One of the hallmarks of understanding metabolism is the idea of “calories in,calories out,” which is the concept behind energy balance. While there is much more to understanding human nutrition, this is and will always be the foundation. The idea of energy balance is that the body uses a certain amount of calories daily for biological functions, exercise, growth, and repair. Energy requirements are met by consuming food. The balance of energy consumed and used is referred to as energy balance.

This game will help the students visualize the concept of “energy in, energy out” through a soccer game. Depending on what happens during the game, the “organism” may not have enough energy, meet its energy requirement, or have more energy than it needs. This introductory lesson will give a basic understanding of how energy is consumed and used by the body.

Materials: 

·      An ample open space (such as a gym or field)

·      At least two soccer balls

·      Eight hula hoops

o   Preferable if you have two colors to help designate teams

§  For example, four blue hula hoops and four red hula-hoops

·      Eight cones

·      Jerseys or pennies

o   Preferable if they match the colors used for the hula-hoops

·      Whiteboard or scoreboard

Minimum Number of Students Needed: You will need at least eight to play this game; it works perfectly if the total number is divisible by eight. If not, it should work well if the teams are somewhat even.

Age: All Ages