submitted by Francie Kugelman

I receive Lesson Plans from the New York Times, and the article about food
being placed in a McDonald’s bag tasting better than the same food placed in a plain bag sounds like a great real-life lesson in the classroom. I first heard about this on NPR a few weeks ago.

The lesson plan suggests you start the lesson by putting popcorn in a McDonald’s bag and in a plain bag, and have the students write down in their journal which one tastes better. Imagine the shock on their faces when they find out both bags of popcorn are the same!

The students could read the article, and you could tie this into Money – 4th Grade, the Communication unit, or any persuasive writing units in 5th and 6th. Also, if you teach about logos, this shows the power of the McDonald’s logo.

Extension activities mentioned in the lesson plan: The students could redo the McDonald’s menu and make it healthier. The students could do their own taste test using plain bags and McDonald’s bags. Also, the students could analyze the fat content in food.