Just Food?Investigating Food Justice and Culture

Sarah DuerC&T 4124: Curriculum and Instruction

Teachers CollegeMay 6, 2015

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………2

Table of ContentsIntroduction………………………………………………………….......................2Critical Theory and Food Justice: The Unit Rationale.……………………...….….2Why Food? The Classroom Context……………………………………………….3Food Justice and Culture: The Unit………………………………………………...6

Purpose………………………………………………………………………6Prior Knowledge…………………………………………………………….6Standards……………………………………………………....…………….6Essential Questions………………………………………………………….9Enduring Understandings……………………………………………………9Assessment Strategies……………………………………………………….9Resources and Materials……………………………………………………10

Calendar of Learning Experiences…………………………………………13Culminating Project ………………………………………………………………28Lesson 1…………………………………………………………………………...14Lesson 2…………………………………………………………………………...17Lesson 3…………………………………………………………………………...21Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...31References………………………………………………………………………...32

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………3

Introduction: Investing in Food Education“Putting together the two words food and justice does not by itself

accomplish the goal of facilitating the expansion and linkage of groups and issues, […] but it does open up those pathways for social and political

action, and it helps establish a new language of social change in the food arena.” – Food Justice, Gottlieb and Joshi, 2013, p. 5

The rise in childhood obesity and nutritional deficiencies among low-income families is a familiar narrative. Several research studies have explored the implications and causes of, as well as possible remedies for, childhood obesity. Children develop their taste preferences and their ideas about the food system early in life; the marketing forces of McDonald’s and other fast-food cultural ideologies can damage children’s food perspectives. The less familiar narrative is the disconnect between food, culture, responsibility that results in an inequitable, industrialized food system. My intention as a critical educator is to equip my students with the skills and tools to not only recognize injustices, but also to act upon those injustices so that they can be agents of transformation. This is why my unit is titled “Just Food?” because food is not just food – it is representative of systemic injustices that can be defined, investigated, and challenged.

Nutritional literacy is a component of food justice. The national movement for improving healthy food access in school cafeterias and garden-based or nutritional-based curriculum is supported by numerous research studies that identify the merits of this model. The Center for Ecoliteracy (2004) in Berkeley found that innovative school food programs improve the social and mental health of students, help increase student performance, and encourage students and teachers to connect with their communities in an intimate and significant way. Allen and Guthman (2006) argue that farm-to-school programs are acts of social justice. They write:

Innovative school food programs can be developed that pair the values of equity and universal access with the latest knowledge about the role of fruits and vegetables in a healthy diet. Rather than concede the inevitable disparities of devolution, public funding, and state support should be used to effect improvement across the board for all children, not just those who happen to be in ‘progressive’ or affluent schools. […] FTS advocates can seize the power in this and develop healthy school food program that meet the needs of all children regardless of their class, circumstance, or political cachet (412).

My perspective on this issue aligns most closely with Allen and Guthman’s assertion that farm-to-school models further the struggle for social justice by equitably serving all children. This unit plan prioritizes discussions about food access and food culture, but nutritional conversations are embedded throughout.

Critical Theory and Food Justice: The Unit Rationale

As a freshman in college, living in Los Angeles, I always looked forward to going to a local farmers market with my roommate. We walked to the market and developed friendly relationships with the farmers. Access to nutritious, fresh food was something I had completely taken for granted until I interned in a small after-school program in Echo Park. The foods available in a mile radius from the center were limited to corner stores and a Pollo Loco. What systems allow (or encourage) this to happen? How is food marketed to children? How are families accessing fresh food? These questions have been lingering in my mind, and I would like to explore these food justice issues alongside children in a curriculum unit, “Just Food.” My

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………4

teaching approaches are rooted in the theoretical tenets of critical pedagogy, and those tenets influence every aspect of my curricular choices.

While a delineation of the role of critical pedagogy in education may never completely capture its elements, this theory has five major implications for my curriculum unit on Food Justice for second graders. First, the students and I will be positioned as co-investigators and co-creators of the knowledge and normative values supporting the learning experiences (Freire, 2005). Second, the participation structures within the unit will prioritize discussion and sharing with the classroom community (Anyon, 1980). Third, these discussions will model and encourage critical questioning after establishing a community within the classroom (hooks, 1994). Fourth, the materials and texts stand not as finite sources of knowledge; instead, students are called to challenge dominant narratives through “counter-storytelling” (Loewen, 2007). Fifth, the learning investigations and topics will be close to the students’ lived experiences and popular culture (Apple, 2011 and Morrell, 2002). The purpose of this unit is for students to (1) consider how food is present (and not present) in their lives, (2) connect labor rights with food production, and (3) to start becoming critically aware of advertising tactics aimed at young people.

