App review by Debbie Gorrell, Common Sense Education | Updated August 2014
Nutrition 101
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Nutrition 101

Health resource heavy on content; light on engagement, interactivity

Get it now
  • Download on Google Play
  • Download on Amazon
Learning rating
Editorial review by Common Sense Education
Community rating
Based on 1 review
Privacy rating
Not yet rated Expert evaluation by Common Sense
Grades
6–12 This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
Subjects & Skills
Science, Critical Thinking
Price:  $1.99
Platforms:  Android, Kindle Fire
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Take a look inside

5 images
Easy-to-navigate chapters are organized by topic.
The three main sections in the app are Learn, Review, and Test.
Information in each chapter is displayed in "snack-sized" portions.
Review section has digital flashcards to help kids learn key terms.
Kids take scored quizzes to assess learning.

Pros: Nutrition resource is packed with information and gives kids an opportunity to test their knowledge.

Cons: App is very text-heavy, and interactivity is minimal.

Bottom Line: Delivers valuable content, but kids have to do a lot of reading with little engagement or interaction.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

The organization of content by specific topics makes it fairly easy to use Nutrition 101 as an instructional supplement to a health or biology unit. Have kids read a chapter after they learn the content in class, review the vocabulary flashcards, and then take the quiz. The app doesn't accommodate multiple users, so even though kids can learn and review in groups, they'll have to take the quizzes individually. If kids are sharing devices, be sure to record quiz scores because you'll have to reset the user profile each time a new user takes a quiz.

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Standards:

Nutrition 101 is organized into three main sections: Learn, Review, and Test. In the Learn section, kids choose from 16 "snack-sized" chapters, each of which is broken down into a bulleted list of topics. This makes it easier for kids to digest the wealth of text-heavy information. Some diagrams break up the text and illustrate important concepts, but they're simplistic and non-interactive. The Review section provides vocabulary flashcards for each chapter, with a term on one side and its definition on the other. In the Test section, kids can take short quizzes, which are scored and tracked, to test their knowledge. The app also includes a page for controlling sound, resetting user profiles, and sharing feedback. 

Nutrition 101 provides a lot of information about health and nutrition, and developers have made an effort to break the information into "snack-sized" portions. This is helpful for kids who may feel overwhelmed by the amount of text and required reading. It's also nice that kids have access to digital flashcards and quizzes so they can challenge themselves and assess what they've learned. The app has very little additional interactivity, however, and graphics are unimpressive. The addition of tappable glossary terms and interactive graphics could greatly improve the overall value of this science resource.

Overall Rating
Engagement Would it motivate students and hold their interest? Is it visually appealing? Would it inspire teachers to try something new or change their instruction?

Images on the Learn screen are appealing, but most graphics are overly simplistic. Very little interactivity is embedded within the numerous content pages. 

Pedagogy Does the tool help teachers promote a more student-centered experience? Will students gain conceptual understanding or think critically? Does it deepen teachers’ pedagogical thinking?

Content is well-organized and covers an array of health-related topics. With built-in vocabulary flashcards and quizzes, kids can study and assess their learning. 

Support Can students and teachers get assistance when they need it? Is it created with people of different abilities and backgrounds in mind? Is learning reinforced and extended beyond the digital experience?

A clean design and organized layout help kids manage the tremendous amount of content. Demo videos show how to use the app. 

Common Sense reviewer
Debbie Gorrell Educator
See how we rate and review

Key Standards Supported

Reading Science/Technical

  • RST.6-8.10

    By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

  • RST.9-10.10

    By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

  • RST.11-12.10

    By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 11–12 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

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Community Rating

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Featured review by
Tracey W. , Media specialist/librarian
Media specialist/librarian
P.S. Is 54
Bronx, United States
Nutrition 101 is good for higher level students .
Nutrition 101 is an advanced program for many inner city students, struggling readers and ELL. Children found it difficult to read such a great deal of text without interaction or interesting check points. I liked the fact that all chapters provided vocabulary definitions through flashcard reviews. This is a great piece as it fosters studying habits and stamina in our middle school students. Nutrition 101 could better serve students by making it more stimulating for use. This seemed to function more at ...
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