This video and lesson is about industrial agriculture, land use, ocean acidification, the use of plastic in food production and distribution, and the impact that food choices and agricultural practices have on climate change.
Students will watch the video, write a letter, conduct a research project, and take part in class discussions.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This video highlights the effects of industrial agriculture on various communities that are disproportionately impacted by industrial agriculture facilities.
It includes topics such as traditional ecological knowledge and mangroves as important carbon sinks.
The many topics and subtopics are broken down by timestamp for the teacher or viewer to easily navigate.
Additional Prerequisites
Those who want to use this resource need to answer questions and provide an email address to get an access link and password.
Students may need the terms industrial, prevalent, aquaculture, biodiversity, land degradation, terrestrial, carbon sinks and others defined, prior to watching the lesson.
Scrolling below the video will take you to the additional resources that can accompany this video.Of these resources, the quiz and homework answer keys are not accessible.
Day two of the provided lesson plan includes a link to a climate change food calculator. This link isn't clickable, however a collection of climate change food calculators can be found on our site.
Differentiation
This lesson introduces many topics that students may want to research either independently, or as a class, such as the industrial revolution, the westernization of diets across the globe, or genetically modified foods.
Students may benefit from guided notes, provided at the bottom of the screen, to fill out while watching the lesson or frequent pausing to discuss, to increase student engagement.
Students can discuss individual actions vs. larger-scale actions that can be taken in agriculture and personal food choices to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from food.
Consider using this other resource on our site about the impacts of food production globally to have students further investigate the land, water, and resources used to produce various foods.
Scientist Notes
This video is an overview of how our food production and diet affect the environment. In the video, they step through the following topics: current environmental issues related to food production and consumption, the consequences of modern farming and agriculture practices, the conditions of farms for workers and animals, material needs and pollution, water use, land use, farming and sourcing sea animals, alternative practices, climate justice, how this all is related to climate change, and what we can do about it. The video is dense and includes a lot of statistics and facts presented at a quick pace. The topics do transition well, but it is a lot of information and may be overwhelming for some. The website does provide a breakdown of the subtopics covered in the video, along with time stamps if users want to break up the video. Related resources, discussion questions, and activities are also provided. The video and some of the activities have viewers briefly reflect on their diets, which can be a touchy subject for some, particularly those at a higher risk for disordered eating. Overall, this is a nice video that encompasses how our food system, humans interact and affect the Earth. The information is accurate and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-1 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
HS-ESS3-4 Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Geography
D2.Geo.10.9-12 Evaluate how changes in the environmental and cultural characteristics of a place or region influence spatial patterns of trade and land use.
D2.Geo.4.9-12 Analyze relationships and interactions within and between human and physical systems to explain reciprocal influences that occur among them.
D2.Geo.9.9-12 Evaluate the influence of long-term climate variability on human migration and settlement patterns, resource use, and land uses at local-to-global scales.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Writing (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
National Health Education Standards
Standard 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
1.12.3 Analyze how environment and personal health are interrelated.
1.12.5 Propose ways to reduce or prevent injuries and health problems.
Standard 5: Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.
5.12.4 Generate alternatives to health-related issues or problems.
Standard 6: Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health.
6.12.1 Assess personal health practices and overall health status.