The enduring understandings for students in the unit closely align with the purposes of this unit. I want each of my students to hold on to the idea that food has an important role in our lives, and access to fresh food is right - not a privilege. It is worth noting that this is not a “healthy foods” and “nutrition” unit; the enduring understandings of this unit are aimed at much larger issues. Freire (2005) explains, “a deepened consciousness of [people’s] situation leads people to apprehend that situation as an historical reality susceptible of transformation” (p. 85). In other words, students will see how injustices are situated within various structures, and in understanding these contexts, they will be able to change those injustices. I am intentionally choosing a primary elementary grade because I feel that these conversations are pivotal at an early age. I do not believe that children are incapable of addressing food justice issues if they are presented in accessible ways. Some conversations will be guided by questions such as: What is food? What is justice? What is food justice? How does food come to my plate? Who makes my food? Why do we eat the food that we do? Students will learn from Cesar Chavez and his influence in food production labor rights, local farmers, and other community members. Students will cook together every week using locally produced ingredients.

In a culminating project, students will have a choice between two projects. Students may choose to use photojournalism to share their learning with their families, school community, and neighborhood. Students will take a camera for a week and take food-related pictures, and include information about their photography. A second choice is for students to create a mural that captures some elements of food justice, with a video component. This mural will hang in the school building and will then be featured in a local farmers market. Ultimately, my hope is that students will not just accept the food culture advertised to them, but will regard food access as a tool for progress and justice.

Critical Theory and Food Justice: The Classroom Context

This unit is designed to be explored over a six-week study in either a third or fourth grade classroom. I have included a variety of instructional strategies that may be present in any given classroom, but there is also space for the unit to flexibly address the variety of unique strengths, needs, and resources in a particular school community. To that end, the unit lessons follow the Universal Design for Learning model so that every student has multiple access points and

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………5

opportunities to achieve the learning goal. Some of the strategies used in this lesson are listed in the following table, which is followed by the unit plan details and essential questions.

Learning Need Potential Classroom StrategiesGifted

LearnersAnchor ActivitiesIndependent ResearchExtension Questions

Student Created Rubrics Technology Access

StrugglingLearners

Small Group InstructionReading BuddiesHand SignalsJig Saws

Extra Time Technology Access Constructivist Learning

ExperiencesUnmotivated

LearnersStudent Interest SurveysBook WalksTechnology AccessField Trips

Book “Browsing” Wonder Wall Current Event Connections

VisualLearners

Graphic OrganizersArtistic ResponsesUse of Film

Anchor Charts Teacher Modeling

GroupWorkers

Book ClubsDrama ActivitiesPeer Evaluation

Cooperative Learning Opportunities

Classroom GamesIndependent

WorkersAssigned roles in Book ClubsQuick-Writes

Independent Research

DistractedLearners

Classical music in the background

Finger Fidgets

Task Cards

PlanningLearners

Agenda or Time Line for the activity provided

Graphic Organizers

Task Cards

AnxiousLearners

Think, Pair, ShareParallel TasksHand SignalsA Quiet Conversation

Ample ‘thinking’ time Open Questions Journaling Jig Saws

KinestheticLearners

Freedom to work in different areas of the classroom

Use of manipulativesUse of Play Dough, blocks, etc.

Constructivist Learning experiences

Creating human graphs, human number lines, etc.

EnglishLearners

Word Walls in L1 and English Bilingual Picturebooks

ALL STUDENTS

All strategies listed aboveLearning MenusLearning ContractsCharting ProgressPortfolio AssessmentCollaboration with Community

Groups

Reflection Conferring with the

teacher Pre-assessment Dynamic Unit Assessment Turn and Talks

Just Food? Investigating Food Justice and Culture

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………6

The Unit Scope and Sequence

Purpose of the Unit

In this investigation of food justice and culture, students will learn about the food industry, food access, and the role of food in our cultures and families. This unit goes beyond the traditional neighborhood study of food and restaurants to investigate food production and injustices related to the food system. This unit is an important experience for students to develop their understanding of, and appreciation for, food that has been ethically produced and accessed by all members of a local community.

Time and Context

This unit is designed for a third or fourth grade classroom of up to 30 students in a public school in New York City. Ideally, this unit would take place towards the end of the school year for students to be able to draw upon a year’s worth of participation structures and routines. The components of the unit that are community-specific (for example, the farmer’s market trip) could be adapted to fit many communities across New York City.

