26 SMART IDEAS
THINK TEACHERS ■ MARCH 2014
Delta Dental presents learning activities for your classroom
Eat, drink and be healthy
A Health Lesson…to teach kids what to put in their mouths
that’s good for their mouths
Think About It…Kids tend to favor foods with sugar; sugar from snack foods and drinks. Bacteria
in the mouth convert sugars to acids that attack the enamel on teeth, starting the decay process. So how
can we get students to opt for healthier drinks and food like cheeses, chicken or other meats, nuts, fruits,
veggies and milk? Try these lesson plans:
Soft Drink Softener
Learning Objective: Determine how many teaspoons of
refined sugars are contained in soda and how to come up
with healthier beverage alternatives.
Materials:
• Soft drink cans or bottles (6 oz., 12 oz. and/or 20 oz.)
that represent at least six beverages that at least six of
your students say they drink regularly
• 1-pound bag of sugar
• Clear sandwich baggies
• Measuring spoons
Lesson Plan:
1.
Place the soda cans or bottles and a bag of sugar on a
table where the students can see them.
2. Put an empty sandwich bag in front of each soda container.
3. Ask students to estimate the amount of sugar contained in each soda.
4. Use the teaspoon to scoop the correct amount of
sugar into the bag in front of each container.
• (Note: One teaspoon of sugar = 2.65 grams.
Another way to look at it is one gram is a little
more than a third of a teaspoon. Since there
aren't 1/3 teaspoons, you could use a heaping ¼
teaspoon of sugar or a scant ½ tsp to approximate one gram. Also, a tablespoon of sugar is
close to 8 grams.)
5. Hold up the sandwich bag of sugar next to each soft
drink the measurement represents.
6. Ask students to estimate how many soft drinks they
consume each day or over a week's time and calculate
approximately how many teaspoons of sugar go in to
their bodies as a result.
7. Create a graph with teaspoons of sugar on one axis
and cavities on the other axis.
8. Have students find their coordinates on the graph
and post their names there.
9. Make a list of what the students who rate high on the
graph drink. Make a list of what students who rate
low drink.
10. Go around the room and ask each student what they
will be drinking now when they are thirsty.
Wise Buys
Materials:
Ask students to collect copies of food advertisements from
newspapers, magazines and catalogues or food packaging.
Lesson Plan:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Divide class into four or five groups.
Give each group 10 food items to review.
For each item, group members should decide why
somebody might buy this product.
For each item, group members should determine how
advertisers got customers to buy their products.
Each group should pick three best items from the 10
reviewed.
Each group presents its three items to the class with
reasons why they should buy them. Reasons might
include:
• Is this food low in saturated fat?
• Is this food expensive or good value for money?
After each presentation, have students vote on
whether it is a “wise buy.”
Make a list of the wise buys and send it home to
parents to encourage good nutrition.