School Lunch’, ‘Weight Loss’, ‘Bodybuilding’, ‘Astronaut Nutrition’, ‘MREs’, ‘Betty Crocker’s
Test Kitchen’, ‘Organic Food Labeling’, ‘Food Imports’, etc. Other extra credit ideas will be
considered, such as a class presentation on a specific topic.
Americans with Disabilities Act: WNC supports providing equal access for students with
disabilities. Susan Trist (DSS coordinator) is available to discuss appropriate academic
accommodations that students may require I am glad to make whatever accommodations are
appropriate to help your education.
Support Media: TV is a great educator if you choose to use it that way. There’s an entire
network for food and nutrition related topics. You can relax, unwind, and still learn. “Good
Eats” episodes, hosted by Alton Brown, are available on Netflix or You Tube and provide a
science perspective for home cooking. “How It’s Made” also has interesting food topics.
Reliable Websites on Nutrition topics:
American Dietetic Association [www.eatright.org]
American Society for Nutrition [www.nutrition.org]
Society for Nutrition Education [www.sneb.org]
American College of Sports Medicine [www.acsm.org]
US Dept. of Agriculture [www.nutrition.gov].
The Vegetarian Resource Group [www.vrg.org]
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Western Nevada College
Spring 2016
Syllabus Nutrition 121:
Mondays, 1-3:45
Meeting Schedule:
Topic
Week Jan 25
Introduction; Overview of Nutrition
1
“My Plate”; Nutrition labels
2
Feb 1
Digestion, Absorption
LAB 1: Acid/base food chemistry
3
Feb 8
Simple Sugar; Complex Carbohydrates;
Diabetes; Alcohol
4
Feb 15
HOLIDAY: PRESIDENT’S DAY
5
Feb 22
Review
MIDTERM 1: Nutrition labels, Carbohydrates
6
Feb 29
Lipids: oils and fats; metabolism, essential oils
Triglycerides, cholesterol; Cardiovascular disease
7
Mar 7
Proteins: Nitrogen metabolism;
Vegetarian considerations;
Minerals and micronutrients;
8
Mar 14
Fluids and Electrolytes
Oxidation/free radicals; Cancer
Mar 21
SPRING BREAK
9
Mar 28
HOMEWORK DUE. Bone Health
LAB 2: food analysis chemistry
10
Apr 4
Review
MIDTERM 2: Lipids, Proteins, Other nutrients
11
Apr 11
Energy Metabolism
Maintaining weight
LAB 3: Calculating BMI; keeping a food diary
12
Apr 18
Physical activity; Malnutrition
Food Safety, food illnesses
13
Apr 25
Pregnancy and Lactation needs
Infants and Children; Food allergies
14
May 2
Issues of Aging
15
May 9
LAB 4: Meal planning
16
May 16
FINAL EXAM: Meal Planning & Lifecycle
Chapter
1
2
3
Hand-out
4
In Depth: 1, 4
5
In Depth: 5
6
Lecture Notes
In Depth: 6
7
8, in Depth 8
9, in Depth 9
Hand-out
10
11 (+ in Depth)
12 (+ in Depth)
13
14 (+ in Depth)
15 (+ in Depth)
Lecture Notes
Hand-out
4