Students’ Prior Knowledge

Students do not need to have an understanding of food justice to be successful in the unit. However, students will have demonstrated prior academic content knowledge in the following areas:

Students are familiar with classroom procedures that will enable them to be successful in this unit, such as: Homework Menus Participating in a Book Club Field Trip Expectations Project Presentations

Standards Addressed in

the Unit: Common Core ELA and Math Standards for Third Grade

Reading: Literatureo CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate

understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL3.7: Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., crate mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).

Reading: Informational Texto CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate

understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

The Science of Planting Writing Workshop Conventions

Technology (Video Creation) Collective Rubric Creation

Film-watching expectations Participating in a Gallery Walk Expectations for Guest Speaker Days

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………7

Standards Addressed in

the Unit: Common Core ELA and Math Standards for Third Grade

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.3: Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedure in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7: Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Writingo CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a

topic and convey ideas and information clearly.o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6: With guidance and support from adults, use

technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.8: Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Speaking and Listeningo CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative

discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own creatively.

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.3: Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.

o CCSS.ELA-Litercy.SL.3.4: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

Writingo CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of

standard English grammar and when writing or speaking.o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of

standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions

when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………8

Essential Questions

What is food justice? What is the role of food in our lives? How do we participate in the food system?

Enduring Understandings

Students will understand that to study the food system is to study a variety of cultural ideas, priorities, and perspectives.

Students will appreciate how food is connected to our cultural identities. Students will begin to develop their political beliefs about food labor and

production. Students will begin to develop their own definition of food justice.

Assessment Strategies

In this unit, student progress is assessed in a variety of ways, and their progress is used to direct future learning investigations. Some strategies used in this lesson for formal and informal assessment include but are not limited to:

It is

important to note that in this point of the year, the classroom culture has been established as a community of learners; since all students are working and progressing at different rates in different areas, students are aware that a variety of strategies are in place. Students practice behaviors that are encouraging and supportive of others in the community so that all students feel confident to ask questions, participate in group discussions, and complete oral presentations. Students will also be assessed according to their ability to work well with others, their attitude towards participation in the learning experiences, and their commitment to individual progress. Data for these areas will be collected through teacher anecdotes, through student self-reflection, and through photographs.

Home and School

Connections

For learning to be meaningful and exciting it should not be confined to the classroom walls. Parents will receive a copy of the lessons as a glance as well as a list of potential family outings that relate to this unit on Food Justice. For homework, students will receive a Tic-Tac-Toe menu to complete every two weeks. Parents will be invited to the “Taste of Astoria [or whatever city name] and to chaperone the field trip, as well as to visit the gallery presentations on the final day of the unit.

Entrance and Exit Questions Parallel Tasks Student Journaling Presentation Skills (with Rubric) Teacher/Student Conferences

‘Show What You Know’ Quizzes

End of the Unit Project (using student and teacher created rubrics)

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………9

Just Food? Investigating Food Justice and Culture Assessment Task Blueprint

Understandings or Goals to be

Assessed Through This

Task

The culminating project builds off of various smaller tasks from the unit and allows diverse learners to demonstrate their learning in a mode of their preference. Students will have a choice between two tasks, and one task that is required by all students. The understandings and goals assessed through this task include:

The student expresses a connection or relationship between his or her cultural identities and food.

The student articulates how injustices occur in the food system. The student creates a visual representation of “food justice” that

showcases their beliefs and understandings about food justice. The student feels excited to share their learning about food justice

with our extended school community.

Task 1, Option 1: A Mural

For this option, students will work with their classmates to design, create, and present a mural that is a visual representation of food justice. Students will use a large (10 feet or so) piece of butcher paper to sketch, define, and paint a mural. Students will collectively decide on a title for the mural and present the mural to the guests of the Food For Thought gallery and celebration. This mural will hang at the local farmer’s market for the summer!

The prompt for students will say: In the past few weeks, we have investigated how murals can be important visual representations of an idea or community value. We visited a mural titled “Community Garden” and observed how the artist chose to use bright green leaves and luscious fruit, and we discussed how the message of this mural might be that community gardens are beautiful places to grow and connect with our neighbors. As a team, sketch a plan for a mural that captures your collective thoughts about food justice. You should consider how your mural might visually respond to these questions: what does “food justice” mean for us? How can we share our learning about food justice with others? Once you have your plan, use the butcher paper to create your actual mural using paint. Finally, decide on a title for the mural as a group. You and your classmates will present the mural to the guests at our Food for Thought gallery and celebration. Then, the mural will hang in our local farmer’s market this summer.

Task 1, Option 2: Photojournalism

For this second option, students will take photographs of the food environment in the community to tell a photojournalistic “story” of food justice and/or culture. Students will have the opportunity to borrow cameras for out-of-school photographs, but students will also have access to the immediate surrounding area of the school during a supervised food environment walk. Students will accompany their photographs with captions. Students may work individually or in partnerships.

