Month: November 2016

Tuesday & Wednesday: Introduction to Aquaponics

/ Ms Lea

One approach to addressing the food needs of a world of 9 billion people is to grow more food.  In our classroom, we have started an aquaponics tank to demonstrate one possibility of new ways of growing food.  Here’s some information:

Aquaponics – a food system where fish and plants are grown together using fish waste to provide nutrients for the plants while the plants help clean the water.

Pros:

  • Grow local food year-round anywhere
  • Includes a source of protein
  • No need for soil
  • Organic, no chemical fertilizers
  • No weeds or pesticides
  • Requires less space and water to grow
  • Grows faster than soil
  • Symbiotic – fish help the plants and plants help the fish

Cons:

  • Requires electricity to run the pump, grow lights and heat.
  • Needs to be maintained: cleaned, feed fish, test the water
  • Costs money to set up

the-aquaponics-cycle

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LINKS for class:

If students have extra time, check out

ASSIGNMENTS:

Monday: Feeding a World of 9 Billion People

/ Ms Lea

Students have spent the past few weeks exploring issues around food insecurity, food waste, food production and food deserts.  With this background knowledge, students are now moving into our big organizing question:

How can science help us feed a world of 9 billion people?

Over the next few weeks, students will explore this questions and develop possible solutions to feeding an increasing world population.

Here are the resources from today’s class:

ASSIGNMENTS:

  • The end of the trimester is this Friday, Dec 2.  Students should check Infinite Campus to be sure that all work is turned in.

Monday & Tuesday: Quiz and Food Science

/ Ms Lea

On Monday students had an open-notes quiz reviewing what they have learned about food including the resources needed to produce and transport food, food waste and food insecurity.  This is the last content grade for science this trimester.  The 2nd trimester begins on December 5th.

Only half of classes met on Tuesday due to the half-day.  Students got to check out some food science shared in the NOVA ScienceNow Episode “Can I Eat That?”  Students can view the entire episode here:

NOVA ScienceNOW: Can I Eat That?

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Friday: Food Insecurity Review

/ Ms Lea

Today we reviewed what students have learned about food deserts and food insecurity as well as reflected on some possible solutions.  Here are some of the materials from class:

In addition, students revisited how to access class-specific grades in Infinite Campus to see completed and missing assignments.

Below are some links to How It’s Made Videos about processed foods:

ASSIGNMENTS:

Wednesday & Thursday: Analyzing Food Deserts Webquest

/ Ms Lea

For the next two days students will be taking a closer look at food desert and food insecurity data, specifically data related to Maine.  Students will need to use the links below to research information as part of their Analyzing Food Deserts Webquest.

LINKS:

ASSIGNMENTS:

Tuesday: Analyzing Food Maps

/ Ms Lea

Today students put to work their data and analysis skills to look at food access maps of different neighborhoods in Baltimore.  Students had to apply what they know about food deserts to decide if each neighborhood qualified.  Students worked in groups and backed up their thinking with evidence from the maps.  Here are the resources from class:

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ASSIGNMENTS:

 

Monday: Introduction to Food Deserts

/ Ms Lea

This week students will be learning about food deserts – areas in the US where people have a hard time accessing fresh and healthy food because they live far away from grocery stores.  Students will be focusing on data as they use interactive maps and other tools to identify and think about this problem. This is part of our Food Systems unit which asks students to think about how science can be used to help feed a world of 9 billion people.

Today, students are identifying the characteristics of food deserts.  See the presentation from class here: Slideshow: Introduction to Food Deserts

Students will think about their own neighborhoods and decide whether or not they count as “food deserts.”

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ASSIGNMENTS:

Thursday: Food Waste Review

/ Ms Lea

Today students shared their food waste comics and we reviewed the journey that food goes on from the farm, to the processing center, to the store, to your home, and then to the compost or landfill.  Students also had time to check in about missing work and get caught up on missing assignments.

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Tuesday: Food Waste Journeys

/ Ms Lea

Today students considered two different food waste journeys: food that goes to a compost vs food that goes to a landfill.  Students examined food that we have had bottled at LMS since as early as 2008 and made observations about which types of food decomposed.  Students then had a food journeys comic to complete.  It can be accessed here: Food Waste Comic

Here is a resource with some more background information: Composting for Kids

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ASSIGNMENTS: