Reading for Life (RFL) Lessons

Minnesota ABE Supplemental Services, Linda Strand, 2004-2005

and the Minnesota Literacy Council

Focus: Food Packaging (Reading for Life volume 1, unit 3: Product Labels)

Objectives: Learners will be able to read food packaging labels for details and interpret nutritional information, ingredients and quality information.

Key Vocabulary: calories, carbohydrate, cholesterol, label, nutrition, protein, saturated fat, unsaturated fat, fiber, Recommended Daily Allowance, ingredients, serving, serving size, sodium, quantity, satisfaction guaranteed

Topics to Review: food vocabulary, percentages

Materials: Food packaging (nutrition labels with ingredients list) brought in by you or your learners, overhead transparencies of a couple of labels

Procedure:

Real-life application:

            T shows some of the packages with nutritional information and list of ingredients. T asks: “What are these? What kind of information can you get from them?” Ask other questions about the nutritional information to assess specific student knowledge on the topic.

Ingredients: T asks: “Where do we find out what is in the product? What is that called? What are the foods that make up the product called? How are the ingredients listed?” Look for answers regarding amounts and the order listed, and that any ingredients contained within an ingredient are listed in parentheses, e.g. enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid). If the package contains guarantee of quality, ask questions about that.

            Students look at one label on OHP. T asks questions about the label: “How much/many is a serving? How many calories are there? How much sodium/cholesterol/fiber/fat is there? Which ingredient is there the most of/least of?” Ask questions using another label.

Put two labels of similar products (two types of cereal, two types of crackers) on the overhead and compare them.

Progress to Reading for Life, v.1 competency worksheets: Applicable worksheets: RFL v.1 pages 45, 46 and 47. Choose from worksheets listed according to your learners’ needs. Please see your copy of Reading for Life for additional worksheets and units.

Progress to multiple-choice format activities: Multiple choice worksheets corresponding to pages 45 and 47 in Reading for Life v.1 are attached as well as an additional stand alone multiple-choice worksheet: Nutrition label worksheet and a bubble answer sheet.

 
Extensions:

• See Daily Living Activities on page 38 of Reading for Life v. 1
• Facilitate a discussion about healthy diets and the major food groups. Talk about different diets/weight loss plans and their effect on nutrition.
• Do the Reading Nutrition Labels activity outlined in the Tutor Tip Archive on the MLC website www.themlc.org/Health.html

Click on links within text above for attached pages and websites.