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………10

The prompt for students will say: In the past few weeks, we have analyzed how photojournalism is a genre of journalism that uses photographs to tell a story and share information. We read photo-journal articles that showed us how urban farming is expanding in New York City. We took pictures of food in our community (at stores, at farmer’s markets, and even in our homes) and discussed what we could learn from those pictures. Your task is to use your camera to capture the food environment in our community. Questions you should consider are: what does “food justice” mean for us? How can we share our learning about food justice with others? Students who choose this option will go on a community food environment walk to collect photographs, or you may choose to take your own photographs outside of school. Then, you may choose to either use VoiceThread or write captions for each of your photographs. These photographs and accompanying descriptions or captions will be showcased at our Food for Thought celebration.

Assessment Criteria for

Task 1

As a class, we will discuss both options for the culminating task. Before students are aware that they will have a choice in the two tasks, we will collectively create a rubric to “assess” the tasks. Students will use the same rubric for both tasks. I will ask students:

How will I know what you learned about food justice as a result of this project? [Students may say that I will know what they learned based on the clarity of their captions or description in the photojournals, or in the discussion of the mural title and visual representation.]

What would a “successful” project look like? What qualities would describe a successful photo-journal piece? What qualities would describe a successful mural? [Students may say that the visuals are clearly connected to food justice, or aesthetically pleasing, demonstrating significant effort, etc.]

What would a less successful project look like?I would use students’ comments to generate a rubric using a Google Document projected onto the Smart Board. All students would have to agree to the rubric, and then I would share more details about the culminating project plan.

Task 2, All Students:

Food for Thought Reflection

All students will be required to complete a reflection on their growth. They may choose to video record, audio record, or write their reflection. They must answer:

What does food justice mean to you? What have you learned about your role in the food system?

How are you different after studying food justice? How are you the same?

What are you interested in knowing more about? What questions do you still have?

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………11

Assessment Criteria for

Task 2

I will be assessing the content of student work for Task 2. I will be looking for students to attempt to define “food justice,” but I understand that there is no single, ‘official’ definition of food justice. What is more important to me is that students are beginning to develop their political beliefs and to grow in their understanding of systemic injustices. I want students to reference the food system and the food labor injustices that exist within the system, and some students may be able to articulate how their food choices may enforce or challenge that food system. Students should consider Community Gardens as tools for mitigating the injustices in the food industry. The reflection gives students space to elaborate on their lingering questions, which I believe can be used as evidence of their understanding and current thinking. When all students reach the end of a unit with exactly the same results and thinking, then I have not met their needs and ignited their individual passions or interests. Task 2 will allow each student to demonstrate his or her own take-away from this unit of study.

Just Food? Investigating Food Justice and CultureCalendar of Learning Experiences – Lessons at a Glance

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week 1

What is Food? What

is Justice?

Pre-Assessment Graffiti WallsWhat is Food?What is Justice?

Food and Culture: We Are Together, Not the Same! Video Analysis

Food Stories – Part 1: Writing Workshop

Food Stories – Part 2: Writing Workshop

Food Stories Celebration: A Taste of Astoria

Week 2

The Food System

Pre-AssessmentWhere does food come from?

Carousel Through the Food SystemPart 1

Carousel Through the Food System Part 2

Food Waste: What happens to food at the end of the system?

Socratic Seminar: Thoughts on the Food System

Week 3

Farmer’s Markets

Local Farms and Foods: What food comes from farms close to our school?

Interview Preparation: What do we want to ask a local farmer?

Guest Speaker: Local Farmer

Comparison Study: Farmers Markets and Grocery Stores

Defining Food Justice So Far: Model Café

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………12

Week 4

Food Labor

Review of the Food System: How does food move through the system? People!

What is Injustice? Small Hands, Big Hands Discussion on Food Laborers

Photo-Journalism Articles: Cesar Chavez Part 1

Photo-Journalism Articles: Cesar Chavez Part 2

Cesar Chavez and Harvesting Hope Read Aloud and Sharing Circle

Week 5

Community Gardens

Defining the FoodEnvironment Near Our School: Community Walk

Our Food Map: What kinds of foods did we notice in our community?

Community Garden Visit and Subway Mural Visit

More Community Gardens: Making Our Own Mural!

