What is Meat?
Introduction to the module
The aim of this module is to help pupils understand the origin, structure and composition of different types of meat.
Meat is an important food commodity which provides nutrients essential for health.
A variety of different textures, colours and flavours of meat are available for you to choose.
It consists of:
- A PowerPoint presentation
- 2 x question sheets and answer sheets – these can be used to test pupil’s knowledge or used to complete whilst viewing the PowerPoint to reinforce learning.
- Glossary
- Meat cuts posters
Key learning from this module
- Red meat eaten in the United Kingdom (UK), comes mainly from: cattle (beef), pigs (pork) and sheep (lamb).
- Lean meat is the muscle tissue of animals which is made up of bundles of muscle fibres held together by creamy white connective tissue.
- Connective tissue is made up of two proteins called collagen and elastin.
- Two different types of fat can be found in meat, visible and invisible.
- The colour of meat varies due to the red protein called myoglobin and some haemoglobin remaining in the muscles. Exposure to oxygen increases the red colour of meat.
- Lean meat consists of water, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals.
Suggested classroom activities
- Use the PowerPoint presentation to complete the worksheets.
- Ask groups of students to research different cuts of meat and ask them to record their findings on the worksheet Let’s look at red meat.
- Take a class survey on the amount and different types of red meat eaten over a period of one week. Discuss the most popular choices and aspects of food choice made by the class.
- Begin using the Glossary worksheet to build students vocabulary.