Lesson Plan: Label Detectives (Grades 4–6)

Students act as detectives, reading Nutrition Facts labels to answer questions with evidence. The focus is reading skills and math: serving sizes, multiplying, and percentages. It is not a lesson about dieting, weight or “good” and “bad” foods. Students use the Nutrition Label Detective worksheet and you can review the adult background in Reading a Nutrition Facts Label with Kids.

Learning objectives

Students will be able to:

1. Locate serving size, servings per container, and % Daily Value (%DV) on a Nutrition Facts label.
2. Explain that every number on the label refers to one serving.
3. Multiply label amounts for more than one serving.
4. Use the FDA’s quick guide: 5% DV or less is low; 20% DV or more is high.
5. Compare two labels and support a statement with numbers.

Connections: multiplication, percent and ratio reasoning, reading informational text, making claims with evidence.

Materials and preparation (about 20 minutes, before class)

1. Print the worksheet, one per student. Preview its two practice labels (made-up cereals Crunchy Oat Squares and Honey Puff Rounds) so you know the answers; an answer key is included. For question 9, hand out a package you supplied, or skip it.
2. Optional: collect 3–4 clean, empty packages that have Nutrition Facts labels (cereal boxes, yogurt cups, canned beans, crackers) for an extra comparison. Supply these yourself; never ask students to bring packages from home. Rinse and dry any containers. Packages stay closed and no food is eaten.
3. Prepare to project the worksheet label large enough to annotate.
4. If you use packages, check whether they list any of the nine major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame). An empty package is very low risk for most students, but follow any student’s allergy plan and ask families or the school nurse if you’re unsure.

Language note: Say “more of” and “less of,” not “good” and “bad.” Don’t ask students to track what they ate or to calculate personal calorie needs.

Lesson sequence (45 minutes)

1. Hook: the case of the two servings (5 minutes)

Project the worksheet label. Ask: “Imagine a bag of crackers with 3 servings. If someone eats the whole bag, how much of each nutrient would that be?” Take guesses. Tell students they’ll learn how to crack cases like this using evidence from the label.

2. Label tour (8 minutes)

Walk through the label from top to bottom. Students highlight each part on their worksheet as you go:

• Serving size and servings per container. The FDA explains that serving size reflects how much people typically eat. It is not a recommendation of how much to eat.
• Calories. Mention briefly that this measures energy in one serving. Move on; this lesson doesn’t calculate anyone’s needs.
• Nutrients. Point out saturated fat, sodium, added sugars, fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.
• %DV column. It shows how much one serving contributes toward a daily value, based on a 2,000-calorie reference used for labels. Students don’t need to memorize that number; it’s the label’s yardstick.
• The 5/20 guide. 5% DV or less is low; 20% DV or more is high.

3. Detective skill 1: serving-size math (10 minutes)

Model one problem, then let students try worksheet question 2. Faster finishers can do the challenge problem below.

Worked example (made-up label): One serving of a cereal is 1 cup and has 8% DV for fiber and 12% DV for added sugars. A student pours 2 cups.

• Fiber: 8% × 2 = 16% DV
• Added sugars: 12% × 2 = 24% DV, which is above the 20% “high” line.

Ask, “Did the amount in the box change? No. What changed is how many servings were poured.”

Challenge for faster finishers: if a can holds 3.5 servings and each serving has 400 mg sodium, how much sodium is in the whole can? (1,400 mg.)

4. Detective skill 2: low or high? (8 minutes)

Students look at the %DV values on the worksheet label and sort each nutrient into “low (5% or less),” “in between,” or “high (20% or more).” Then they answer: “Which nutrient on this label is high? Is it one we usually want more of, like fiber or calcium, or one we usually want less of, like sodium or added sugars?”

Teach the added-sugars line using the worksheet: “Includes 8g Added Sugars” means those 8 grams are part of the 9g of Total Sugars. Total Sugars has no %DV, but Added Sugars does (16% here).

5. Detective skill 3: compare two labels (10 minutes)

In pairs, students compare Crunchy Oat Squares with Honey Puff Rounds (worksheet questions 10–11). Point out that the serving sizes differ (1 cup vs ¾ cup) and that a fair claim has to say so. (If you supplied empty packages, pairs can compare one of those instead.)

Students write one claim with evidence, such as:

“Crunchy Oat Squares has more fiber per serving than Honey Puff Rounds: 18% DV vs 4% DV, even though its serving is bigger.”

Remind students to check that the serving sizes match before comparing. If they don’t, note it in the claim.

6. Debrief and exit ticket (4 minutes)

Exit ticket questions:

1. Where do you look first on a label, and why?
2. A serving has 15% DV iron. What is it for 2 servings?
3. Write one “more of” nutrient and one “less of” nutrient.

Differentiation

Support:

• Provide a label diagram with color-coded arrows.
• Use friendly numbers (5%, 10%, 20%) and allow calculators.
• Pair students so one reads and one calculates, then switch.

Extension:

• Compare three products (the two practice labels plus a package you supply) and rank them on one nutrient, explaining the method.
• Find the allergen information on the worksheet label or a package you supply. Explain the difference between the ingredient list, a “Contains” statement, and a voluntary “may contain” statement (which is not required by law).
• Explore the FDA’s free Read the Label materials, which FDA designed for ages 9–13, including a word search and family activity.

Assessment

Inclusive practice

• Avoid diet talk. Never comment on students’ bodies, weight or lunches. If a student says a food is “bad” or “fattening,” redirect: “Labels help us compare. Different foods do different jobs.”
• Food insecurity. Some students may have limited choice in what they eat. Don’t ask what they ate at home or have them bring packages from home. Supply packages yourself.
• Allergies. Some students read labels every day to stay safe. Invite, but never require, them to share expertise.
• No food rewards. The CDC advises against rewarding students with food. Use badges, a “Lead Detective” title or extra reading time instead.

Limitations

• Labels aren’t the whole story. A label can’t show everything about a food, and fresh fruits and vegetables often have no label at all.
• %DV uses one reference. The 2,000-calorie reference is for label comparisons, not a goal for any individual child. Don’t ask students to apply it to themselves.
• Rules are changing. As of November 2026, FDA has proposed a front-of-package “Nutrition Info box,” but it is not final or required. Don’t teach it as current, and check FDA’s page for updates.
• Serving sizes vary. Comparisons are only fair when serving sizes match or are adjusted.
• Families with health questions should talk with their child’s doctor or a registered dietitian.