Socratic Seminar: Thoughts on Community Gardens

Week 6

Final Projects

Work Time

Culminating Project Discussion and Rubric Creation

Project Work Time

Project Work Time

Project Work Time

Food Justice: Celebration Gallery, Open House

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………13

Lesson 1: What is Food? What is Justice?Content Area Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts

Time and Context

Week One, Monday (Day 1) – Introduction to Unit Grade 3 or 4 55 minutes, During Social Studies Block

Behavioral Objectives

1. Students will demonstrate preexisting knowledge about food and justice and develop questions about them by participating in a graffiti wall exercise.2. Students will hypothesize about the connection between food and justice.

Essential Questions

What is food? What is justice? How could food and justice be connected?

Lesson Goals

This lesson is a pre-assessment, and my goal is to get a sense of where students are in their prior knowledge of food and justice and to prioritize their wonderings. I also want to compile a list of students’ individual interests so that I may group them by interest later in the unit.

The structures in this lesson are especially geared for kinesthetic and visual learning preferences. Students will be allowed to work in pairs, allowing students to feel less risk in the development of their ideas.

Participation Strategy

For this pre-assessment, I am using a Graffiti Wall for students to share their prior knowledge and to pose questions. This pre-assessment will allow me to group students by content readiness later in the unit. Students will be able to approach the content in this lesson wherever they are ready. Some students will record their connections and questions directly to the poster, while some students will use lined Post Its to record. Students will choose their preference.

Classroom Set Up and

Materials

There will be two large pieces of white butcher paper attached to walls in the classroom. Next to each poster, students will have access to various colored markers, lined and unlined Post-Its. In the top center of the butcher paper will be the guiding questions, What is Food? and What is Justice? – one question for each paper “wall.”

Materials:1. Large Butcher “Graffiti Wall” (or better yet, a permanent chalk wall for

students to write on and record their thoughts, connections, and wonderings).

2. A pencil and marker for each student3. An ‘entrance’ question sheet4. Basket for collecting entrance questions

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………14

5. Lined Post-Its and/or small clip boards

The Plan Hook

Students will be seated in a circle on the classroom rug with a pencil, and they will be given an entrance question. The question is: What is food justice? I want students to be somewhat surprised by the question, so it is purposefully abstract yet open enough for all students to be able to answer. Students will complete the ‘entrance’ question independently, and place it in a basket in the center of the circle when they are finished.

Mini-Lesson

1. After all students have placed their entrance questions in the basket, I will introduce the Graffiti Wall exercise, saying, “Today we are beginning a new unit, and we are going to investigate some truly exciting ideas together for the next six weeks. I’m not going to tell you exactly what that topic is, though, right away. Today, we are going to make some graffiti, and I want you and your partner to come up with some ideas about what the topic for our new unit is. On either side of our classroom, you will notice two large pieces of butcher paper. We are going to fill this paper with all of our ideas and thoughts about food and about justice. You will choose a partner to work with, and you will take a marker with you.”

2. I will model for students how to participate in the graffiti wall exercise. I would say, “If my imaginary partner and I were standing at this wall, I might say that I have no idea what justice is I also might say that I have a family connection because one time my sister told me about going to see the Supreme Court Justices in Washington, D.C. I’m not sure if that is what “justice” means, but I’m going to write it anyway.” Since I am modeling this for students, I would actually write on the poster – in small enough print for everyone to make their comments – and think aloud while I did so. I would continue, “Now, I think I’ve said all that I can think about justice, so my partner and I are going to walk over to the other graffiti wall. This wall asks me, What is food? And, I know a lot about food. I know that my mom makes the most delicious banana bread every year at New Years. I’m going to draw a banana bread loaf next to a heart, and write a little note about my mom’s family recipe. I’m also going to sign my name next to my graffiti art.”

3. I would ask students to repeat back to me the directions and if they had any clarifying questions. Then I would ask students to find a partner if they would like to work in a partnership and sit with their partner on the rug. Once students are ready, I will give them the signal to get started.

Engagement: Graffiti Walls

During the Graffiti work, I will be circulating around the room, eavesdropping on student conversations and noting students’ excitements, curiosities, and connections. It may be necessary to prompt students in certain directions, so I

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………15

will help students develop some questions and ideas about what is in the gallery. Not all student pairs will need this support, but I will be available for those students who do. At the end of the Graffiti work (36 minutes), students will return to the rug for a closing sharing circle.

Closing

1. When students are seated on the rug, they will be seated next to their Turn and Talk partner who may or may not be the partner they completed the Gallery Walk with. I will ask students to Turn and Talk with their partner about what they think the unit theme will be all about. After a minute or two, I will ask if anyone would like to share any general “noticings” with the whole group. I anticipate that students will say that the unit may be about food or history. I will explain to students that they have fabulous thinking skills and that the unit theme is food justice.

