Nutrition in foods

Nutrition in foods

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
Practical Task
Your teacher will give you 3 different brands of a food product, each with nutritional information available on the packets.
 
a)
Draw a composite strip graph below showing the total amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and other per 100 grams for each brand. 
Label your graph clearly.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
b)
 
Write a statement comparing a feature of all 3 of your strip graphs.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper, and other equipment.
 
Equipment:
3 different brands of a food product with nutritional information available on the packet, e.g., 3 types of muesli bars, or 3 different packets of biscuits.
  • This task assesses the students' ability to draw a composite strip graph.
  • The nutritional information on the packets must show the breakdown of food by total fats, total carbohydrates, total proteins, and other (this may include water, trace elements, vitamins, and fibre) per 100 grams. Depending on the food product chosen, you may wish to vary the groups students graph, e.g., you could include or substitute 'fibre' as a group for a product that is high in 'fibre' and low in 'fat'.
Levels:
4, 5
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Statistics, Statistical investigations
Key Competencies: 
Thinking, Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
nutrition, strip graphs, graph construction, graph interpretation
Description of task: 
For this practical task students construct a composite strip graph of the nutrient groups found in three different food products.
Curriculum Links: 
This resource can be used to help to identify students' ability to construct and interpret a strip graph.
 
Key competencies
This resource involves comparing  strip graphs visually to identify patterns variations and relationships and explaining their rationale. These relate to the Key Competencies: Thinking and Using language, symbols and text.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Statistical investigations, set 5
Statistical investigations, set 6
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
a) Example of composite strip graph
Composition of 3 different brands of food product

Three strip graphs drawn.

Strip graphs are drawn underneath each other and are vertically aligned (accept if a consistent gap is shown between the strips).
NOTE: If students have not drawn a strip graph, their graphs can still be assessed using the remaining schedule below.
All 3 of:
  • Brand A drawn with correct divisions.
  • Brand B drawn with correct divisions.
  • Brand C drawn with correct divisions.
Each strip has been labelled with the relevant brand name, and the divisions within each have been labelled.
NOTE: Accept divisions in any order, but the order must be consistent throughout all 3 graphs.
An appropriate title is given (see example above).
b) Statement comparing some aspect of all 3 of the strip graphs constructed, e.g., Brand A has about half the amount of fat in it than do Brands B and C. All three brands must be mentioned in the comparison.