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Issue link: https://wardsworld.wardsci.com/i/1236354
Sugar Weight Activity + ward ' s science Recommended Grade Level(s): Appropriate for: Elementary Time Requirements: Activity Time: 60 minutes Teaching Topics & Concepts: • This activity introduces students to basic weighing techniques • This activity introduces students to nutritional concepts, including servings. • This activity introduces students to conversion calculations. Materials: • Triple beam balance • Candy packages (e.g. M&Ms, Skittles, etc, in bag quantities with multiple servings, e.g. "Shareable size") • Drinks (juice, soda, tea/lemonade (e.g. Snapple), diet soda, energy drink e.g. Rockstar, Monster), sports drink (e.g. Gatorade) • 5 lb bag of sugar • Beaker or bowl (1 to 4 cup capacity) • Scoop or spoon • Zip top bags • Poster board • Markers • Glue/zip ties • Notebook or other means to record data Safety • Do not eat the candy or drink the beverages! ! Background For most of us, it is often difficult to realize just how much sugar we eat or drink in various foods, especially since the weights of sugar are indicated in units that are foreign to many people (grams), and on a per-serving basis, which is often different from the amount consumed during a snacking situation. For example, how many people actually share their "shareable size" M&Ms packages? Yet on these packages, the calories and sugar are indicated per serving, and the packages contain two servings each. Similarly, many people, includ- ing parents, assume that fruit juices are much healthier than soda — yet these contain an astounding amount of sugar, as do energy drinks, and are not necessarily a healthy alternative, particularly if the concern is calorie consumption. In this activity, students will weigh the foods. Using the nutritional info, they will calculate how much total sugar is in each of these foods. They will then weigh out the amount of sugar for each food, and place it in a ziptop bag. The empty food packages can then be affixed to the poster board, with the bags of sugar underneath. Using markers, the students can write the amount of sugar in each food, and what percentage of the food weight is sugar. This will provide them with a clear visual to understand how much sugar is in each of these foods. They can bring these home for their families to consider as well.