2. I will share with students that the food that we eat is part of a big system, and we are going to investigate some parts of the system. It may be necessary to give students more explicit information about “justice.” Students may want to share how the two ideas could be connected. After the closing circle, I will briefly share with students some of the ideas that we will explore together to motivate them for the next investigation!

Assessment Strategies

Since this lesson is a pre-assessment, I am providing students the opportunity to share their prior knowledge about food and justice and to hypothesize how the two could be connected. I will monitor students’ conversations informally, but I will read over student comments and questions to develop a sense of their prior knowledge, misinformation, questions, and experiences.

Teacher Reflection

This is the very first lesson in the unit, so it is critical for me to reflect on the success and the results of the lesson. Some of the questions that I will consider after the lesson include:

o Were the participation strategies helpful for the intended learners? Were visuals helpful for visual learners? Was the movement in the lesson engaging enough for kinesthetic learners?

o Were all students able to be successful in their own way?o What are the next steps? What were students particularly or especially

curious about? What did they not respond to?o How can this lesson be improved?

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………16

Lesson 2: Our Classroom Community…Together, Not the Same!Content Area Social-Emotional Learning

Time and Context

Week Two, Tuesday (Day 2) Grade 3 or 4 35 – 40 Minutes

Behavioral Objectives

1. Students will watch an Android Commercial and consider what the message of the commercial is for our classroom (not for consumers).

2. Students will work in random groups to discuss how food is a part of our identity, that we each have different “food identities,” and to capture these ideas on a chart or poster.

Essential Questions

What can we learn by studying food? How is food connected to my identities? How does the food we eat tell a story?

Lesson Goals My ultimate goal for this lesson is for students to explore what it means to appreciate diverse perspectives and experiences within our classroom community. The video depicts unlikely pairs of animals working together, and the video ends with the tagline: Be together, Not the Same. This is a wonderful mantra to set the tone for the terms of engagement during this study. Students will tackle challenging questions with each other, and this learning experience at the front-end of the unit will increase students’ comfort with each other (and hopefully, therefore, their willingness to share and participate).

Participation Strategy

Food is often a very personal topic. This learning experience is designed for students to celebrate their personal food traditions or to investigate their food traditions. Students will work with their table partners or through randomized grouping to discuss the video and to create a poster to hang in the classroom throughout the unit study.

Classroom Set Up and

Materials

The video will be pre-loaded onto the Smart Board, and student’s response journals will be handy. The materials for the poster – markers, pencils, etc. – will be organized into basket bins for students to take to their tables. The basket bins will be numbered according to the group, and on the Smart Board or black board, students’ names will be listed according to the group they are assigned to. Students will need to have choices of spaces to work in with their group: a table, the floor, the classroom rug, the hallway, etc.

Materials:1. Commercial (on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnVuqfXohxc)2. Student Group Sheet, projected or written on the board3. Student Response Journals

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………17

4. Poster Paper5. Basket of Markers, Post-Its, Pencils, and other materials

The Plan Hook

Students will be seated in their rug spots. Using clipboards and pencils, students will have the choice to take notes in their response journals. I will have the video pre-loaded so that it is ready to start. Students will have some thinking time to focus on the graffiti walls and to ‘warm-up’ their brains.

Video: Together, Not the Same

1. I will play the video twice (it is quite brief). Students may not attend to the greater message of the video the first time that they view it. After two views, I will ask students to think about why I chose to show this video with them. After some thinking time, students can stop-and-jot in their journals.

2. At this point, I would ask students to think about the connection between this commercial and our class. After some laughter about our class being a room full of “animals,” I would then challenge students to brainstorm some ideas about the message of the commercial. Students would be able to chat with their Turn and Talk partner, and then have a whole-group share.

3. Once students have had sufficient time to share their thinking with a partner, they would be dismissed to their random grouping (whether it is their tables).

Engagement: Group Work

1. I will explain to students that we will work together and study food as a community of diverse people. I will express how beautiful and wonderful it is to be together but not to be the same – that would not be quite as special! Once I am confident that students comprehend the message of the commercial and our discussion, I will ask students to create a poster that will remind us to be a respectful community and to appreciate each other’s experiences and perspectives.

2. I will monitor student work at their groups and offer any guidance as necessary.

Closing Group Share

When students are completed, each group will present their poster and explain their thought process. Some closing circle questions would be: How will we be respectful community members? What does it mean to me that different people have different food traditions? I will share with students that in the following lesson, we will share our own food stories and traditions.

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………18

Assessment Strategies

In this lesson, I am assessing how students are able to work together to create a visual representation of an abstract idea. I will observe their posters and their process of creating the poster with others. I will then use this information to scaffold future group work projects.

