Informed Choices

Overview

In this third lesson of the unit, students learn how to make informed choices about food and drink by separating nutritional information from persuasive marketing. Students practise analysing real-life examples and apply decision-making steps to everyday scenarios.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify what makes food and drink “healthier” using basic nutritional facts.
• Students will recognise common marketing techniques that influence choices.
• Students will compare a product’s nutritional information with its advertising message.
• Students will practise a simple decision-making process to choose food and drink for wellbeing.

Success criteria

• I can explain the difference between nutritional facts and marketing claims.
• I can point to evidence on a label or in information and use it to make a choice.
• I can describe at least two marketing techniques and why they might affect me.
• I can recommend a healthier option using clear reasons.

Curriculum links

• Wellbeing online — understanding how information is targeted and developing discernment to misinformation or misleading information.
• Secondary health and wellbeing — using accurate, straightforward language appropriate to learners’ understanding to support wellbeing decisions.
• Healthy eating — how to maintain healthy eating and links between poor diet and health risks (including tooth decay and unhealthy weight gain).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Emotional check-in & routine. Teacher uses a quick 1–5 mood scale and asks students to choose a word for how they feel today (e.g. calm, worried, excited). Students indicate mood on a card or mini-poll and take their seat quietly.

2. 5–12 min · Retrieval starter (previous lesson + key vocabulary). Teacher displays 4 short prompts from lesson 1–2 (e.g. “balanced”, “portion”, “energy”, “wellbeing”) and models one sentence starter. Students complete a quick “Say-Write-Show” response: choose one prompt and write one sentence linking food/drink to wellbeing.

3. 12–22 min · Explicit teaching: facts vs influence (mini inputs). Teacher introduces Tier 2/3 vocabulary with a Frayer-style quick model: “nutrition label”, “calories/energy”, “sugar”, “marketing”, “persuasive”, “claim”, “healthier option”. Students copy a simplified Frayer table for 2 key words (“nutrition label”, “marketing”) and add one example each.

4. 22–33 min · Guided analysis: real-life examples. Teacher shows 2–3 printed product examples (front-of-pack adverts, “deal” offers, snack bar wrapper, soft drink ad poster) with nutrition info included on a separate sheet. Students work in pairs to complete a structured compare grid: “What the advert says” vs “What the facts show” vs “How it might affect my choice”.

5. 33–44 min · Case study discussion (oracy scaffolded). Teacher reads a short scenario: a student wants a sugary drink at lunch because the advert shows excitement/athletes, but the facts show high sugar. Students use sentence stems displayed on the board to discuss respectfully:

• “The advert is trying to…”
• “The facts show…”
• “A healthier choice would be…”
• “I would choose that because…”

6. 44–54 min · Decision-making practice (apply the process). Teacher introduces a simple 4-step decision process for today:

1. Check the facts (label/amounts) 2) Spot the marketing message 3) Think about impact on wellbeing 4) Choose and justify. Students complete an “Informed Choice” worksheet for 2 scenarios (e.g. “buying a drink”, “choosing a snack”), selecting an option and writing a reason with at least one nutritional fact.

7. 54–60 min · Low-stakes assessment & retrieval wrap-up. Teacher collects exit tickets with two questions only and reminds students the unit theme: owning choices for their future. Students submit:

• “One fact vs one marketing claim from today is…”
• “My decision step I used was…”

Resources

• Printed example adverts/wrappers (2–3) with matching nutrition info cards
• Nutrition info reading sheet (plain language, accessible units, simple comparisons)
• “Compare grid” printable
• Frayer-model templates (2 key words) with word banks
• “Informed Choice” worksheet (two scenarios)
• Oracy sentence stems cards
• Exit ticket slips or digital equivalent (non-internet)
• Mood scale cards

Assessment

• Formative: compare grid checks for accurate identification of “facts” and “marketing influence”.
• Formative: teacher listens for correct vocabulary use during scenario discussion.
• Exit ticket: distinguishes nutritional facts from marketing claims and includes a justified choice.

Differentiation

• Support: provide reading scaffolds (short text, increased font, glossaries), pre-highlight key numbers on nutrition cards.
• Support: sentence stems and a word bank on worksheets; allow answers in bullet points.
• Target vocabulary: students choose either “calories/energy” or “sugar” to include, rather than both.
• Challenge: extension for some students to add a “reasoning link” (e.g. how high sugar can affect tooth decay/unhealthy weight gain).

Assessment evidence for AQA Unit Award Scheme (optional, unobtrusive)

• Collect the “Informed Choice” worksheet and exit ticket as evidence of practical decision-making, communication during discussion, and wellbeing-focused reasoning.