Students observe and analyze images, words, and other aspects of cereal boxes. They recognize them as advertisements and identify the strategies the creators use to persuade potential consumers (mainly young people) to buy them. In Part II, they examine the accuracy of what is said and implied on the box front with the actual ingredients inside.

Laying the Groundwork

Exploration: Part I

1. Set up small student groups. Pass out the Cereal Box Sleuth handout (PDF file).

2. Before giving each group several cereal boxes, walk through the handout together with a sample box or two. Start with the first column: Things We See. As students identify photos, drawings, and so on, prompt thinking with these types of questions:

3. Once groups have completed their charts, ask them to put stars by items on their lists that most grabbed their attention and that would likely persuade them to try the cereal. They should put a “Y” by items they think are included to grab a younger child’s attention and an “A” by those they think are meant to persuade adults/parents. (They might also come up with subcategories, such as young athletes.)

4. Finally, ask students to go back and put a question mark by words and images they think might be stretching the truth (implying something that isn’t true) or untruthful. They should also underline those on the box. Ask, How could we find out how accurate they are? (Note: This could include a plump blueberry photo. A look at the ingredients list might reveal few or no blueberries inside!)

Making Connections

Note: You can use the following handouts to dig deeper into the implications and meanings of specific words (such as lite) on cereal boxes: Be Wary of Words and What it Really Means (PDF files).

1. Invite the class to revisit the master chart and review the images and words they listed. Create and fill in a new chart with these headings: This is a fact (e.g., amount of calcium) and This is implied (e.g., photo of blueberry). Ask, How can we tell what’s really inside?

2. Ask, Where on cereal packages do we get information about what’s inside (ingredients) and about the cereal’s nutritional value? Ask small groups to look at the ingredient list on a cereal box. Make sure at least one group has a “healthful” cereal. Explain that the ingredient list is organized from items weighing the most to those weighing the least. Direct each group to write the name of its cereal on the board and then list the first five ingredients.

3. Ask, What can you conclude about your cereal? How do its main ingredients compare with those in other cereals? Which do you think is most healthful? Where does sugar fall in different ingredient lists? (Students should keep a list of ingredient names they don’t recognize. If they want to find out what they are – and how good they are for them – they can go here: Guide to Food Additives.)

4. From here, you can engage students in examining the Nutrition Facts panels on their boxes. These are meant to help consumers see how one serving of the food fits into our total daily diet. You can find many related lessons on the Internet. Get the Nutrition Facts is a good starting point. See the Resources section for others.

You Be the Designer
Invite students to work in small groups to design their own cereal boxes. Give the groups two options:


1. Redesign one of the cereal boxes they already looked at; their version should reflect the real nutritional truth. Students can write on boxes with markers; cross things out or cover them with paper; add new words, drawings, and photos; and so on.

2. Create a new fictional cereal. Groups can cover boxes with plain paper and start from scratch. They should consider these questions: Who is your audience? What do they care about? How will you use words, pictures, offers, and other types of “hooks” to grab interest and make the cereal seem too good to pass up? They should also develop ingredient lists for the back or side panel. (Extra challenge: Create an accurate Nutrition Facts panel!)

Serving Size Math
As a class or in small groups, measure and pour a serving size -- as described on the cereal box -- into a bowl. Ask, Is that more than, less than, or the same amount as you usually eat? Have students measure and pour in what they consider their typical serving sizes. Challenge them to multiply to get the actual percentage of fats, sugars, sodium, and other items in their typical serving size. Next, they should create a bar graph or pie chart to illustrate their findings. Ask, What patterns do you notice? Why do you think the manufacturers chose the portion size they did?

Tasting Good Health?
Bring in three to five types of cereal, but don’t let students see the boxes. Pour cereals into separate paper cups and number them. Ask students to close their eyes, or blindfold them, so they won’t be influenced by how the cereals look. Create a chart like the following one and have students fill it in as they taste each sample:

Next ask students to compare their responses to the first question with the ingredient lists and discuss their findings. They may want to change their rankings. Ask, Which taste clues “told” you which cereals were more or less healthful?

Breakfast Favorites Pyramid
Make a class list of students’ favorite breakfast foods. Next, draw a large food guide pyramid on chart paper. Have students draw or cut out images of the foods on their list and attach them to the correct spots on the pyramid. Finally, ask students to note locations that are empty, those that are sparse, and those that are overloaded. Ask, Which breakfasts seem more healthful? Less healthful? Use some examples from the list and ask students how they could make each meal more nutritionally balanced (e.g., add fresh fruit to cereal). Finally, look at some meals that are nutritionally poor and try to come up with alternate choices (e.g., whole wheat toast and jam in place of Pop Tarts).

Responsible Food Advertising to Kids: Create the Rules!
Explain that several groups have created guidelines for advertisers who market to kids. Invite students to create their own guidelines for responsibly marketing food to kids. You might want to share an example. For instance, “Marketers shouldn’t use physical activity or images of healthful foods to market low-nutrition food.”

Once students have made lists, have them read what the Center for Science in the Public Interest suggests. As a class, discuss the pros and cons of selected items on each list; encourage students to share their opinions.