Teacher Reflection

For this unit to be successful, the classroom culture is very important. Students will have had regular practice working in groups, but one of the culminating tasks requires students to create one product. I anticipate that this will be a challenge for some students. Whenever students are grouped, they are flexibly grouped to ensure that no one student assumes one position or identity.Some of the questions I will consider after this lesson include:

o Were the participation strategies helpful for the intended learners? What other supports might be necessary in the future?

o Was the commercial appropriate and successful in conveying an idea to students?

o How well did students work together? Why or why not?o Were students able to independently problem-solve while working in

their groups, or did they rely on teacher direction? Were students motivated to complete their tasks?

o Were all students able to be successful in their own way? How should students be grouped for the next learning experience?

o What are the next steps? What were students particularly or especially curious about? What did they not respond to?

o How can this lesson be improved?

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………19

Lesson 3: The Story of Our FoodContent Area English Language Arts

Time and Context

Week One, Wednesday (Day 3) Grade 3 or 4 55 minutes, During Writing Workshop

Behavioral Objectives

1. Students will draft poems that capture a special food connection, moment, recipe, or experience.2. Students will apply their understanding of poetry craft and revision to edit their work.

Essential Questions

What is food? What is justice? What can my food connections and traditions teach someone about me?

Lesson Goals Given that this unit occurs towards the end of the school year, students will be well ‘versed’ in their understanding of writing workshop expectations and poetry mechanics. This lesson is an opportunity for students to think about their family’s food traditions and identities.

Participation Strategy

Food can be a personal topic. My goals are for students to explore their own food connections, so students will mostly be working independently. Students are familiar with the writing workshop model, and will have the opportunity to share their poem with their writing partner and revise together if the partnership chooses.

Classroom Set Up and

Materials

Students should be able to reference their graffiti wall work, which would be hung on the classroom walls. Students will arrive to the rug for Writing Workshop

Materials:1. Writing Workshop folders, poetry mentor texts, poems about food available from reading bins2. Teacher’s conferring toolkit for the Poetry Unit3. Writing Tools (pencils, paper choices, etc.)

The Plan Hook

Students will be seated on the classroom rug with their writer’s notebook. I will begin the minilesson by reminding students about my mom’s special banana bread recipe that I brought in for a previous publishing party. “Remember? I told you that it was a special recipe for me because I have a lot of memories of

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………20

baking the banana bread with my mom. I remember we would go to the grocery store together, get all of our ingredients, and make the most delicious banana bread you could imagine. We baked these breads for gifts, for our birthdays, and for other special occasions. There is another reason why this bread is so special to me: my great grandmother created the recipe! My great-grandmother is my grandmother’s mom! So it has passed from generation to generation. This banana bread represents a connection in my family to our past and to the special moments we share when we bake the bread together.

Teach Point

Some of you might already be thinking about special moments that you have shared with your family involving food. Maybe your family has a special restaurant that you like to visit. Maybe your family has a secret recipe like mine does! Maybe you have a special routine where you go food shopping with someone in your family.

Today, we are going to continue to discuss how writers write about special moments in their lives that have a powerful emotion attached to those moments.

When I was thinking about this special food connection that I have, I felt inspired to write a poem. Let’s read what I drafted. [Read mentor text about banana bread dreams.]

As a writer, I thought about the feelings that I had towards this special food and this special moment so that I could include them in my poem.

Engagement

Start thinking about a food memory or connection that you have. Try to come up with three small moment memories or connections. Use your fingers to help you keep count. When you have three moments or memories, hold up your fingers. [Circulate to students who have three fingers showing, and listen and guide as necessary.] Share your three ideas with a partner!

Okay, writers, so many of you have shared with your partner about a very special food tradition or connection that you have. Our writing goal for today is to complete a draft of a poem. We will leave some time at the end of our workshop to share our work so far.

Closing

Students will bring their work to the meeting area rug. During the workshop, I will ask three or four students to share their work with the whole group, but students will also have the option to share their work with their table partners and writing partner. My goal is for students to hear from a variety of perspectives about food connections. Then we will engage in a sharing circle discussing the question: what can we learn about someone after reading his or

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………21

her food poem? What can a food poem teach us about a person?

Assessment Strategies

I will use conferences and small group instruction to help students generate ideas and to attend to the poetry craft (although that is not the prioritized goal of the lesson). All students should be able to generate a memory or connection that they have to food.

Teacher Reflection

Some of the questions that I will consider after the lesson include:

o Were all students able to be successful in their own way? Were students able to generate their own food memory or connection?

o What are the next steps? Which students may need a focused small-group instruction session to help them achieve their goals?

o How can this lesson be improved?

