# Lesson 1.12: Is This Food Video True?

**Unit:** Unit 1, Kitchen Skills and Smart Eating (Nutrition and Wellness)
**Topic:** 1.3 Nutrients, MyPlate, and Labels
**Grade:** 6 to 8 (written at grade 7; see Differentiation for the grade 6 support and grade 8 stretch)
**Days:** 1 class period of 40 minutes
**Room:** Either (classroom or FACS lab tables; a screen for the video; no cooking)

## Standards

- NYS module line: NYS N&W 2. Nutrition Across the Lifespan c) Identify sources of authentic and credible dietary information
- NYS module line: NYS N&W 2. Nutrition Across the Lifespan d) Identify psychological influences on nutrition and food choice relating to diet
- CTE theme line: CTE FCL 4. Buying Goods and Services e) Explain the influence of peers, advertising, technology, and the economy on consumer decisions
- CTE theme line: CTE PSI 4. Research Applications in CTE b) b. Evaluating the source to determine if the author(s) or publisher can be considered an authoritative source for the desired content
- NYS FACS Learning Standard 1 (Intermediate), Key Idea: Students will use an understanding of the elements of good nutrition to plan appropriate diets for themselves and others. They will know and use the appropriate tools and technologies for safe and healthy food preparation.; Performance Indicator: Students understand the relationships among diet, health, and physical activities; evaluate their own eating patterns; and use appropriate technology and resources to make food selections and prepare simple, nutritious meals.
- CDOS Standard 3a Universal Foundation Skills: Managing Information
- National FCS 3.0: 14.1.2 Look into how psychology, culture, and social pressure shape food choices and nutrition habits.
- National FCS 3.0: 14.2.4 Examine sources of food and nutrition information, food labels included, for what they say about health.

Note on the theme lines: the Communication and Interpersonal Relationships theme has no line on evaluating media or information (its Communication topic covers types and styles of communication, not source evaluation), so this lesson uses FCL 4. e) on advertising and technology, as the task allowed, plus the PSI research line the crosswalk assigns to N&W 2. c). Both are verbatim.

## Health class coordination

Health class typically covers: "get health information from a trusted adult or a doctor," and sometimes a lesson on media literacy or on fad diets and body image. If the health teacher runs a fad diet or eating disorder lesson, this lesson does not repeat it; it stays on how to check a food claim.

This lesson goes further: students take a real viral food claim, run it through a four-question source check (who wrote it, what do they sell, what is the evidence, when was it posted), check it against three sources of different types, and write the class checklist for judging any food video. The claim is about food, not bodies. [Sal: tell the health teacher the video you pick and confirm it is not about weight loss, so the two classes stay in their lanes.]

## Enduring understanding and essential question

**Big idea:** A food video is not evidence. Who made it, what they sell, and what they can show decide whether it is true.
**Essential question:** If a video has ten million views, is it more likely to be true?

## Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. (Low: understand) Given a food video or post, state the four source-check questions (who wrote it, what do they sell, what is the evidence, when was it posted) and answer each one for that video.
2. (Mid: analyze) Given a viral food claim and three sources of different types, compare what each source says and classify each source as credible or not credible with a reason.
3. (High: create) Working as a class, produce a checklist of at least six questions for judging any food video, and use it to rate the do now video.

## Vocabulary

Tier 2 (general academic): credible, evidence, source, bias, claim
Tier 3 (FACS): dietary information, registered dietitian (RD or RDN), peer-reviewed, sponsored content, influencer. See the unit vocabulary list for Turkish, Portuguese, and Spanish.

## Materials and setup

- One short viral food video (60 to 90 seconds), pre-screened, downloaded so it plays without ads. Pick a claim that is about food, testable, and not about weight or body size. Examples that have circulated: "seed oils are poison," "microwaving food destroys the nutrients," "brown eggs are healthier than white eggs," "you must drink a gallon of water a day," "honey is healthier than sugar so eat as much as you want." [Sal: pick the one your students are already repeating this year. Do not show the creator's name on the slide; the point is the method, not the person.]
- Three printed sources on the same claim, one page each, one set per pair: (A) a post or video transcript from the person making the claim, (B) a page from a credible source that addresses it (a registered dietitian's article, a university extension page, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, MedlinePlus, or a USDA page), (C) a product page or ad from a company that sells something related to the claim. [Sal: print these the week before; the three sources on the handout are written as fictional examples for the honey claim so the lesson can run even if you have no time to find real ones.]
- Food Video Fact Check handout, one per student: `Handout 01.12 - Food Video Fact Check.md` (the four-question check, the three-source table, and space for the class checklist)
- Chart paper or whiteboard for the class checklist
- Empty packages students brought from Lesson 1.11 homework, if any
- Slides: `Slides 01.12 - Is This Food Video True.md` (outline; build the deck from it)
- Setup notes: test the video and the sound before class. Allergy check: none needed.

