CANDY CUBING--THE EDIBLE ARGUMENT

Brief description of the activity: The teacher will read a nutrition facts panel and list the nutrients most important to the health of consumers and compare the nutritional values of various products. Students will be able to identify the nutritional qualities of the food products they choose and develop skills in persuasive writing by using the cubing technique as the basis for their argument.

Amount of time required: 60-90 Minutes

Materials needed: Overhead projector & Nutrition Facts Panel transparency. Writing utensils (pencils and markers), an 18x20 sheet of colored paper, loose leaf paper, and candy (3 different types and equal amounts of each dependent upon the number of students) with a nutrition facts label.

Detailed Description and Directions for the activity:

• Pass a bag of candy around the class and let students select the candy of their choice. Then group students together with like candies.
• Tell the students that they need to imagine there are only three brands of candy in the world.
• Each group will address the points used in cubing and focus on the question, “Why is my candy the best value?”
• Students will design an advertisement and/or commercial for their candy.
• Each group will do an oral presentation and communicate their ideas and argument of why their candy is the best.

Suggestions for Evaluation/Grading/Assessment for this activity:

Evaluate oral presentations and collect group paragraphs and/or lists and advertisements.

Candy Cubing Guide

• Describe it. (Describe its colors, shapes, and sizes. What does it look like?)
• Compare it. (What is it similar to or different from?)
• Associate it. (What does it make you think of?)
• Analyze it. (How is it made or what is it composed of?)
• Apply it. (What can you do with it?)
• Argue for or against it. (Take a stand and list reasons for supporting it.)

Ideas for arguments: Price, advertising appeal, ease of consumption, appearance, dangers, nutrition facts, feel, smell, and taste.

Michele Duncan
Nansemond River High School
Suffolk VA