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………22

Just Food? Investigating Food and CultureUnit Materials and Resources

Teacher Resources Gottlieb, R., & Joshi, A. (2010). Food justice. MIT Press.

This is a formative text in developing my own definition of food justice. The author (one of my undergraduate professors!) focuses on the compounding issues and injustices embedded in the food system.

Temple University’s Photo Journalism Blog at https://templephotojournalism.wordpress.com/tag/food-justice/This site features an amazing photojournalism article about urban farming in Philadelphia. This could be used as a “mentor” text for students to explore and be inspired by in their own photojournalism articles.

The Cesar Chavez Foundation, http://www.chavezfoundation.orgThis site details some of the ways that Cesar Chavez’s legacy has changed our labor laws, as well as some information about their current projects.

The Children’s Aid Foundation’s Food Justice Program - http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/gohealthy/food-justice-programThis site includes some lesson plan excerpts and ideas about implementing food justice in the classroom, although many of the resources are geared for older learners.

The Farm to School Network – http://www.farmtoschool.orgThis is an amazing resource for teachers interested in bringing farm-based curriculum into their classrooms. The Farm to School Network spearheads a national movement to bring locally grown, sustainable and organic food options to schools across the United States.

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………23

Classroom Materials

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………24

Large Poster Paper Markers, Crayons, Colored Pencils and other

writing utensils Sentence Strips Word Cloud Creator (Internet-accessed) Post Its Task Cards Internet Access Entrance Question Cards Exit Question Cards Books, magazine articles, newspaper articles

and other current event pieces about food justice

Venn Diagram Print outs Anchor Charts Wonder Wall Word Wall Student Work Displayed in Classroom Guided Notes for students Five Book Club baskets with 7 – 10 books in

each, each basket leveled by readiness Cameras Video Flip Cameras Field Trip Permission and Documentation Photographs of foods and restaurants and

farms for Gallery Walks Student Computers Timer Access to a DVD player and a TV or Laptop Projector – for students to develop project

rubrics collaboratively

Bilingual texts and translation cards available for Bilingual students

Student Planning Sheets Student Journals Anchor Activity Folders Microphone (real or fake) for Food

Presentations and Sharing Circles Label stickers Clipboards Index Cards If Possible: past examples of student work

for current class to critique Guest speaker “Question-Collection” Box Various sized baskets Graffiti Wall Poster (large sheet of butcher

paper)

Just Food? Investigating Food and Culture

JUST FOOD……………………………………………………………………………………25

Unit Learning Experiences at a Glance

Week One: What is Food? What is Justice?Lesson 1: Pre-Assessment, What is Food? What is Justice? Graffiti Wall CreationLesson 2: Food and Culture: We are Together, But Not the Same! Video AnalysisLesson 3: Food Stories Part 1: Poems About our Food Connections and IdentitiesLesson 4: Food Stories Part 2: Poems About our Food Connections and IdentitiesLesson 5: Food Stories Celebration: A Taste of Astoria Event

Week Two: The Food SystemLesson 6: Pre-Assessment: Where does our food come from?Lesson 7: Following an Apple Through the Food System: Part 1 Lesson 8: Following an Apple Through the Food System: Part 2Lesson 9: Investigating Food Waste: What happens at the end of the food system?Lesson 10: Socratic Seminar: Thoughts on the Food System

Week Three: Farmer’s Markets Study Lesson 11: Local Farms and Foods: What foods are grown close to our school?Lesson 12: Interview Preparation: What do we want to ask a local farmer:Lesson 13: Guest Speaker: Local FarmerLesson 14: Comparison Study: Farmers Markets and Grocery StoresLesson 15: Defining Food Justice So Far: A Model Café

Week Four: Food Labor InvestigationLesson 16: Review of the Food System: How does food move through the system? Lesson 17: People Power and Injustices in the Food IndustryLesson 18: Photojournalism Articles: Cesar Chavez Study Part 1Lesson 19: Photojournalism Articles: Cesar Chavez Study Part 2Lesson 20: Cesar Chavez and Harvesting Hope Read Aloud and Sharing Circle

Week Five: Community GardensLesson 21: Defining the Food Environment of Our School: Community WalkLesson 22: Our Food Environment Map: What foods are available in our Community?Lesson 23: Community Garden Visit and Subway Mural StudyLesson 24: More Community Gardens: Making Our Own Mural!Lesson 25: Socratic Seminar: Thoughts on Community Gardens

Week Six: Celebrating and Sharing Our LearningLesson 26: Culminating Project Discussion and Rubric CreationLesson 27: Project Work TimeLesson 28: Project Work TimeLesson 29: Project Work TimeLesson 30: Food Justice Open House Celebration