YUMMY!...Wait, how much sugar?!

     I have long loved Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, and now I've pretty much ruined it for myself and most of my students!  We are in our Health & Nutrition unit in Science as well as Metric Measurement unit in Math.  So I took the opportunity to combine the two!  The results were wonderful!  The kids got a real-world application for why it is important to understand metric measurements as well as a life lesson about choosing healthy food.  I teach Science to both 2nd & 3rd graders, so it was fun to see each grade apply what they learned.  I updated my unit using Health & Nutrition Unit by Inspire Me ASAP.  What a FANTASTIC resource!  Highly recommended.  I also used her challenges as a long-term project to be turned in.  She provides three 10-day challenges in exercise, curbing sugar, and general nutrition.  My students were given all three pages and could earn prizes for completing all 30 activities.  I was surprised how motivated some of them became!

      Nine grams is how much sugar is contained in 3/4 cup (serving size) of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.  When my co-teacher and I figured out what 9 grams looked like, I went back to find out the serving size.  We were both shocked!  I decided I would try to create that feeling in my students.  The students started out in groups of four by scooping what they thought was 9 grams of sugar into a Ziploc bag.  Afterwards, I had them Seesaw a picture of their bag to their parents asking if they thought it looked like 9 grams of sugar.  Click HERE to view to a 2nd Grade Seesaw entry.  I then had them each weigh their bags on one of two scales I'd purchased.  Most of the kids went over 9 grams.  Of my 28 students, only 5 or so got close.  Some were as high as 600 grams...!  My math class had measured items that morning so they were a little closer in their estimations.  We then reconvened for more of a discussion.  I said, "Okay, kiddos!  Now looking at what 9 grams actually looks like, get this - a serving size is 3/4 of a cup!"  I showed them the amount scooped into a baggie!  They all had the same OMG moment as I had!