Food I Eat Writing Activity
Worksheets
30 minutesGradesK, 1, 2English Language Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Written by Elizabeth Ward, Dena James
About this activity
In this writing activity, students explore the foods they eat and where those foods come from. For example, a student might write that the ingredients in their hamburger come from a farm. This activity is a great companion to a study on food, food production, and food waste. Some key points to teach may include the following:
- impact of food waste on climate change
- emissions from food production
- inequality in access to food, (i.e., food deserts)
- native vs. imported foods
Everything you need to teach it
- Food I Eat - WritingView Activity
Teaching tips
- Students may draw, write, and/or dictate to share their thoughts and ideas.
- This writing activity can be placed in a station for independent or partner work.
- It may be helpful to provide students with a vocabulary wall to use as a model for spelling difficult words.
- Some students may be facing food insecurity. It is important to be aware of this and to provide a space for students to share their feelings and wonderings. In these cases, focus on food eaten at school. The teacher may choose the writing page that focuses on the individual student (I like to eat…) versus the student’s family (My family eats…).
- There are multiple levels and versions of this writing activity. Please use the one that best fits the needs of your students.
From the scientist review
Through this assignment, students can write about the effects of the food value chain on the climate, identify the source of their food (including food miles and food desert), and provide recommendations for how to equitably increase food security. This exercise is suggested for use in the classroom following the scientific review.
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About the teacher writers
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Elizabeth Ward
Elizabeth Ward, B.S., is SubjectToClimate's Chief Product Officer. She has more than 12 years of teaching experience across 3rd-grade science and social studies, Kindergarten, and online EFL, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Endorsement. She has spent 8 years in the education sector, spanning curriculum development and ed tech. Outside of work, she loves exploring the natural beauty of her home state of Texas.
Dena James
Dena has been working in education for over 25 years as a teacher, college instructor, librarian, and in early childhood. Her education and passions have always been tied to the multiple narratives of history and cultures in our country and around the world. She strives to have a strong voice for equity and systemic change in education and teaching. Dena completed her PhD in Educational Leadership while raising her 4 multi-racial children on her own and while serving as a guest teacher in K-12, a special education teacher, a Kindergarten teacher, and a 2nd grade teacher. Her current school district is in Eugene, and she has also taught and worked in Portland, Oregon and South Bend, Indiana. Her interests include backpacking, hiking, water activities, cooking, home DIY projects, traveling, making new friends, and learning outdoor and crafting skills.
Dena has facilitated the Planting the Seeds for Equity K-2 book study.
Biography from: https://grow.oregoned.org/facilitators/dena-james
