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Food for Thought Action Toolkit

Provided by: Learning for a Sustainable Future |Published on: March 15, 2024

Lesson Plans

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Synopsis

In this collection of activities, students will learn about the global food system, the benefits of supporting local farmers, how to grow food, and where food comes from in Canada.
Students will create a food log, map where foods come from, learn the parts of a plant, plant and care for seeds, investigate food miles in a pizza simulation, interview elders about historical food systems, persuade grocery stores to be more sustainable, reflect through journaling, and create a mindmap to synthesize their learning.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Biology, Geography, English Language Arts

Authors: Resources for Rethinking

Region: North America

Languages: English, French

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Teaching Materials

Positives

Students think critically about their food choices and how they impact the environment.
Many of the activities are collaborative and hands-on.
Students are encouraged to change their food choices to help reduce food miles.

Additional Prerequisites

The resource is also available in French.
The resource provides student worksheets as PDFs and Google Docs.
Students need access to computers with internet access.
Teachers must provide paper towels, plates, spray bottles, seeds, masking tape, markers, pots, drainage trays, potting soil, plastic wrap, and poster/chart paper.
The lesson has five sections of activities: SDG Connections, Getting Ready - Asking Why, Planting Food, Essential Follow-Up Activities, and Extending the Learning. There are also three appendices: Background, Planting Options and Tips, and Assessment Opportunities.

Differentiation

List-making and grocery-shopping activities make this lesson a relevant addition to a life skills class.
This lesson is specific to Canada, but teachers can modify it for other countries by having students research in-season food, percentage of imports, and distances between cities for their area in the pizza simulation.
The resource provides numerous options for extension and differentiation, including means to connect the lesson with English language arts, math, health, and art.
For younger students or those who may need more structure and support, there is a version of this toolkit available for middle grades.
Students less familiar with climate change may need help building connections between the food system, such as food miles and climate change. The additional resources linked throughout the introduction and background information sections can help do this.
Teachers can add questions directly addressing climate change to the journaling follow-up activity, such as "How are my food choices impacting the environment and climate?"

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

Learning for a Sustainable Future

Learning for a Sustainable Future is a Canadian charity founded in 1991 to integrate sustainability education into Canada’s K-12 school system. Learning for a Sustainable Future focuses on 4 priority areas including: Advancing Education Policy through research and knowledge mobilization; Supporting Educators through delivery of teacher workshops and provision of classroom resources; Youth Engagement through climate action youth leadership forums and climate action project funding; and Celebrating Bright Spots of Innovation through educator and youth awards and the Sustainable Future Schools whole school initiative.

Related Teaching Resources

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.