Lesson Plan with the Soda Ban!

I can see how a simple lab experiment could be used in a science course to show off the abstract concept of conservation of mass in connection with the soda ban and our perception on volume changes.  I can see how a math lesson where volumes of soda containers with varying sizes are computed and compared in a math class.  I can see a history or social science teacher facilitating a classroom divided in half, arguing over the pros and cons for a soda ban.  I just can't quite see how an English teacher could create a lesson designed with a connection to the soda ban - not a good one, at least.

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I wrote that a couple days ago and didn't really give it a thought since then.  But now that I think about it, in connecting the soda ban to class, I think I can do better.  I can use my own expertise in being a student, and dig through my past experiences with "successful" classes.  What do I mean?

I mean this: Say you are a high school student, sitting in your math class, and day in, day out, you do..... well, math.  Then one day, your teacher surprises you and says, "Class!  Today we are going to make our own soda pop!" The in-class project would include measuring the surface area and volume of a 1 liter plastic pop bottle and various relevant math questions based on the students' measurements.  For example: "If there are approximately 1500 students at Scarlett Middle School and every students drink an average of 5 cans of pop a week, how many cans of pop are consumed in one year (52 weeks)?**"  Once the students are done, they go up to the teacher, one by one, and have the teacher look over their assignment sheets.  If the teacher decides a student was successful at completing the assignment sheet, that student gets to pick a flavor for his/her very own liter of soda pop from the SodaStream Home Soda Machine!!!

You have to admit, this is actually a pretty cool project.  It engages students in a fun project that has a purpose instead of constant drilling.  And they get a free liter of cola!

Thank goodness I'm minoring in Math!  I might have to use this one day... but add in the social context of the soda ban in New York and the students' thoughts on the matter.... then the project!!

 But luckily for you, I have also just now thought of a teaching opportunity where a connection can be made with the soda ban in an English class (lucky you!):

Commercialism and the possible "effects" of marketing campaigns would be the issue at hand.  Coca-cola and Pepsi are notorious for their sponsorships around the world.  (Even kids in Africa have access to an ice cold Coke!)  Students would use their creativity and create their own marketing campaigns for and against the soda ban.  Within their campaigns, the students would be asked to present a summary of intellectual research, explain their overall marketing concept and the strategies they used to reach target audiences, as well as include a visual aspect of their campaign.  This could be a student-created commercial, various advertisements/public service announcements in poster or magazine form, or something super creative.  Tri-fold poster boards would NOT be accepted for credit.  I hate those.  In fact, I hate them so much I would give negative credit, somehow.   Of course, the standard presentation, reflective essay on what the students learned, and their "Soda Portfolio" would be handed in for grading.

Even though there doesn't seem to be a whole-heck-of-a-lot-of "English" going on here, I assure you there is. Since the students would be in groups, they would be required to communicate, in and out of school.  Students will need to use their cognitive abilities to complete research, and their literacy skills to write their reflective essay.  Also, they would need to really hone-in on their ability to express their thoughts in a cohesive way.  All in all, a damn good project.  I feel like I should copyright this...

  Boom.

Possible extension of the project:
This could even be used in collaboration with the math class that does the Soda Pop Project.  We could even add in the history and sciences classes.... maybe even the entire school!  The school could present it's project to the school board, or even the world.  The possibilities are endless!

** The logistics of the Soda Pop Project were fundamentally my idea, but when I googled "fun high school math projects" this came up.  I really liked the questions and how the teacher incorporates the use of computers in order to find the answers: Pop Can Assignment