Fifth Grade Foodies

High Tech Elementary Miss Della Roccas Class Fall 2013

Essential Questions

What is the story behind the food we eat? What is food? Where does it come from? How do plants grow? How do we get food from animals? What is involved in processing food? What food does our body need? How can we support the producers of our food? How can we support people who dont have enough food?

Overview
When asked to define food, 10-year-old kids respond with things like something delicious or material that we need or something that we make. Several understand that food provides us with energy and some know it contains nutrients (though theyre not sure what nutrients are). It seems obvious that understanding what we eat each day where it comes from, what it contains, how it is made should not be such a mystery. This project endeavors to give students a chance to explore the origins of the food they eat each day. They will discover where food comes from; how different foods vary; the nutritional value of food; the impact of food development on the environment; and various aspects of processing, preserving, and preparing food of different kinds. They will also learn about how different regions or populations have a scarcity of food and they will act to support people in our own community who struggle to put enough food on the table for their families. Field experiences to local urban farms and water conservations centers will give students exposure to people in the community who are involved in producing food, using various farming methods and facing the particular challenges of providing water to growing plants and animals in a dry climate. Finally, students will connect with an organic farmer in Tennessee to learn about sustainable farming. They will collaborate with this farmer to develop a website to support his business.

Timeline

This project will span twelve weeks ending on December 19th, 2013 at HTes school-wide project exhibition. At least four field excursions will provide for hands-on learning outside of the classroom.

Products

Each student will plant seeds and care for the growth of a vegetable plant. Students will develop a website for an organic farmer at Creek Bend Farm in Tennessee to market his products, educate his clients and share the story of food with others. Students will organize in groups to develop copy for the website and then collaborate as a class to produce one website. The class will also organize a food drive to support hungry families in the San Diego community.

Assessment
As students complete learning activities around various aspects of food they will use rubrics designed together as a class to assess their own understanding. These rubrics will focus on: Content (academic material & skills learned) Collaboration Contribution Critique Creativity Critical thinking for understanding (i.e., ability to ask questions, make connections and summarize new learning).

Learning
Students will: Learn about the systems of the body & how food provides nutrients to support our health. Compare the nutrition value of various foods.

Explore how food makes it from the farm to the table including plant growth, water usage, soil preservation, and farming practices.
Discover how meat is raised for food. Determine reasons for promoting sustainable farming practices. Analyze statistics of food scarcity (local & international). Develop an appreciation for the steps that go into processing, preserving and preparing food. Research the local history of food production. In the process of this project, several skills will be developed: Expository & Creative Writing Scientific inquiry Summarizing Questioning Collaboration Empathy Measuring & Graphing

Exhibition
Students will present their learning at an exhibition on Thursday, December 19th at HTe. In addition to displaying the process of their learning about food, they will invite visitors to view their new website for Creek Bend Farms.