Studying Scotland
Food Culture > Food Choices and the Consumer > Second level > Focus on Health and Wellbeing
Overview
This learning and teaching idea aims to explore food culture in Scotland and the ways we can keep ourselves healthy
by making the correct food choices. Using health and wellbeing as its lead curriculum area, this context for learning has
a strong science focus covering what our bodies and other living things need to be healthy.
These learning experiences have been prepared for learners working within second level and aims to teach skills in
analysing information and evaluating it to make informed choices. This strong responsibility of all link (literacy across
learning) encourages learners to be discerning of what they read/ hear/ watch in areas such as diet and alcohol.
The following learning opportunities have been exemplified:
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Are the stars in magazines good role models in areas such as diet and alcohol consumption?
What effect does starving your body of different food groups have?
Attitudes to weight in todays society
Health and Wellbeing experiences and
outcomes explored
Responsibility of all areas, which could be
addressed in this learner journey:
Interdisciplinary opportunities
I can understand how advertising and the media
are used to influence consumers.
Literacy across learning
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Sciences (See exemplification)
Other opportunities may exist in:
HWB 2-37a
I understand the effect that a range of substances
including tobacco and alcohol have on the body.
When I engage with others, I can respond in ways
appropriate to my role, show that I value others’
contributions and use these to build on thinking.
HWB 2-38a
I know how popular culture, the media and peer
groups as well as my own attitudes and values
can influence how I feel about substance use and
recognise the impact this may have on my
actions.
LIT 2-02a
I can persuade, argue explore issues or express
an opinion using relevant supporting detail and or/
evidence.
LIT 2 -29a
HWB 2-39a
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
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Social Studies by comparing the basic needs
of citizens in Scotland to that of another
country.
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Mathematics through analysing data on food
packaging and advertising. Completing
simple charts to exemplify what is in our food.
Studying Scotland
Food Culture > Food Choices and the Consumer > Second level > Focus on Health and Wellbeing
This interdisciplinary approach shows some possible learning opportunities when the experiences and outcomes listed below are connected. These ideas are
starting points and could be used to support planning, depending on your context. In this example we have highlighted a lead curriculum area, however, other
curriculum areas can be included where relevant, based on needs and interests.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
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Read magazine articles, which focus on diets
or weight gain/loss. Learners can define ‘diet’
and then brainstorm what a healthy diet is.
Consider attitudes to weight in today’s society
– Is Scotland a healthy nation?
Consider how many calories people need on a
daily basis. (Show that this varies depending
on age and lifestyle.) Look at common foods
on your local high street and the calorific value.
*Investigating the stars in the magazines
consider their size and weight and decide
whether they are good role models when
comparing a healthy diet to those listed in the
magazines.
Begin to identify how alcohol is portrayed in
advertising, popular culture, or in peer groups.
Ask the question – How can we make informed
and sensible choices when it comes to diet and
alcohol.
Are any of the adverts and labelling for alcohol
trying to target young drinkers? If so, how?
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
LITERACY ACROSS LEARNING
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*As a whole class discuss the attitudes weight/ substance misuse in Scotland.
Discuss appropriate and inappropriate language to use when discussing weight/
substance misuse.
Contribute to debate and build on what is learned through writing, reading and
talking and listening activities.
Express opinions about how diet/ alcohol is portrayed different situations and use
supporting sources to inform the opinions.
Consider persuasion techniques and through role play/ written activities apply
knowledge.
SCIENCES
Related Experiences and
Outcomes connected within
this context for learning
HWB 2-37a, 2-38a, 2-39a,
SCN 2-12a
LIT 2-02a, 2-29a
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*Investigate the effect starving yourself of
different food groups would have on your body
e.g. carbohydrate. Is this a problem in Scotland?
Consider the effect alcohol has on the body
(especially young adults) and discuss ways to
make informed decisions about substance
misuse. Is Scotland a healthy nation compared
to other European countries?
* You may wish to contact your community Police Officers
and Health Professionals to answer questions about this
issue.
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Studying Scotland
Food Culture > Food Choices and the Consumer > Second level > Focus on Health and Wellbeing
Overview of learning in lead curriculum area
Possible prior experiences
Learners will have made healthy
and unhealthy food choices.
Possible learning
opportunities in lead
curricular area
Learners will know that foods can
contribute to weight gain/ weight
loss.
Scan front pages of magazines
to identify food related stories/
features.
Most learners will be aware of
images in magazines related to
food choices/ diets.
Consider what the
representation of the diets
featured are. E.g. are they
healthy? Do they reflect reality?
Some learners will know that
media has an effect on food
choices. E.g. fad diets
Look at Scotland’s diet (using
your school or local community
as a microcosm) and decide
whether Scotland is a healthy
nation.
Learners may not know that a
balanced diet is healthier than a
diet where food groups are
excluded.
Learners may not know what
happens to the body when it is
deficient in vital food groups.
Skills
Analysing food and alcohol
related stories in the media and
evaluating what their effect is on
the reader.
Literacy Skills – Discussing
Scotland’s society today and what
the attitudes to diet are
Health and Wellbeing Skills –
making informed decisions in
order to improve and maintain
health.
Evaluate – The health
implications of fad diets.
Watch adverts/ read packaging
of alcoholic substances – are
there adequate warnings about
dangers of drinking alcohol.
Do – Annotated articles in
magazines.
Say – recordings/ transcripts of
discussions regarding food
attitudes.
Write – An account of the diet in
Scotland (using their school /
local community as a microcosm
of Scotland,)
Make – A graph showing diet
data e.g. how many people know
someone on a diet, someone
trying to put on weight, someone
overweight etc.
Write – Annotate the graph
(above) with some of the reasons
people may be in this situation or
feel pressure to look a certain
way.
Consider how to make an
informed decision about making
healthy food and drink choices.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
Possible sources of
evidence
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Studying Scotland
Food Culture > Food Choices and the Consumer > Second level > Focus on Health and Wellbeing
Learning experience 1: Are the stars in magazines good role models in areas such as diet and alcohol consumption?
Possible Starting Points
Resources
Look at Scotland’s food and alcohol reputation. Investigate whether
Scotland is considered a healthy nation.
BBC News – Quarter of Scots ‘obese’, health survey says
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-15449752
Look at Scotland’s health statistics for obesity and food choices. Does out
reputation match the statistics?
The Scottish Government – Health and Community care
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health
Various images showing people before and after airbrushing.
Investigate the representations of stars in magazines. Are they healthy in
areas such as diet and alcohol consumption?
Alcohol focus Scotland
http://www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk/
Compare images we see in advertising to more real photographs. Are we
seeing a fair representation? What trust should we put on the images we
see? (Airbrushing)
Skills
Learning
Analyse Scotland’s Health data/ statistics. (Numeracy link.) It may also be
useful here to analyse media representations of Scotland’s health e.g. alcohol
misuse.
Scotland is not considered a healthy nation due to fast food culture and
alcohol culture.
Evaluating whether or not the media is trying to manipulate consumers.
Scotland’s statistics show a poor life expectancy in different parts of
Scotland attributed to lifestyle and disease.
Research diets stars use and explain whether they are healthy.
People in the public eye are not necessarily healthy. We may see an
unreliable view of them in the media.
Possible evidence
Everyone can become healthier by making better choices about what they
put into their bodies.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
Annotated newspaper and magazine articles regarding Scotland’s health
statistics (do the statistics add up to the truth?)
Learning log about airbrushing in the media and weight fluxuation,
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Studying Scotland
Food Culture > Food Choices and the Consumer > Second level > Focus on Health and Wellbeing
Learning experience 2: What effect does starving your body of different food groups have?
Possible starting points
Resources for Learning
Using statistics about Health and diet in Scotland look at
the implications of cutting out food groups on the body.
You may wish to consider:
Teacher resource with information regarding starving body of carbs
http://www.livestrong.com/article/544832-what-happens-when-you-starve-your-body-ofcarbohydrates/
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Dispelling myths about starvation mode
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Cutting out carbohydrates and proteins for health
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The potential problems related to internal organs
and bones not getting what they need.
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Why the food culture in Scotland must change to
become a healthier nation.
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Exploration of a healthy balanced diet, juxtaposing
what we need with what we want.
Cutting out red meat - article from Daily Mail online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article2118409/Women-cut-red-meat-twice-likely-suffer-depression-anxiety.html#axzz2Km4g9FnY
Scotland’s Health Statistics: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health
Childline – Eating problems
http://www.childline.org.uk/Explore/DamagingYourself/Pages/EatingProblems.aspx
Skills
Learning
Analysing data regarding diets, which relate to cutting out food groups.
Evaluating Scotland’s food culture and considering the changes which could be made to make
Scotland a healthier nation.
The learners will understand that:
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There are many body systems e.g. digestion,
respiratory, immune etc. Problems may develop in
these systems if their diet is not varied and
healthy.
Fad diets may not be the best course of action for
losing weight. (Exercise and balanced diet are the
most successful ways.)
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
Creating a plan to rid the country of the current food culture. (This should be presented in an
appropriate way.)
Possible evidence
Annotated photographs of learners engaged in experimentation. Posters/ Factsheets/
websites giving true scientific information about the dangers of starving for weight loss. Detail
ways to combat body system problems with diet in a report or advert.
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Studying Scotland
Food Culture > Food Choices and the Consumer > Second level > Focus on Health and Wellbeing
Learning experience 3: Attitudes to weight in todays society
Possible starting points
Resources for Learning
Attitudes to weight can be a sensitive issue so must be discussed and
considered with careful attention paid to the situations in particular
schools, local communities and individuals.
NHS web resources for teachers and parents – Child Healthy Weight
http://www.healthscotland.com/topics/child_healthy_weight.aspx
Growing through adolescence
http://www.schoolsforhealth.eu/upload/Growingthroughadolescence.pdf
Set parameters regarding the language that is acceptable and behaviour
which is unacceptable when discussing issues around weight and health.
Active living: help yourself to lose weight
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/a/genericresource_tcm4207636.asp
?strReferringChannel=educationscotland&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-615801-64
Discuss the NHS web resource and complete tasks
Consider attitudes to healthy weight. Create a school strategy for combating
negativity towards weight.
Skills
Identify negative attitudes towards weight gain/ loss as bullying which is
unacceptable behaviour.
Health and Wellbeing Skills: Being respectful of themselves and others, being
responsible enough to consider others feelings and wellbeing.
Learning
Working with others: Discussion regarding attitudes and ways to protect all.
Learners will
Analyse difficulties and solve problems in order to find solutions.
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Understand that discussion regarding healthy weight is a sensitive
issue.
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Treat all other learners with respect
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Accept that food preferences and eating patterns are changing.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/studyingscotland
Possible evidence
Evidence may include: recordings/ transcripts of discussions regarding food
attitudes.
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