## Pre-assessment

The Day 2 exit tickets from Lesson 1.11 tell you which label trick needs a review slide today (one minute at the start of Step 1). The do now is the read on source evaluation: how many students say "yes, more views means more true" is the number you are working with.

## Do now and hook (Time: 5 min)

On the board: "A food video has ten million views. Does that make it more likely to be true? Yes or no, and one reason. Then write one food 'fact' you learned from a video or a post this year."

Debrief: hands up for yes, hands up for no. Write four of the "facts" on the board without judging them. Then the hook: play the viral video. Say nothing after it ends. Wait five seconds. "Is it true? You have no idea. Neither do I, yet. Let's find out how you would know."

## Procedure

| Step | Teacher will | Students will | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Direct instruction: the four questions | Show the four source-check questions one at a time, each with the follow-up: Who wrote it (a name and a job you can check, or a handle?), what do they sell (a product, a program, a supplement, their own attention?), what is the evidence (a study you can find, a label, a number, or "trust me"?), when was it posted (old advice can be wrong now). Add the two credibility shortcuts: a registered dietitian (RD or RDN) has a license; a .gov or .edu page is usually not selling anything. Run the video a second time and answer the four questions as a class. | Write the four questions on the handout. Answer them for the video with a partner during the second showing. | 8 min |
| 2. Learning activity: the three-source check | Hand each pair the three printed sources. Task: read all three, fill the three-source table (what does it claim, who wrote it, what do they sell, what evidence do they show), and mark each source credible or not credible with one reason. Circulate. Push: "You marked it credible. Which of the four questions did it pass?" | Read, fill the table, decide. Write the verdict on the viral claim in one sentence: true, false, partly true, or cannot tell, with the source that decided it. | 13 min |
| 3. Learning activity: build the class checklist | Ask: "What did you look for that worked? Give me a question." Collect at least six on chart paper. Sharpen each one until a grade 6 student could use it (for example, "Is there a study?" becomes "Does it name a study I could find?"). Then the test: rate the do now video against the checklist, one question at a time, class vote on each. | Propose questions. Copy the final checklist onto the handout. Rate the video with the checklist and count the passes. | 8 min |
| 4. Share and debrief | Return to the four "facts" from the do now. Ask each pair to pick one and say which checklist question it would fail first. Close with the essential question and the count: how many views, how many checklist questions passed? | Pairs pick a fact and name the question it fails. Class answers the essential question with the count as evidence. | 2 min |

## Questions to ask

Monitor understanding:
- Who made this video? What is their job? How would you check?
- What is the person selling? If nothing, what are they getting?
- Does the video show evidence or just say "studies show"?

Deepen learning:
- Why would a company sponsor a video and not say so?
- A dietitian and an influencer disagree. Who do you trust, and what would change your mind?
- Why do food claims spread faster than food corrections?

## Check for understanding

Clipboard checklist during Step 2: for each pair, yes or no on "answered 'what do they sell' with a specific thing, not 'nothing,'" "marked at least one source not credible with a reason tied to one of the four questions," and "the verdict names the source that decided it." Three yeses means the pair is ready for the Label Reading Quiz, which has one credible-source item. A pair that marks all three sources credible gets the "which question did it pass?" push.

## Closure (Time: 4 min)

3-2-1 exit card: 3 of the four source questions, 2 signs a food source is credible, 1 food "fact" you will check before repeating it. Three students read one line aloud. Sort into "got it" and "needs more." The Label Reading Quiz comes after Lab 2, at the opening of Lesson 1.14; the "needs more" pile gets the checklist back on the screen for two minutes before the quiz.

