The amount of sugar in a soda could not be that much, Denae Lancaster’s fourth graders at J.P. Ryon Elementary School reasoned. Sure, it was bubbly, syrupy goodness, but it was only 20 ounces. 

When Mary Winkler, a nutrition teacher at La Plata High School who is also a clinical exercise physiologist, asked students to estimate how many teaspoons of sugar select bottled and canned beverages contained — sweetened iced tea, soda, sports and energy drinks — they shrugged with a few calling out “Five, maybe,” and “No, I think it’s like seven.”

Students, equipped with teaspoons and clear plastic cups, doled out the equivalent of granulated sugar that was found in their select beverages. The cherry Pepsi topped the charts of the offered drinks with 70 grams — or just shy of 17 teaspoons of sugar — hidden under the cap.

“Nope,” fourth grader Alaijah Parker said. “I’m never drinking soda again. I’m only drinking water from now on.”

At Ryon, fourth graders participated in a 4th Grade Health Expo, an activity capping off the Food for Thought reading module. During a module, students read different texts related to the theme aiming to answer an Essential Question, which is an overarching question students ponder during a module fostering critical thinking and engagement. The essential question for the Food for Thought module was “What can we do to make more healthful food choices?”

“We wanted students to have a memorable experience and make valuable connections to the reading content,” Keah Mason, a core teacher at Ryon, said about the origins of the Expo. “The Health Expo engaged all students and provided them with a two-hour extension to our reading curriculum.”

The Health Expo featured a few different stations. Students in the classes of La'Niya Johnson, Denae Lancaster and Aniya Wood-Reynolds — with Mason keeping everyone moving and on time — rotated among classrooms and the gym to learn more about fitness and nutrition from visiting experts.

In addition to Winkler who discussed sugar and other ingredients “hidden” in some food and drinks in the MEND — Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It presentation, Jessica Conjour, a project leader and nutrition educator with the SNAP-ED program of the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, talked to students about the importance of “eating the rainbow.”

“It’s not ‘tasting the rainbow’,” Conjour said, when a student mentioned Skittles. Instead, Conjour’s presentation, “Variety: The Spice of Life,” focused on colorful fruits and vegetables that play a key role in the health of a body. Following the lesson, the students prepared their own rainbow wraps, a tortilla stuffed with multi-hued vegetables topped with lime crema made with yogurt.

“Students were able to learn about the benefits of mixing it up a bit with food,” Mason said.

Expo organizers knew they wanted to introduce a fitness element in the event. While the reading focused primarily on food and nutrition, they knew adding physical activity would only enrich what students have learned.

As Ryon is currently without a physical education (PE) teacher, Jillian Genua of T.C. Martin Elementary School, stepped in leading students in a game and indoor obstacle course.

“Bringing in experts and partnering with other schools and organizations also showed a sense of partnership and community,” Mason said. “This was just what our students needed.”

Students weren’t alone in enjoying the Expo — teachers joined in too. They made and sampled their own rainbow wrap, completed in the obstacle course and guessed how much sugar was lurking in a popular beverage.

“The teachers believe in providing students with rich and meaningful learning opportunities and experiences whenever possible,” Mason said. “While we follow curriculum guides, we also always think of different ways we can engage students to enhance learning. We are not simply textbook and worksheet educators.”

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 28,162 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.  CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).