Food Miles

In this lesson, students learn about food miles, analyze an article about eating locally, and work in groups to write their own informational article about how to manage food miles.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students play a guessing game related to food miles.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students analyze a text about eating locally, looking for headings, subheadings, and pull quotes.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students work in small groups to write an article addressing the importance of food miles and what action the community can take to manage them.

Positives

• This lesson aligns with Hawai‘i’s Nā Hopena A'o HĀ-BREATH Framework.

• Teachers can apply a regional or local focus to the concept of food miles.

• Students are exposed to multiple kinds of media (e.g., video, articles).

• Students apply the concept of food miles to their own community.

• Students are empowered to research and choose a solution to fight climate change.

• Students read informational texts and apply text features in their own writing.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be adept at researching.

• Students should have a general knowledge of headings, subheadings, and pull quotes. This lesson serves as a review.

• Students should know the appropriate citation format when presenting the assignment.

Differentiation

• Teacher can provide a list of resources for students to use instead of having them research from scratch.

• Teacher can expand the final assessment by having students add photos with captions and/or write a longer article.

• Students can engage with the food miles calculator as an extension. This could involve students bringing food containers or food packaging to class or doing more research at home for their articles.

• Journalism classes can format the articles to create a newspaper.

This lesson explains the concept of food miles and gives students the opportunity to estimate the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere throughout the food supply chain up until the point of consumption. In order to help Hawaiians respond to the effects of climate change on the food supply value chain, students will also learn about strategic measures to cut emissions from the food sector and disseminate those solutions. After carefully fact-checking all the lesson materials, we determined that this lesson is accurate and has passed our science review.

Primary Standards

• Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
  • Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • Writing (K-12)
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.