AG-863 2000

TEACHING NOTE

All materials in this package are copyrighted. All materials (with one exception-see below) can be copied once for instructors; additional copies require permission. Send copyright permission inquiries to: Copyright Coordinator, University of Minnesota Extension Service, 405 Coffey Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108-6068.You may also e-mail your request to: copyright@extension.umn.edu or fax to 612-625-2207.The exceptions to this guideline are the cases and the exhibits, which are copyrighted, but copies (for participants only) can be made without further permission. Note: These documents have a "Reprinted with Permission" statement attached.

Overview
"Go Veggie? - Are You Crazy?" describes a teenage girl's dilemma regarding a decision to help her friend by becoming a vegetarian. This decision case lets participants discuss the issues associated with vegetarian diets. As participants increase their understanding of the issues, they can make better choices regarding their own diet and lifestyle.

Case Objectives
Through deliberation of this case, participants will have an enhanced:

¨		understanding of issues associated with vegetarian diets, such as animal welfare, environmental consequences, and nutritional considerations;
¨		capability to identify and personally access the reasons for their food choices to minimize health risks;
¨			ability to discriminate between scientifically valid information and misinformation; and
¨		confidence and capability to make decisions.

Use of the Case
This case was developed for use by secondary teachers and other professionals to educate about vegetarian diets for adolescents.

Lesson Plan
This decision case is designed to be used in a 1-2 hour period.

Materials needed

Ö		Copies of the written portion of the case and exhibits.
Ö		Blackboard, flip chart, overhead projector, or other means of displaying participants' comments.

Discussion Outline
To organize the discussion, you may want to fill an overhead or chalkboard with participants' comments as the discussion progresses. Some possible headings are shown below. You can change these headings to meet your specific goals.

I. Background
	A. The dilemma
	B. Approach

II. Issues
	A. Nutritional considerations
	B. Family and friends considerations
	C. Taste and enjoyment of meals
	D. Animals rights/ethics issues

III. Other issues

IV. Options

"Go Veggie? - Are You Crazy?"
General Principles of Case Teaching

Decision cases are a special kind of case study that focuses on an actual situation or dilemma that requires a decision. They are called "problem-solving" cases and are unique because the narrative that explains the dilemma does not include the final decision. The participants in the case discussion take on the role of decision makers.

Decision case teaching is an active learning process centered on organizing discussion around solving the problem. This is done by analyzing the situation and evaluating a variety of solutions. It is a group process based on the premise that several heads are better than one. The case teacher does not teach as the traditional "sage on a stage," but rather guides the discussion by asking probing questions, providing reference or bridging statements, recording the discussion on the board, and recognizing participants' contributions.

Case teaching can be intense. Some cases precipitate arguments and some participants become frustrated when the instructor insists that "there is no one right answer." Good cases can have several decision possibilities and participants quickly learn that, although more information would be helpful and that no perfect solution exists, a decision must still be made. Such is real world decision making and problem solving. However, by exchanging information through discussion, participants are exposed to a variety of viewpoints they may not have considered previously.

Case teachers may ask students to complete the attached analysis chart prior to large group discussion. Formalizing key points relating to factors that influence the decision making process before group discussion is helpful in promoting exchange of viewpoints.

Click for Analysis Chart.

Room arrangement plays an important part in the case discussion. Most rooms are arranged in rows so that the instructor is the focal point; however, this physical setting can stifle effective teaching. If possible, the ideal situation is to place the seats in a "U" or horseshoe shape so participants can easily see one another and the case teacher can get close to the students and move to and from the blackboard.

An effective strategy for case teachers is to make use of the chalkboard, overhead projector, or easel with newsprint to help organize discussions that may at times seem to be going in many directions at once. By doing so, teachers give students a chance to see their contributions to the discussion validated. Teachers can organize the outline by the key questions asked or topic of the discussion. This Teaching Note contains a discussion outline option in the "Lesson Plan" section.

Managing time is one of the most difficult parts of teaching with cases. It may be helpful to indicate approximate times on the question outline notes to keep on track.

When closing a discussion, most case teachers use a summary statement or a debriefing of the case. One may ask the group to make a decision about the case.

Not everyone will agree. Again, the case teacher can point out that it is okay to have several decisions in a dilemma situation.

Another option is to ask the group, "What just happened here?" This gives the group an opportunity to talk about their perceptions of the case process and share their insight after participating in the decision case discussion. The method of closing the case depends on the objectives and style of the case teacher.

"Go Veggie? - Are You Crazy?"
Discussion Questions

These are examples of the questions you could use to stimulate discussion of the issues in the case. You could ask participants to discuss questions in small groups of two or three, followed by discussion by the entire group.

Background Information

Vegetarianism
The popularity of vegetarian diets has increased greatly over the past few years, because of concerns about animal welfare, the environment, and the desire to have healthy diets. More and more teenagers are choosing not to eat meat, poultry, and fish. Teenage vegetarians face pressure from peers to conform, from parents who are concerned about their health, and from themselves as they try to maintain their commitment to this lifestyle change.

Health benefits
In general, heart disease, high blood pressure, adult-onset diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancer tend to develop less often in vegetarians compared to nonvegetarians. Vegetarian diets are often lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein content and have higher concentrations of folate, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and phytochemicals. Healthful vegetarian diets are typically low in fat and high in fiber, but a vegetarian diet can be high in fat, sodium, and sugar depending on the food choices made. It should also be noted that even though studies indicate vegetarians often have lower morbidity and mortality rates than nonvegetarians, vegetarians also may have healthier lifestyles in general with lower rates of smoking and higher rates of physical activity.

Nutrition considerations for teenage vegetarians
Risk of nutrient deficiency is greatest during periods of physiological stress and accelerated growth. Problems are most likely to arise in the diets of teenagers if the variety of the diet is restricted and particularly when the consumption of dairy products is low. Vegetarian diets with reasonable amounts of dairy products and eggs are less likely to be inadequate than vegan diets. In general, the greater the variety of foods in the diet, the better the chances that all the nutrients will be provided.

• Calcium: Especially during adolescence, calcium is needed for bone formation. Adult bone density is determined in adolescence and young adulthood, so it is important to include good sources of calcium.
• Iron: Iron requirements for teenagers are high. A varied diet that includes foods with vitamin C and iron can help teenage vegetarians meet their iron requirement.
• Vitamin B-12 : Only vegans need to add vitamin B-12 to their diet through fortified cereals, soy milks, or from supplements.
• Protein: Vegetarians do not need to combine specific foods within a meal as advised by the old "complementary protein" theory. The body can make its own complete proteins if enough calories are eaten during the day along with a variety of plant foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
• Energy: Because vegetarian diets can be bulky or filling, growing children may need high-calorie foods and frequent snacks to meet their calorie needs.