Buzz Hunt Slides Buzz
Hunt
Investigating Caffeine Sources
Lesson 01 // Substance Awareness
Rank the
Buzz
The Hook
Rank these 5 drinks from LEAST to MOST caffeine content per container:
🥤
Classic Cola
(12 oz can)
🧋
Bottled Green Tea
(16.9 oz)
☕
Iced Coffee
(16 oz / Grande)
🔋
Mega Energy
(16 oz can)
🍊
Orange Soda
(20 oz bottle)
Ready for the reveal?
The Truth Revealed
01
Orange Soda (20 oz) — 0mg
02
Classic Cola (12 oz) — 34mg
03
Bottled Green Tea (16.9 oz) — 45mg
04
Mega Energy (16 oz) — 160mg
05
Iced Coffee (16 oz) — 225mg
Wait... coffee has MORE than the energy drink?
What is
Caffeine?
"The World's Most Popular Drug"
It is a stimulant that speeds up the messages between your brain and your body.
The Source
Found naturally in leaves, beans, and fruits of over 60 plants (Coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods).
The Fake
Synthetically (man-made) produced in labs and added to sodas, energy drinks, and even medicines.
The Danger Zone
Daily Limit for Adolescents:
100mg
Maximum Recommended
Most energy drinks contain between 160mg and 300mg in a single can. Do the math!
Your Mission:
The Caffeine Audit
1. Hunt
Search through the beverage labels in the lab. Find the caffeine content per container , not just per serving.
2. Compare
How does each drink compare to the 100mg daily limit? Who is over the line?
Caffeine Audit Worksheet Caffeine Audit
SUBSTANCE INVESTIGATION FILE // L01
AGENT:
DATE:
Safety Protocol: 100mg Daily Limit for Adolescents
Data Collection
| Beverage Name | Total Size
(oz or ml) | Caffeine
(per serving) | Servings
(per can/bottle) | TOTAL CAFFEINE
(per container) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | mg | | mg |
| | | mg | | mg |
| | | mg | | mg |
| | | mg | | mg |
| | | mg | | mg |
Investigation Analysis
01. Which audited beverage had the most "hidden" caffeine? (Highest caffeine content you didn't expect)
02. Calculate the Difference: Choose one energy drink from your list. How many milligrams does it EXCEED the 100mg safety limit?
mg OVER
03. Synthesis: Why do you think companies list caffeine "per serving" instead of "per container" when the container is intended for a single use?
Field Notes
Flash Fact
Caffeine is a vaso-constrictor, meaning it narrows your blood vessels and makes your heart work much harder. In teens, this can lead to palpitations and anxiety.
Caffeine Investigation Teacher Guide Teacher Confidential // File: 01-BUZZ
Approved for Instruction
The Caffeine Hunt
Lesson 01: Investigation & Audit Guide
DURATION: 50 MIN
SUBJECT: SUBSTANCE AWARENESS
Objectives
Identify natural vs. synthetic caffeine sources.
Calculate total caffeine per container using labels.
Compare beverage content to the 100mg safety threshold.
Setup Requirements
Labels Needed: Collect 10-15 empty beverage containers or high-res images of their nutritional labels.
Suggested Mix:
• Monster/Red Bull/Celsius (High Buzz)
• Mountain Dew/Mello Yello (Med Buzz)
• Sprite/Ginger Ale (Zero Buzz)
• Bottled Teas & Cold Brews (Hidden Buzz)
01. The Hook (10 Min)
Use the Buzz Hunt Slides . Before revealing the ranking, ask: "Why do you think coffee is ranked lower by most people than an energy drink?" Students often associate caffeine with branding/flavor rather than the actual drug content.
02. The Investigation (25 Min)
Distribute the Caffeine Audit Worksheet . Organize students into "Investigation Teams" of 2-3. Have them rotate through stations with the beverage containers.
Teacher Tip: Watch for students forgetting to multiply caffeine per serving by servings per container . A 16oz can often contains 2 servings, doubling the number they see at first glance.
03. The Debrief (15 Min)
Gather the class. Discuss analysis question #3. Key takeaway: Companies use "serving size" as a legal loophole to make the sugar and caffeine numbers look lower on the back of the label.
Reference Data (Common Beverage Content)
Celsius (12oz) 200mg
Monster Energy (16oz) 160mg
Mountain Dew (12oz) 54mg
Starbucks Cold Brew (16oz) 205mg
Coca-Cola (12oz) 34mg
Lipton Iced Tea (16.9oz) 22mg
Marketing Machine Slides Hype
VS
Reality
The Marketing Machine
What are they selling?
Think Fast
When you see an energy drink ad, you rarely see someone sitting at a desk studying or reading a book.
You see:
Skateboarding / BMX / Moto-X
Competitive Gaming (E-Sports)
Late-night parties / Music Festivals
"Hustle" and 24/7 Productivity
They aren't selling a drink.
They are selling a LIFESTYLE.
01
The
Thrill
Association with Danger
By sponsoring extreme sports and athletes, brands trick your brain into associating their product with adrenaline, bravery, and physical perfection.
The Subliminal Message:
"Drink this, and you'll be as fearless as a pro athlete."
02
The
Grind
Targeting the Gamer
Brands sponsor e-sports teams and streamers. They market drinks as "performance enhancers" for your brain, promising better focus and faster reaction times.
The Subliminal Message:
"To win, you need this chemical advantage."
The Smoke Screen
While the ads show neon lights and high-flying stunts, they deliberately hide the reality of the ingredients.
What they SHOW:
Excitement, Fitness, Success, Fun, Community
What they HIDE:
Insomnia, Heart Spikes, Anxiety, Sugar Crashes
Ad Detective:
Break the Code
Your Task:
Identify the Target Audience
Spot the Hidden Persuaders
Uncover the Missing Health Warning
Ad Analysis Worksheet Ad Detective
MEDIA ANALYSIS // FILE: 02-HYPE
Case ID:
Date:
Product / Brand Name:
Platform Where Found (e.g. YouTube, TikTok, TV):
The Target
Age Group:
Hobbies / Interests:
Mood of the Ad:
Visual Evidence
What colors, music, and "fast-paced" editing are used to create excitement?
Identify one "Hidden Persuader" (e.g. a famous athlete, a cool gamer setup, a beautiful landscape):
Reality Check
List 3 health risks that are NOT mentioned in this advertisement:
Final Verdict:
Is this advertisement honest? Why or why not?
Crash Course Slides The Spike
Loop
Sugar, Caffeine & The Crash
The "Other"
Ingredient
Visualizing Sugar
A standard 16oz energy drink contains about 54g to 62g of sugar.
That is equivalent to 15-18 teaspoons of sugar in one sitting.
Adolescent Daily Limit: 25g
The Brain Hijack
Your brain produces a chemical called Adenosine that makes you feel tired.
Caffeine is an "Imposter molecule." It blocks your brain's receivers so you don't FEEL the tiredness building up.
"You aren't energized...
you just can't feel the sleep."
The Cycle of
The Crash
🚀
1. THE SPIKE
Sugar hits the blood. Insulin floods in. You feel "The Buzz."
⚡
2. OVERDRIVE
Heart rate goes up. Blood pressure rises. You might feel jittery.
📉
3. THE CRASH
Insulin clears the sugar. Blood sugar plummets below normal.
😵💫
4. THE VOID
Brain fog sets in. Irritability. You crave another drink to "fix" it.
How this looks in 1st Period...
Low Focus
Your brain is too "noisy" to process complex information.
Short Fuse
The spike makes you irritable and easily frustrated.
"The drink promised you'd be a superhero... but it left you unable to finish your math test."
Blood Sugar Graphing Activity The Spike Lab
BLOOD GLUCOSE SIMULATION // CASE: 03-LOOP
Subject Name:
Date:
Scenario: A student consumes a 16oz "Mega-Buzz" energy drink (54g sugar) at 8:00 AM. Below is the recorded blood sugar (glucose) data over the following three hours. Your mission is to graph the "Spike Loop" and analyze the results.
Data Table
Time Glucose (mg/dL) 8:00 AM 90 (Normal) 8:20 AM 145 (Spiking) 8:40 AM 165 (Peak) 9:00 AM 130 9:30 AM 95 10:00 AM 70 (The Crash) 10:30 AM 65 (The Void) 11:00 AM 75
Note:
Standard healthy range is 70-100 mg/dL.
Visual Data Plot
180160140120100806040200
8:008:309:009:3010:0010:3011:00
Time Elapsed (hours)
Reflection & Deduction
1. Look at your peak. How many minutes did it take for the sugar to reach its maximum concentration in the blood?
2. Between what times was the "Crash" occurring (when levels dropped below normal)?
3. Predict: How might the data look different if the drink was "Sugar-Free"? (Note: Sugar-free drinks still use artificial sweeteners and have the same amount of caffeine).