Audience: Students ages 9-12 years

General program objective: Participants will reduce overall daily sugar intake.

Specific program objective: Participants will identify the effects of sugar on the human body.

Behavior change strategy: Self-Efficacy

Educational activities:

• Elicit—have students contemplate the purpose of sugar in foods.
• Explain—play the provided video for the students.
• Expand—have the students discuss the importance and impact of sugar in their diets.
• Exit—have the students write a reflection on the effects of sugar.

Length of time to complete: 10-15 minutes, depending on length and depth of conversation

Materials Required:

• Multi-media display (e.g. computer monitor, projector, or SmartScreen)
• Access to the internet and YouTube
• Optional: Slime Making Kit (see Further Enrichment below)

Procedure:

• Ask the students questions to elicit conversation about the roles sugar plays in the body:
  1. Tell me what you think sugar does inside the body.
  2. Explain to me why someone would add sugar to a recipe when cooking.
  3. What do you think happens if someone eats (too much/not enough) sugar.
• Introduce the short-form video and play for the students.
• Ask the students to reflect on the video:
  1. What is a good thing that sugar does for the body?
  2. What happens to your body if there is too much sugar?
  3. What do you think will happen if there is not enough sugar in the body?
• Have each student write a paragraph about why they want to have a happy and healthy body.
  1. Possibly share out loud if time allows.
• Have the students write a reflection on the effects of sugar in the body and what that means to them, personally.
  1. Option to share out-loud if time allows.

Further enrichment:

Make slime! There are many different recipes available online. To make something like what is shown in this lesson’s video, use clear glue and liquid starch. Enjoy!