ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)



Activity

Bitter Sweet

Key Learning

Students will examine and understand a range of nutritional information panels to find out about the sugar content in the foods they consume. Students will investigate the science behind sugar.

The Australian Curriculum

|English / Language /Expressing and developing ideas | |Science / Science Understanding / Chemical sciences |

| | | |

|Investigate how vocabulary choices, including evaluative language can | |A change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by adding or |

|express shades of meaning, feeling and opinion (ACELA1525) | |removing heat (ACSSU046) |

|[pic] | |[pic] |

|Analyse how point of view is generated in visual texts by means of | |Solids, liquids and gases have different observable properties and |

|choices, for example gaze, angle and social distance (ACELA1764) | |behave in different ways (ACSSU077) |

|[pic] | |[pic] |

|English / Literacy / Interacting with others | |Changes to materials can be reversible, such as melting, freezing, |

| | |evaporating; or irreversible, such as burning and rusting (ACSSU095) |

|Participate in and contribute to discussions, clarifying and | |[pic] |

|interrogating ideas, developing and supporting arguments, sharing and | | |

|evaluating information, experiences and opinions(ACELY1709) | | |

|[pic] | | |

Discussion Questions

1. Did you know that foods that are low-fat can often contain more sugar? Discuss as a class.

2. What has contributed to the obesity problem?

3. What sorts of foods and drinks contain sugar?

4. Sugar is a...

a. Protein

b. Carbohydrate

c. Fat

5. Why is sugar added to a lot of processed foods?

6. What are some problems that are caused by eating too much sugar?

7. Researchers say that too much sugar can lead to other problems. Name the two diseases mentioned in the BtN story.

8. It is recommended that kids have no more than _____ teaspoons of sugar a day.

9. Where on a food product can you find information about the sugar content?

10. Research the difference between added sugars and natural sugars.

Activities

|The effects of sugar |

Before watching the BtN Bitter Sweet story ask students the following questions to find out what they know about the effects of sugar. Students will compare their responses.

|The science behind sugar |

After watching the BtN Bitter Sweet story invite students to conduct their own research into the science of sugar.

Find out what your students know about sugar, what they learnt from the story and what questions they have about the topic. Hold a class discussion using the following questions and then provide students with the opportunity to conduct their own research.

|Examining and understanding food labels |

Nutritional information helps you keep track of what you’re eating and enables you to choose between different products to get the best one for you. The nutrition information panel (NIP) helps you compare key nutrients and serving sizes while some food labels will also include information on percentage daily intake and nutrition claims too.

Ask students to collect a range of recycled food containers/boxes and bring them into school.

Working in pairs students will analyse a range of nutrition information panels and record their findings.

1. Before reading the nutrition information panels, ask students to write down each food item in order from what they think has the least sugar to the most sugar. Compare results with other students in the class. Reveal and discuss the results as a class.

2. Look at the ingredients label to see if there are any ‘added sugars’.

There are many different names for sugars including: sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrose, raw sugar, cane sugar, malt extract and molasses.

3. Look at the nutrition information panels and record the amount of sugar in the product per 100 grams. The amount of sugar will be recorded in grams.

4. Compare the sugar content across different products. When comparing two similar products ensure that they have the same serving sizes first. If not, then compare the sugar content using the quantity per 100g.

5. Find a low fat food product, for example mayonnaise or yoghurt. Compare the nutrition information panel on the same product that isn’t low fat. What did you notice? What was surprising about the results you found?

6. What did you find surprising about your investigation?

[pic]

When a food label says ‘No Added Sugar’ the product may contain naturally occurring sugars e.g. lactose (milk sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar), but no additional sugars have been added to the product.

Working in pairs students will analyse a range of food packaging to find out what words/phrases or pictures are used that suggest a product is healthy.

Further Investigation

Get your students involved in CSIRO’s Science by Email program! Try their hands-on sugar glass – the shattering truth experiment, which looks at the science of sugar.

Should foods high in sugar be labelled more clearly? Have your say on the BtN online poll.

Generate a question for your own classroom poll. For example, Should there be a tax on sugary drinks and foods to help kids’ health? Record your results in the form of a pie graph.

Visit your school canteen and analyse the amount of sugar found in the food. What ingredients are used to make the foods found in your school canteen?

( Related Research Links

ABC Catalyst – Toxic Sugar?



Better Health – Sugar



Child and Youth Health – Sugar: Yes, you’re sweet enough!



ABC Health & Wellbeing – Do you need to give up sugar?



ABC Rural – Bad press prompts sugar industry campaign



Eat for Health – Dietary Guidelines



NSW Food Authority – Nutrition Labelling



Exploratorium – The science of sugar



BBC Newsround – Should we tax sugary drinks to help kids’ health?



Behind the News – Globesity



Behind the News – Slimming Soft Drinks



Behind the News – Food Labelling



Behind the News – Diabetes Day



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Episode 23

20th August 2013

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Questions

• What words/phrases were commonly used to promote the product?

• Were there any additional words or graphics used to promote the product?

• Is the labelling clear for consumers? Could it be improved? How? Make a list of recommendations.

Questions

• What is sugar?

• What is the difference between ‘added sugars’ and ‘naturally occurring’ sugars?

• What is glucose?

• What is fructose?

• What is sucrose?

Questions

• What foods and drinks do you consume that contain sugar?

• How does sugar affect you? Think about your energy levels, health, behaviour and sleep.

• What changes do you notice when you eat sugar?

• What types of food contain sugar?

• What types of foods don’t contain sugar?

• What are some good things about sugar?

• What are some problems that are caused by eating too much sugar?

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