Course Syllabus

HFST 1020 Scientific Foundations of Nutrition

Course Description

Scientific Foundations of Nutrition is designed to introduce students to the science of human nutrition and inspire personal application of the principles taught. Concepts to be studied include the basic nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and water), their chemical composition, digestion, metabolism, physiological function, dietary recommendations, food sources, and deficiency and toxicity symptoms. Obesity, weight management, energy balance, and food and water safety will also be covered.

Justification

Scientific Foundations of Nutrition (HFST 1020) is an introduction to the science of human nutrition. It is intended to transfer over to other schools in the state to fulfill the life science general education requirement. This course is designed to meet the basic nutrition course requirements for students majoring in family and consumer sciences, food and nutrition, clinical nutrition, dietetics, education, food service systems management, food science, nursing, nutrition science, sports nutrition, public health nutrition, and nursing.Scientific Foundations of Nutrition serves as a prerequisite for many programs across the state and transfers as a general education requirement, program requirement or elective to USHE institutions.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Students will discover the world of life sciences through the exploration of the human body. They will also demonstrate the basic principles of wellbeing. Students will gain this knowledge through reading the textbook, listening and participating during lessons, completing assignments, and taking exams. Activities, exams and assignments will be assessed by the instructor.
2. A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Students will complete writing assignments that are required for the course. Assignments involve a variety of writing approaches, such as research, problem-solving and abstracting. Students will gain this knowledge through reading the textbook, listening and participating during lessons, completing assignments, and taking exams. Activities, exams and assignments will be assessed by the instructor.
3. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Students will employ various mathematical, scientific, and nutritional analyses of nutritional adequacies throughout the semester. Examples include calculating RDA percentages consumed, comparison of energy intake and energy expenditure, BMR calculations, nutrient recommendation calculations, and energy nutrient ratios. Students will gain this knowledge through reading the textbook, listening and participating during lessons, completing assignments, and taking exams. Activities, exams and assignments will be assessed by the instructor.
4. A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. Foundations of Nutrition include multiple assignments, readings, and quizzes that are tailored to different methods of reasoning that ensures students are learning to think in ways that are indicative of reasoning analytically, critically, and creatively. Activities, exams and assignments will be assessed by the instructor.
5. A student who completes the GE curriculum can communicate effectively through writing and speaking. Students will complete writing assignments that are required for the course. Assignments involve a variety of writing approaches, such as research, problem-solving and abstracting. Students will gain this knowledge through reading the textbook, listening and participating during lessons, completing assignments, and taking exams. Activities, exams and assignments will be assessed by the instructor.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. As students are exposed to various scientific concepts of nutrition, they will be asked to analyze and evaluate nutritional habits and patterns that are used in their daily lives through class discussion and assignments. The students will be challenged to improve their nutritional status and physical activity. Students will gain this knowledge through reading the textbook, listening and participating during lessons, completing assignments, and taking exams. Activities, exams and assignments will be assessed by the instructor.  As students are exposed to various scientific concepts of nutrition, they will be asked to analyze and evaluate nutritional habits and patterns that are used in their daily lives through class discussion and assignments. The students will be challenged to improve their nutritional status and physical activity. Students will gain this knowledge through reading the textbook, listening and participating during lessons, completing assignments, and taking exams. Activities, exams and assignments will be assessed by the instructor.
2. Demonstrate basic understanding of how organisms live, grow, respond to their environment, and reproduce.  Living organisms require nutrition for growth, maintenance, and repair. Without nutrition, organisms cannot survive. These and other basic concepts such as the central dogma of biology, simple chemistry, and cell structure and function, are taught throughout the curriculum. The importance of these concepts is stressed during the particularized study of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. Students are assessed on their understanding of these concepts through assignments, readings, and tests.
3. Discuss the organization and flow of matter and energy through biological systems.  Students are exposed to the many chemical pathways, or the metabolism, that occurs when food is ingested to when it releases the energy needed by the body to function. Through the discussion of carbohydrates, glycolysis, citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain are introduced. During the lipids portion of metabolism, lipolysis, beta-oxidation, ketogenesis, and ketoacidosis are revealed. Students will explore the world of energy storage by studying lipogenesis, glycogenesis, and gluconeogenesis though assignments, quizzes and class discussion.
4. Explain from evidence patterns of inheritance, structural unity, adaptation, and diversity of life on Earth.  Students will discover how nutrition affects every part of their lives through class discussion and assignments. There must be unity and variety found in a diet and behavior practices that can lead to a healthy lifestyle. Students will explore these concepts by analyzing their diets, both at the beginning of the semester and the end. The purpose is to see the power of nutrition working within their own lives. The instructor will assess the diet analysis as part of the final grade.
5. Describe how the Life Sciences have shaped and been shaped by historical, ethical, and social contexts. From the nutritional perspective of life sciences, students will be shown though in-class discussion and assignments how this field has evolved and will continue to evolve throughout their lives. Food has always been a human necessity since the beginning of time, but the specifics of what is essential and required in a diet have varied. Students will analyze and evaluate current research findings, both from a scientific perspective and a non-scientific perspective. There are many social trends in nutrition that student will use to identify fact from fiction. Students will also be challenged to share their newly acquired knowledge with friends and families to squelch the increasing number of nutritional fallacies. The instructor will assess the research findings and presentations as part of the final grade.

Course Content

Scientific Foundations of Nutrition deals with an array of topics based on content which uses a methodological approach to understanding nutrition. A few of these topics include evaluating nutrition, human digestion, carbohydrates such as sugars, starches and fiber. lipids, proteins, metabolism, vitamins, obesity, and food and water safety. All of these issues lead to a unique understanding of the way a scientific nutrition approach exists in different cultures and peoples.