Activity
Episode 9
1st April 2014
Allergies
Key Learning
Students will learn more about of what allergies are, how they are treated and foods that cause allergic
reactions.
The Australian Curriculum
Science /Science as a Human Endeavour /Use and
Influence of Science
Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used
to solve problems that directly affect peoples’ lives.
Year 5 (ACSHE083) Year 6 (ACSHE100)
Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and community
decisions (ACSHE217) Year 5 (ACSHE220) Year 6
Discussion Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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9.
10.
In your own words, describe what an allergy is.
What food is Lucy allergic to?
Why is she visiting the doctor?
Describe the test that Lucy is having.
What happens to the skin if there is an allergic reaction?
Name some products that contain nuts.
Finish the following sentence: Emily is severely allergic to...
How does having a food allergy impact on Emily’s life?
What does she need to carry at all times and why?
How does your school support students with a food allergy?
Activities
Classroom discussion
Before watching the BtN Food Allergies story, hold a class discussion to find out what your students know
about food allergies and what questions they have about the topic.
The following questions can help to guide the discussion.
Discussion questions (before watching Food Allergies)
 What is an allergy?
 What sorts of things can people be allergic to?
 What do you know about food allergies?
©ABC 2014
Watch the BtN story Food Allergies and ask students to summarise the story in their own words. Hold a
group discussion, and reflect on food allergies and the affect they have on children’s health.
Discussion questions (after watching Food Allergies)
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How did you feel after watching the BtN Food Allergies story?
What surprised you about this story?
Why do you think BtN covered this story?
How can food allergies affect our health?
Understanding allergies
Students research the following:
What is an allergy?
What is an allergen? Give examples
When do allergies occur?
What is a food allergy?
What are the symptoms of allergies? Create a list ranging from mild reactions to severe.
©ABC 2014
What is anaphylaxis and how is it treated?
Students present the information in an interesting way, for example:
 Wordle word cloud http://www.wordle.net/
 A handbook for other students to use
 A poster to go up around your school
 Display the information using Prezi
 Illustrate the terms in an interesting way.
Foods that cause allergic reactions
Students will find out more about the foods that trigger most allergic reactions and why product labelling is
important to people with a food allergy. Below is a list of the top nine foods that trigger 90% of food allergies.
Discuss with students why it is very important that people with food allergies read the ingredients of
packaged food. Explain to students that foods on products may have different names, for example, tree nuts
may be called macadamia, almond or walnut.
Students match the nine foods to the names that they may be called on food labels. Some foods may have
more than one name.
Foods that cause most food allergies
Peanut
May also be known as
Tuna
Albumin
Tree nut
Anchovy
Egg
Macadamia
Cow’s milk
Lactose
Fish
Triticale
Shellfish
Casein
Wheat
Prawns
Soy
Crab
Walnut
Hydrolysed whey
Barley
Hydrolysed vegetable protein
Almond
Tahini
Tofu
Sesame
©ABC 2014
Ground nuts
Gluten
Test your knowledge! Do the Food Allergy quiz.
1. Allergies can be cured.
a. True
b. False
6. If a person was allergic to cow’s milk,
they shouldn’t eat:
a. Casein
b. Albumin
c.
Triticale
2. An allergen is:
a. A substance that triggers
an allergic reaction
b. Medicine used to treat an
allergy
c.
A symptom of an allergic
reaction
3. Anaphylaxis is a
a. Type of eczema
b. Severe allergic reaction
c.
Treatment for a food allergy
4. An EpiPen, which is used to treat
anaphylaxis, contains:
a. Adrenaline
b. Oxygen
c.
7. If a person is allergic to albumin, they
should avoid food containing:
a. Tree nuts
b. Soy
c.
Eggs
8. Which of the following isn’t a tree nut?
a. Macadamia
b. Almond
c. Peanut
9. If someone was allergic to gluten, then
what should they avoid?
a. Hydrolysed whey
b. Nuts
c. Wheat
Nitrogen
5. Hummus contains tahini, which is:
10. What are peanuts sometimes listed as on
food labels?
a. Chickpea paste
b. Sesame paste
c.
©ABC 2014
Peanut paste
a. Ground nuts
b. Tofu
c. Walnuts
Quiz Answers:
1. B. False
2. A. A substance that triggers an allergic reaction
3. B. Severe allergic reaction
4. A. Adrenaline
5. B. Sesame paste
6. A. Casein
7. C. Eggs
8. C. Peanut
9. C.Wheat
10. A Ground nuts
Further Investigation
Is your school allergy aware? Find out what your school does to keep students with allergies safe. Are all
students made aware of food allergies? Do you think more could be done to keep students with food
allergies safe and to make the school community more aware?
 Related Research Links
Behind the News – Food Allergies
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3215292.htm
Child and Youth Health – Reactions to Foods
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=302&id=1445#2
Child and Youth Health – Food Allergies
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=302&id=2473
Healthy Kids – Food Allergies
http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/parents-carers/nutrition/allergies.aspx
©ABC 2014