## Differentiation and supports

- ELL: the four questions are on the slide with an icon in words each (a person, a price tag, a magnifying glass, a calendar); the handout gives the four questions in Turkish, Portuguese, and Spanish (see `Vocabulary 01.md`); the video plays twice and captions are on; sentence frame for the verdict: "The claim is ___ because source ___ shows ___."
- IEP and 504 (general): the three sources are one page each, large print on request; a pair can split the sources (one reads A and C, one reads B) and share; the verdict can be spoken to the teacher; extended time on the exit card.
- Grade 6 support: two sources instead of three (the claim maker and the credible source), and the class checklist is copied, not built, with four questions.
- Grade 8 stretch: find a fourth source on a phone or class device in three minutes, run it through the four questions, and add it to the table; then rewrite the viral claim as a sentence that is actually true, if one exists.
- UDL checkpoint used: multiple means of engagement (the video is one students are already sharing; the checklist is theirs, not the teacher's) and multiple means of representation (the claim arrives as a video, a transcript, and a printed page).
- No-kitchen or no-machine alternative: not needed. If the screen fails, use the transcript of the video (source A) as the do now and skip the second showing.

## Assessment

| Objective | Standards met | Learning task | Assessment (formative or summative; tool) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. State and answer the four source questions | N&W 2. c); PSI 4. b) b.; National FCS 14.2.4 | Handout, Step 1 | Formative; handout checked for four questions answered for the video (complete, partial, missing) |
| 2. Compare three sources and classify each | N&W 2. c) and d); FCL 4. e); Std 1 PI A; CDOS 3a Managing Information; National FCS 14.1.2 | Three-source table, Step 2 | Formative; clipboard checklist; table scored on reasons tied to the four questions; summative on the Label Reading Quiz item 11 |
| 3. Build and apply the class checklist | N&W 2. c); CDOS 3a Managing Information | Class checklist, Step 3; debrief, Step 4 | Formative; checklist copied and video rated on the handout; the checklist is reused in Lesson 1.22 (careers) and Unit 6 |

## Homework

None. Optional: run one food video you see this week through the four questions. Bring the answers (not the video).

## Connections

Inside the building: the library media specialist, who teaches source evaluation for research papers. FACS gives the library a real-world case students care about; the library gives FACS the school's database login so the grade 8 stretch has a credible search. ELA: the claim and evidence structure from Lesson 1.11 carries over.

## Sources

- NYS Middle Level CTE FACS Content Module 05, Nutrition and Wellness (nyctecenter.org, June 2018), lines 2. c) and 2. d). Copy in `02 Standards/NYS Module PDFs/`.
- NYS Middle Level CTE Theme Module 03, Financial and Consumer Literacy, line 4. e); Theme Module 05, Problem Solving and Innovation, line 4. b) b. Same folder.
- NYS Learning Standards for Health, Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences (1996), Standard 1, Intermediate, FACS strand. Wording per `02 Standards/STANDARDS SOURCES - web research.md`, section 2. [Sal: confirm against the NYSED PDF.]
- CDOS Standard 3a, Managing Information. Same file.
- National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences Education 3.0 (LEAD FCS Education, 2018), competencies 14.1.2 and 14.2.4.
- Credible source guidance: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, eatright.org, "What is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist"; MedlinePlus, "Evaluating Health Information" (medlineplus.gov). [Sal: both pages move; check the links before the lesson.]
- The three fictional sources on the handout were written for this lesson and are not real publications.

## Teacher notes

- If time runs short, cut Step 4 and put the four do now "facts" on the Lesson 1.13 Day 1 do now instead. Never cut Step 3; the class checklist is the product that carries into Unit 6.
- Common mistake: students mark a source credible because it "sounds professional" or has a nice website. Send them back to the four questions every time; "sounds professional" is not one of them.
- Second common mistake: students mark the credible source not credible because it disagrees with the video they liked. That is the lesson. Ask: "Which of the four questions does the dietitian fail?" Usually none.
- [Sal: your class will name a creator. Do not let the lesson turn into a pile-on. Move it back to "what would you need to see to believe it?"]
- Keep the chart paper checklist on the wall through the $40 project. Students use it when they cite a source for a recipe or a nutrition claim on the menu card.