Mini Debates

Junk Food Sales in Schools

Pre-Reading Warm Up Questions

Junk Food Sales in Schools

Over the last 15 years, many high schools and middle schools in the
United States have allowed snack foods such as soft drinks, candy,
and potato chips to be sold in vending machines in their buildings.
Expensive advertising campaigns, paid for by the makers of these
products, have encouraged students to snack on junk food instead
of healthy food such as fruits and vegetables.
As a result, many students eat junk food for lunch and during the
day. Federal and state rules that restrict vending machine products
from being sold at lunchtime are simply ignored.

1. What is junk food? Give some examples of junk

food?
2. Do you eat a lot of junk food?
3. Do you think that children nowadays eat too much junk
food?
4. What is a vending machine? Are there vending
machines in public schools in your city? If so, what
kind of products do they sell?
5. How do schools in your area pay for things such as
sports equipment, musical instruments, computer
equipment, field trips, etc.?

Students who eat junk food every day are likely to become obese or
to suffer from tooth decay. As adults, they may develop serious
diseases, like diabetes, which add to the countrys health care costs.
Yet schools continue to make junk food easily available to students.
They do this because their government-funded budgets only cover
basic school services. The money they receive from junk food
manufacturers can add $50,000 or more to their budgets each year.
Schools that allow only one particular brand of soft drink, such as
Coke, to be sold in vending machines can make much more money.
This money is used to pay for things like computer equipment, field
trips, special activities, and marching bands.
The more junk food students buy from the vending machines, the
more money the schools make.

COMPREHENSION

Since 2001, many U.S. lawmakers, parent groups, and communities

have tried to change this situation. They believe that schools should
sell nothing but nutritious food at lunchtime. They also believe that
corporations should not be offering schools large sums of money to
ignore the health risks of junk food. However, many schools have
opposed their actions because they do not want to lose the money
they make from junk food sales.

1. Why are American students eating more junk food in

schools nowadays?

Many people believe that, instead of being safe places, schools

today are unhealthy places for students.

4. How is the money obtained from the sale of junk food

often used?

2. What is the danger to children who eat a lot of junk

food?
3. Why do many schools make junk food easily available
to students?

5. What are many parent groups and communities trying

to do about this situation?
1
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Mini Debates
Junk Food Sales in Schools
VOCABULARY REVIEW
A. Match the words on the left with the correct meaning on the right.
______ 1. snack

a) danger

______ 2. advertising campaign

______ 3. encourage

b) very fat
c) company

______ 4. restrict
______ 5. ignore
______ 6. obese

d) paid for
e) a light meal
f) limit

______ 7. decay
______ 8. budget

g) good for health (as in food)

h) be against; not support or agree with

______ 9. funded
______ 10. nutritious
______ 11. corporation

i) series of activities for selling something

j) not pay attention to
k) get in bad condition

______ 12. risk

______ 13. oppose

l) a plan of income and spending

m) give hope or confidence; support

B. Choose the right word(s) from the left column above to complete the
following sentences.
1. Eating a lot of candy will make your teeth __________________________.
2. A ____________________________ diet includes a lot of fresh fruits and
vegetables.
3. The toy company is planning a very big ____________________________
before Christmas.
4. If you ____________________________ the doctors advice, you will not
get better.
5. If you ____________________________ the government, you can vote for
someone else in the next election.

DEBATE IT
Below are two topics to debate in small groups or pairs. Your teacher will
tell you if you will be debating for or against the idea. You will have ten
minutes to prepare your arguments.
Topic #1:
Schools should promote healthy lifestyles for children and therefore, no junk
food should be sold in school cafeterias, snack bars, vending machines or
anywhere else on school property.
Topic #2:
Schools should never be allowed to make arrangements with big corporations
to support, sell, or advertise their products no matter how much money they
receive.

DISCUSS IT
Work with a partner or in small groups.
Discuss the following questions.
1. Why do you think so many children are
obese today? What can parents and society
do to prevent children from becoming
obese?
2. How have schools changed in the past forty
or fifty years? Do you think it is the
responsibility of public schools to provide
extra-curricular activities to students or
should this be the responsibility of parents?
3. Do you think public school budgets should
include funding for sports programs, music,
arts, field trips, etc. or should they just cover
basic educational services?
4. Do you think that public schools should ask
more big corporations to provide funding for
the schools in exchange for endorsing
(supporting) their products? Explain your
answer.
5. Do you think that big corporations such as
Coca-Cola could be persuaded to change the
products they sell in the vending machines?
For example, many soft drink producers also
make healthier products such as fruit juices,
bottled water, etc.
6. If schools decide to ban the sale of junk food
in their schools, what are some other ways
they could raise money?

WRITE IT
Choose one of the questions above and write
a paragraph stating your own opinion.

2
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Mini Debates
Junk Food Sales in Schools

ANSWER KEY
Please note:
The reading for this topic is also available in full-page format at the end of the lesson (page 4).
Comprehension:
1. Expensive advertising campaigns, paid for by the makers of these products, have encouraged students to
snack on junk food.
2. Students who eat junk food every day are likely to become obese or to suffer from tooth decay.
3. Because their government-funded budgets only cover basic school services.
4. The money is used to pay for things like computer equipment, field trips, special activities, and marching
bands.
5. The parent groups, and communities have tried to change this situation. They believe that schools should sell
nothing but nutritious food at lunchtime. They also believe that corporations should not be offering schools
large sums of money to ignore the health risks of junk food.

Vocabulary:
A.
1. e
2. i
10. g
11. c
B.
1. decay

3. m
12. a

2. nutritious

4. f
13. h

5. j

3. advertising campaign

6. b

7. k

4. ignore

8. l

9. d

5. oppose

3
Copyright 2009. This eBook is produced and distributed by Red River Press Inc. All rights reserved. The contents within this e-book/document may only be
photocopied by members of ESL-Llibrary.com in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@esl-library.com for complete details.

Mini Debates
Junk Food Sales in Schools

Junk Food Sales in Schools

Over the last 15 years, many high schools and middle schools in the United States have allowed snack
foods such as soft drinks, candy, and potato chips to be sold in vending machines in their buildings. Expensive advertising campaigns, paid for by the makers of these products, have encouraged students to
snack on junk food instead of healthy food such as fruits and vegetables.
As a result, many students eat junk food for lunch and during the day. Federal and state rules that restrict
vending machine products from being sold at lunchtime are simply ignored.
Students who eat junk food every day are likely to become obese or to suffer from tooth decay. As adults,
they may develop serious diseases, like diabetes, which add to the countrys health care costs.
Yet schools continue to make junk food easily available to students. They do this because their
government-funded budgets only cover basic school services. The money they receive from junk food
manufacturers can add $50,000 or more to their budgets each year. Schools that allow only one particular
brand of soft drink, such as Coke, to be sold in vending machines can make much more money. This
money is used to pay for things like computer equipment, field trips, special activities, and marching
bands.
The more junk food students buy from the vending machines, the more money the schools make.
Since 2001, many U.S. lawmakers, parent groups, and communities have tried to change this situation.
They believe that schools should sell nothing but nutritious food at lunchtime. They also believe that
corporations should not be offering schools large sums of money to ignore the health risks of junk food.
However, many schools have opposed their actions because they do not want to lose the money they
make from junk food sales.
Many people believe that, instead of being safe places, schools today are unhealthy places for students.

4
Copyright 2009. This eBook is produced and distributed by Red River Press Inc. All rights reserved. The contents within this e-book/document may only be
photocopied by members of ESL-Llibrary.com in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@esl-library.com for complete details.