We’ve designed two lesson plans that can be used with a variety of audiences with slight modifications. Together, these lessons reinforce the key messages of the Open Truth Campaign:
Sugary drinks are making us sick. The sugary drinks industry targets young people and communities of color to increase profits and brand loyalty.
Part 1: Sugary Drinks & Health
This 30-minute lesson plan exposes the truth that sugary drinks are making us sick. The activities are designed to teach the following key messages in an interactive and engaging way:
- What is a sugary drink?
- Sugary drinks vs. sugary food
- We are eating too much sugar.
- Sugary drinks are making us sick.
Download materials for Part 1
- OT PT 1 Presentation Guide – This presentation guide will provide recommended language and activities to teach others about health impacts of sugary drinks.
- Sugary Drink Activity Key – See images of sugary drinks, nutrition labels and teaspoons of sugar in the container.
- Calculating How Much Sugar is in a Container | Spanish | Chinese – This handout teaches how to convert grams of sugar into teaspoons.
- Sugary Drinks are Making Us Sick Worksheet – This fill-in-the-blank worksheet reviews some of the health impacts of sugary drinks.
- If you use these materials, we’d love to know how it went! Please send us an evaluation summary.
Part 2: Sugary Drinks & Industry Tactics
This 35-45 minute lesson exposes the marketing tactics that the sugary drink industry uses. The activities are designed to teach the following key messages in an interactive and engaging way:
- Who is Big Soda?
- Big Soda spends millions of dollars targeting kids with marketing tactics that associate harmful drinks with fame, athleticism, sex appeal, health, and happiness.
- Big Soda targets Latino and African American youth, even though they know that their drinks are making us sick.
- Take Action! Don’t be a target. Get informed, share what you know, and speak up for your health, your family’s health, and your community’s health.
Download materials for Part 2
- PT 2 Presentation Guide – This presentation guide will provide recommended language and activities to teach others about industry’s marketing tactics.
- Logo Activity – This one page handout will help participants understand what a logo is selling.
- Logo Answer Key
- Trivia Worksheet – Six trivia questions about sugary drinks.
- Trivia Key
- Ad Activity – This one page handout guides participants through how to analyze what marketing tactics are used in a sugary drink advertisement.
- Sample Ads – A collection of sugary drink advertisements that can be used with the Ad Activity above.
- Industry Arguments – One-page worksheet to match industry arguments with public health responses.
- Industry Quotes – Quotes straight from Big Soda Executives’ mouths to prove that Big Soda targets youth of color.
