The common cold: Remedies and Reading a Medicine Label
CLB Level: 4
Essential Skills Focus:
Document use (reading a
label), Thinking Skills (
decision making), Oral
Communication
(Discussion)
Task: Understand
different cold remedies in
Canadian pharmacies &
grocery stores; Read and
understand a medicine
label
Purpose: Students will
 Read and understand
medicine label
 Students will learn to
scan for specific
information
Materials: 3 worksheets,
realia of items (if
possible) and Advil sinus
and cold bottle
Learning Style: Auditory,
visual
Time: 1.5 hours
Cold weather remedies, ES
Method:
1. Discuss different remedies the students use to help
relieve symptoms of a cold
2. Hand-out worksheet 1 and/or realia of objects on
sheet 1
3. Discuss each item: who has it in their home? Who
uses it? Who has seen this product before?
4. Discuss what each item can help with? Use page 2 as
a teacher’s guide
5. Students write the item with the correct picture on
Page 1
6. Students and teacher look at the information on Page
3 (this info is exactly from the pill bottle)
7. Scan for specific information, ex: directions, adult,
children, warning, physician
8. Look at the scenarios on Page 4. The teacher can
read each scenario or students can work in groups
9. Discuss each scenario and discuss the correct answer
for each situation
Follow Up: Have students look at one pill bottle in their
home. Ask them to return with an answer for a particular
(and not personal) question: for example, “can children
under 12 take the medication?” or: if it is prescription
medication: “how many refills can the person get?”
Debrief/Transfer: Ask students to discuss 3 questions
that are good to ask a pharmacist next time they want
medication (either prescription or over the counter).
Use vocab. used in this lesson, ex: Will this help with a
runny nose? how many/much can I take, can I give this to
my 4 year old daughter…”
Cold Remedies
1 Echinacea
4 Orange Juice
7 Vicks Vaporub
2 Chicken Noodle Soup
5 Advil
8 Benadryl
3 Zinc Lozenges
6 Tea with honey
9 Sudafed
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Treatment for a cold
Problem
Sneezing, runny nose and
watery eyes
Treatment
Sinus and head congestion
(stuffed up nose)
Sudafed
Picture
Benadryl
Advil – Cold and Sinus
Cough that is keeping you
awake at night
Tea and honey
Neocitran
Cough Syrup – Example:
Buckley’s
Sore throat/trouble
swallowing
Zinc lozenges
Halls
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Cold weather remedies, ES
Advil Cold & Sinus Caplets
Uses
For effective relief of the symptoms of colds and sinusitis including:
 nasal congestion
 sinus pain
 headache
 fever
 body aches and pain
 sore throat
Directions
Adults and children over 12: Take 1 or 2 caplets every 4 hours as needed. Do not exceed 6
caplets in 24 hours, unless directed by a physician.
Cautions
Keep out of reach of children. This package contains enough medicine to seriously harm a
child. Do not give to children under 12 unless directed by a physician.
Warnings
Do not take Advil Cold & Sinus if taking acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) or other products containing
ibuprofen, or if allergic to ASA, salicylates or anti-inflammatory drugs, or any of its ingredients.
Consult your physician before taking Advil Cold & Sinus if you have kidney or liver disease,
diabetes, heart or thyroid disease, high blood pressure, glaucoma, peptic ulcers, difficulty in
urination due to enlarged prostate, or if you are pregnant or nursing a baby. Individuals taking
or who have recently taken prescription medication for high blood pressure or depression,
including monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), should use only as directed by a physician.
Consult your physician if the symptoms or fever persists for more than 5 days. In case of
overdose, call a poison control center or a doctor at once even if there are no symptoms.
If abdominal pain, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, ringing or
buzzing in the ears, nervousness, sleeplessness, dizziness, any change in vision, fluid
retention, itching, skin rashes or any other side effect or unexplained symptom develops while
taking Advil Cold & Sinus, discontinue use immediately and contact a physician. In case of
overdose, call Poison Control Centre or a doctor at once even if there are no symptoms.
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Cold weather remedies, ES
Reading a Prescription
Questions for discussion
Listen/Read the following scenarios. Listen to the question(s) at the end of each
scenario and discuss the correct answer.
1. Sophia was walking on a slippery sidewalk. She fell and banged her head. She
now has a terrible headache and wants to relieve the pain.
Question: Should Sophia take Advil Sinus and Cold medication? Why or why not?
2. Lien’s 8 year old daughter caught a cold at school. She came home feeling very
sick. Her nose was plugged and she was sniffling a lot.
Question: Should Lien give her daughter Advil Sinus and Cold medication? Explain
your reasoning?
3. Jacob went to the grocery store and picked up many items including Advil Sinus
and Cold medication. He took his young children shopping with him. They are all
now at home. Jacob is too exhausted to put the groceries away, so he left them in
their bags on the floor.
Question: Is this safe? Why or why not? What should Jacob do?
4. Mario is a university student. He caught a cold and is having trouble sleeping.
He has a headache and has ‘the shakes.’
Question: Can Mario take Advil Sinus and Cold medication? Why or why not?
5. Suzan is 32 years old. She has a terrible cold. She took 2 Advil Sinus and Cold
tablets at 2:30 p.m.
Question: When can Suzan take 2 more tablets?
6. Fatuma is pregnant. She caught a cold last week. She wanted to feel better.
She took 2 Advil Sinus and Cold pills.
Question: Was this safe for Fatuma? Explain your answer.
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