Big gulp

Do you or your students love sugary drinks?  What if it were against the law to order a large sugary drink where you lived?  On September 13th, 2012 the New York City Health Department banned sodas and sweetened drinks larger than 16 ounces that are  sold in restaurants, delis, stadiums, arenas, food carts, and movies.  The health department voted in September but the ban wasn't going to actually begin until March 12th, 2013.  On March 11th, 2013, a New York Supreme Court judge overruled the ban.  You can read more about this in this NY Times article or watch the CNN video below.  In November of 2014 voters in Berkeley, CA voted to impose a first ever soda tax, one cent per ounce.  See the Time News Story on the tax and check out the video below.

With this activity on sugar quantities in huge drinks, your students will use rates to judge calories per gram of sugar and compare the number of candy portions required to equal the large soda's sugar content.  Students also consider how many daily values of sugar they consume with one large drink.  Hopefully this activity will help students understand how unhealthy large soda drink can be.  We can have a healthy eating discussion even in math class.

And a story on the Soda Tax: