Rationale:  Studies have shown that children who eat a balanced breakfast perform better in school.   Studies also conclude, though, that many children do not eat balanced breakfasts, and some do not eat breakfast at all.  Anyone who watches children's commercial television knows that children are a huge consumer market.  Television ads flash by the screen with cartoon characters pushing everything from sneakers with wheels to sugary coated cookies for breakfast.  It is no wonder that many children believe the claims that their favorite sugary concoction is indeed "part of a complete breakfast."  The question is "what part?"  Would the breakfast be just as complete without the cookies floating in milk?  This lesson is designed to get children thinking about their breakfast choices and the choices they make as consumers.

Learning Outcomes:

After completing this webquest, students will be able to
 
**    Identify the components of a nutritious and complete breakfast.

**    Use the food pyramid to make breakfast choices.

**    Read a cereal box food label.

**    List common techniques used by advertisers to persuade children.

**    Debate the appropriateness of advertising aimed at children.

5th Grade Georgia QCC's for this webquest:

1 Topic: Science Inquiry, Process Skills and Problem Solving
Standard: Asks questions, makes and keeps records of observations, classifies objects and events, communicates with others, makes inferences and predictions, uses estimation and measurement, uses evidence to construct explanations, makes sketches and diagrams to explain ideas, organizes data into tables and charts for interpretation, reads and interprets various types of graphs, formulates simple hypotheses, identifies and controls a limited number of variables, and designs a simple experiment
 

23 Topic: The Living World: Human Body
 Standard: Identifies the food pyramid, its components and their importance. Classifies foods into the groups of the food pyramid.
 

24 Topic: The Living World: Human Body
Standard: Determines effects of technology on food and nutrition. Discusses how refrigeration, packaging, processing, advertisements and transportation technologies have influenced typical student diets.