Wednesday & Thursday: Final Drafts

Today and tomorrow students will have an opportunity to revise their Food Systems Case Study to ensure it is meeting the expectations for research skills, analyzing problems and solutions and demonstrating scientific writing.  Students will review the Rubric for Food Systems Case Study and make any changes or updates as needed.  Students need to submit their final draft in Google Classroom by the end of the school day on Thursday.

Students with extra time in class can check out these links:

• TED Ed: The Science of Spiciness
• How to Feed the World, Explained in 2.5 Minutes
• The Terrifying Truth About Bananas
• Grow Food Rap
• How to build a vertical garden at home
• TED Ed: What is a calorie?
• TED Ed: What would happen if the world went vegetarian?
• PBS Food Forward:  The Future of Food (25 minutes)
• PBS Food Forward: The Quest for Water (25 minutes)

 

 

Monday & Tuesday: Food Systems Case Study

This week students will continue to work on their Food Systems Case Study in Google Classroom.  Students can view the grading rubric here: Rubric for Food Systems Case Study

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Entire Case Study due Wednesday (Homework Club on Tuesday for student that need to finish)
• All missing work must be turned in by Thursday, it will not be accepted after the break.

Tuesday – Friday: Food Systems Case Study Research

As a culmination of our Food Systems study, students will begin their final projects this week.  The project is a case study where students will need to choose a country that does not have enough food available to feed a world of 9 billion people, research key pieces of information about the country and make specific recommendations for solutions.  Students will need to use specific data and clear reasoning to back up their thinking.   This project will be completed online – each students will be working on their own document in Google Classroom which they can access from any internet connected device.

Here are resources from class:

• Example of Case Study Template (students have their individual copies in their Google Classrooms)
• Map: Feeding the World
• CIA World Fact Book

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Food Systems Case Study Page 1 due Thursday
• Food Systems Case Study Page 2 due Friday

Thursday & Friday: Article – Finding Foods for the Future

Furthering our focus on food innovations to help feed a world of 9 billion people, students will be reading an article about scientists who are looking at future foods – foods that are nutritious but not currently eaten by most of the world.  Students will practice identifying the main idea and supporting details using the note taking method known as “boxes and bullets.”  Here are resources from class:

• Video: Should We Eat Bugs? (identify the main idea and supporting details)
• Article: Cool Jobs – Finding the foods for the future
• Assignment: Article Notes – Future Foods

Fun links shared in class:

• Buy cricket flour online
• Grow Food Rap

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Food Innovations Webquest (assigned Tuesday) is due tomorrow

Tuesday & Wednesday: Food Innovations Webquest

For the next couple of days students will be researching new (or improved) methods of growing more food using fewer resources, less space or places previously not a huge focus of agriculture.  From rooftop gardening to cultivating ocean crops, there are many underutilized agricultural resources that are beginning to gain in popularity.   Students will research a variety of growing methods and consider how they could be used to help feed a world of 9 billion people.  Students will need these links:

• Link #1: World Population Growth
• Link #2: Water Footprint Infographic
• Link #3: Article: Rooftop Gardens
  
• Link #4: Portland Rooftop Gardens Video
• Link #5: Wall Garden Video
• Link #6: TED Ed – A teacher growing green in the South Bronx
• Link #7: NOAA What is Aquaculture?
• Link #8: University of Maine What is Aquaculture?
• Link #9: Maine Seaweed Harvest
• Link #10: Food of the Future

Students that have additional time can check out these links:

• TED Ed Backyard Gardening – A Subversive Plot
• Maine Aquaculture (examples of kelp, oyster, mussel and fish farms)
• How to build a vertical garden at home
• TED Ed: How Does it Grow? Hydroponic Spinach
• TED Ed: What is a calorie?
• TED Ed: What would happen if the world went vegetarian?

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Food Innovations Webquest due Friday

Monday: Urban Agriculture

To feed a world of 9 billion people, we will need to start growing food in spaces not used before.  Today students will learning about examples of urban farming around the country and think about how these growing methods could be used in places like Maine.  Students will need these links:

• Food Forward Pilot Episode
• Food Forward Video Notes

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Food Forward Video Notes due Tuesday

Thursday: Aquaponics Continued

Today students looked at the water testing data from our classroom aquaponics tank and used it to help determine the health of the fish as well as the overall system.  Students also discussed in what ways aquaponics could be helpful as a way to increase food production in Maine.

This short PBS video recaps the major points about aquaponics:  PBS: Aquaponic farming saves water, but can it feed the country?