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LSF's Food for Thought Action Toolkit for Secondary Students

Secondary

Description

This ESD resource has students analyze the global food system from a ‘systems’ perspective to develop a better understanding of the important issues related to where their food comes from.

Part. A. Students watch a video that explores the concept of local food.  They create a food log to determine their own eating habits and where their preferred foods come from.  They also visit a local grocery and create a list of the different foods they find.   Students map the points of origin of the items on their list and discuss the environmental, social and economic consequences of the distances food travels. Students will also plant seeds suited to the local climate to give them the experience of growing their own food. 

Part B.  The activities focus on planting seeds, identifying the parts of a plant, the role of each part, and which parts are edible. As a culminating activity, students become acquainted with the concept of food miles by participating in a pizza making simulation.  (Actual pizza making is encouraged)

Part C.  The resource suggests several follow-up activities to solidify the students’ learning.  A reflection journal describing events as their plant grows to full maturity is proposed as a maintenance strategy. Students are also encouraged to develop a mind map based on their lunch of the day.  The mind map can serve as a summative assessment of what the students have learned throughout the project. 

Part D suggests enrichment activities. One such activity is an intergenerational interview to determine common foods in the past and where they came from. A second suggestion is to conduct an audit of the local superstore to see how much of the food sold there is local. This activity encourages students not only to conduct the audit, but then to communicate the findings with the store and if necessary, request that management increase the amount of local foods being sold.

The resource also provides an activity allowing students to connect their learning to the SDGs and apply the knowledge they gained throughout this action toolkit to think critically about them. Through interactive activities and hands-on projects, teachers can help students understand the importance of the SDGs and how they can make a difference. By introducing students to the SDGs, they can better understand how their actions can help create a more sustainable world.

To access more LSF Action Projects click here

 

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

The resource explicitely teaches students how to:

  • collaborate with others,
  • write letters to local businesses,
  • conduct an interview,
  • develop a strategy,
  • planting seeds.
  • how to conduct an audit

Strengths

  • The resource is very interesting and engaging. It can be modified for higher grades easily.
  • A key strength of this resource is that it introduces the concept of "Triple Bottom Approach" - a systems perspective of considering all of the impacts with food choices on the environment, economy and health (society). These are found throughout the activities.
  • Background information for both teacher and students is thorough and the presentation is suitable for the grades intended.
  • Teachers are encouraged to do some background research of their own area to be aware of the local foods available, and to get relevant information highlighting regional agricultural concerns to share with students.
  • The resource content is clear and well organized with support offered through website links
  • It is current and up-to-date.

Weaknesses

The activities are highly structured - there is room to have students take more initiative in identifying and taking ownership of problems they have concerns with in their own community - and design ways to creatively problem solve and try to address these.

Relevant Curriculum Units

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        • World Geography 30: World Patterns of Humankind's Use of the Earth
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        • World Geography: A Human Perspective - World Food Supply: Production and Distribution
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        • Science for Citizenship 11: Scientific understanding enables humans to respond and adapt to changes locally and globally
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    • Grade 12
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      • Environmental Science
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        • Environmental Science 12: Living sustainably supports the well-being of self, community, and Earth.

Themes Addressed

Citizenship (1)

  • Community-Building and Participation

Food & Agriculture (1)

  • Local Food

Human Health & Environment (1)

  • Quality of Life

Land Use & Natural Resources (1)

  • Transportation

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

The resource explores the implications of food consumption, hidden costs relative to the local economy and the health aspects and the environment - particularly with regard to transportation of food.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Very Good

The resource introduces the concept of "Triple Bottom Approach", a systems perspective that in this case considers the impacts that food choices have on the environment, economy and the health of a society.  This approach is taken throughout the activities.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Very Good

The entire resource is based on systems thinking and takes a multi-dimensional approach to strategies applied to food - where does it come from, what are the impacts, what choices can be made, how do these choices affect the local economy, impacts on local growers, aspects of health, quality of food, etc

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Good

  • The resource includes a community-based project (grocery store audit).
  • Students explore the concept of "buy local" and learn about "food miles" and how this affects our food choices.
  • Students are encouraged to keep a food journal to document and assess their food choices and to educate their family about the benefits of buying local foods.
  • Students are encouraged to do an audit of their local supermarket, and to address their findings by communicating with the store manager.
  • Students grow their own vegetable, learn about the needs of plants and consider these relative to their own area and growing season - ie. what can and cannot be grown in their region.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

Students are given several opportunities to voice their values through discussion and journaling.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered

This is not addressed in this resource

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Good

While the resource does not focus directly on outdoor experiences, students are encouraged to look at the advantages and disadvantages of food production and its impact on plant and animal life, particularly from the perspective of climate change, habitat loss and emissions from excessive transportation. By planting and caring for their own seeds, students will gain an appeciation for plants. 

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good
  • Students are asked to look at what they eat, what is sold in their grocery store, what can grow in their climate and so on. The activities are very relevant to the learners' lives.
  • Students explore the contents of their lunch and consider how far their food has traveled.
  • Students make a pizza based on locally grown foods and compare the differences from a "traditional" pizza.
  • Students conduct an audit of their local supermarket(s) and assess how well the food store supports buy local initiatives and local farms.
  • Students can make suggestions/recommendations to the store manager(s).
  • Students can encourage their family to buy more local foods and perhaps even grow some of their own food.
Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good

One of the action activities requires students to conduct an interview with an elder to compare where the food they ate growing up came from.

Students become aware of the interconnectedness between economy, environment and society/health - and how changes now can have a huge effect later - especially with regard to transportation issues of food and climate change.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Good

While the overall message is to support local food sources and buy food as close to home as possible there are many perspectives introduced which encourage a range of considerations and responses.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good

This is truly a multidisciplinary resource, covering aspects of health, social studies, math, science, food studies, language arts, art and geography.

Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

Through questions, peer discussions, exploring the seasonal availability of local foods by a variety of methods, experimenting with plant growth and making pizza with local only ingredients, students can extend their learning into an "ah-ha" moment.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Very Good
  • Accommodations are not specifically mentioned in this resource but the teacher should be able to adapt these activities easily for a variety of learning needs and challenges.
  • The activities range from group to individual activities and draw on many different ways of learning - including the cognitive and affective domain.
Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

Students will be growing plants, making a "local" pizza, conducting an interview, conducting an audit and communicating with store managers.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Very Good

Co-operative group work and learning skills are part of most activities and as such are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed. Students are required to reflect on group activities and decide how effectively their group works together, what could be improved, what is working well, etc.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Good

Several suggestions are made throughout the resource on how to evaluate the students' learning. Assessment strategies are also provided to do so.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory
  • By exploring their own lunches, students discover how far their food may have traveled and can discuss food choices with family members to try to reduce the foods from "away" and use local alternatives.
  • Through sharing the results of interviews with their families, other students and/or community members, students can teach others about their findings and the advantages of buying local foods.
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Good
  • There is a skit in the initial activity that is good for introducing students to the concept of how far food may have to travel from its place of origin to their grocery store.
  • Teachers are requested to provide newspaper clippings and/or other related media discussing the issues of locally grown foods - these would be relevant case studies for the area.
  • It would be very interesting for students to see the cultural differences of "local foods" from other countries, especially tropical ones, and the differences between countries that are "wealthy" versus countries that are struggling.
Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Satisfactory

The resource is well planned with a progression of activities to lead students on an exploration of food. However, there is not a lot of choice within each activity so far as students taking ownership.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.