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Bring food issues to life with the Whats On YourPlate Curriculum, a companion to the film thatexplores where our food comes from and why itmatters to your community, environment and body!

e Whats On Your Plate? Curriculum was developed bylar One, NYCs Green Energy, Arts and Education Center.lar One inspires and enables people of all ages withe vision, knowledge and resources to attain a morevironmentally sound and sustainable future. www.solar1.org

The Whats On Your Plate? Film and Outreach Cam-paign focuses attention and action on improving thehealth of all children and the planet throughsustainable food production and eating habits.

2009 Solar One

This first Module looks at thekinds of food found in schools,encouraging students to investi-gate their own lunchrooms anddevelop ways to bring healthyand sustainable foods into theirschools.

The Health and Access Modulelooks at how the foods weeat affects our bodies andthe many issues preventingaccess to healthy foods incommunities nationwide.

In the third Module, the themeof local food is addressed,connecting international andnational food systems to localcommunities.

elcome to a curriculum companion toats On Your Plate? Film, a witty andovocative documentary produced andected by award-winning lmmaker

atherine Gund about kids and foodlitics. Filmed over the course of onear, the lm follows two eleven-year-d African-American city kids as theyplore their place in the food chain.die and Sayah take a close look at

od systems in New York City and itsrrounding areas. With the camera as

eir companion, the girl guides talk toch other, food activists, farmers, newends, storekeepers, their families, ande viewer, in their quest to understandhats on all of our plates.

School FoodModule 1

Health+Access Local FoodModule 2 Module 3

About this Resource:

Whats Inside?

ISBN - 978-0-9822869-6-8

A Curriculum Guide

Developed by:

Just as Sadie and Sayah embarkon a journey to discover the originsand impacts of their food, Whats OnYour Plate? Curriculum invites you tolearn alongside them with hands-onactivities, easy to read informationand investigatory projects to getyour students thinking creatively andcritically about what food means to theircommunity and beyond. Presented asan adaptable resource for both teachersand non-formal educators the objective

is to use systems thinking and project-based learning to spark a dialogue andrelationship with your students aboutthe interconnections of food, local

ecology, health, and community. Insideyoull nd three modules exploringissues related to school food, healthand access to food and local food. Thecurriculum also works together with theWhats On Your Plate? Film providing acrucial media learning tool for cultivatingdiscussion and a deeper understandingof the complex and hidden world offood politics through unique narratives,interviews and more.

Visit www.whatsonyourplateproject.orgfor games, resources and the latestnews on food politics and upcomingscreenings!


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Welcome!

As NYCs rst Green Energy, Arts and Education Center, Solar Oneinspires New Yorkers tobecome environmentally responsible residents through a variety of education, outreach and

arts programs. Solar Ones commitment to engaging all New Yorkers has led to the creationof an innovative training program and curriculum to accompany Whats On Your Plate?, thedocumentary lm about kids and food politics.

Whats On Your Plate?Film follows two eleven-year-old African-American city kids over thecourse of one year as they explore their place in the food chain. Sadie and Sayah talk to food

activists, farmers, and storekeepers, as they address questions regarding the origin of the food

they eat, how its cultivated, and how many miles it travels from farm to fork. They ask about

whats in the food they eat and why its making so many people sick.

Sadie and Sayah visit supermarkets, fast food chains, and school lunchrooms. They also

check out innovative sustainable food system practices by going to farms, greenmarkets, and

community supported agriculture (CSA) programs. They discover that these options have a

number of positive effects: they are good for the environment, help struggling farmers survive,and provide healthy, affordable, locally grown food to communities, especially lower-income

urban families. The lm culminates with a delicious meal, with many local ingredients, cooked

by the girls with friends they have made along the way. In the lm, Sadie and Sayah formulate

sophisticated and compassionate opinions about urban sustainability, and by doing so inspire

hope and active engagement in others.

Solar One and the makers ofWhats On Your Plate? Film view our partnership as ongoing andmutually supportive. Much like the subject that is covered, this curriculum and the attendant

outreach to educators countrywide, functions on a systemic level. Together we engage the

food life cycle from the initial seeds in the ground, to how what we eat gets on our plates and

what happens to the packaging and leftovers at the end of the meal. Together we engage in

a journey to transform how we use the earths natural resources. As we learn to de-carbonize

the earths atmosphere, we are required to re-think how we use all of our resources because ofthe carbon impacts of the products and services we use. Thinking about the food we eat every

day is a great place for individuals, families and whole communities to start exploring the larger

terrain of environmental sustainability. All of the pieces are interconnected, and thats exactly

how we view our work.

Chris and CatherineSeptember 2009

from Chris Collins, the Executive Director of Solar Oneand Catherine Gund, the Producer/Director of the Film Whats On Your Plate?

Intro + How to


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Credits Solar One 2009 - New York, NY

ISBN - 978-0-9822869-6-8

First Edition

Content and Research: Fronsy Thurman, Christopher Kennedy

Editors: Catherine Gund, Pauline Augustine, Christopher Collins and Genna Robbins

Layout and Design: Christopher Kennedy, Amy Franceschini

Special Thanks: Diane Hatz, Mary Jeys, Nell Marantz, and Tanya Selvaratnam

Photographs Catherine Gund (unless otherwise noted)

Whats On Your Plate? the Film Aubin Pictures 2009

Director/Producer: Catherine Gund Producer: Tanya Selvaratnam Associate Producer: Nell Marantz

All rights reserved. Except for Activity Worksheets, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or

by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or any other information story and retrieval system, without

written permission from Solar One. Reproduction of Activity Worksheets is for educational purposes only.

Publisher: Solar One

Solar One: Green Energy Arts and Education Center

24-20 FDR Drive, Service Road East

New York, NY 10010Tel: (212) 505-6050

www.solar1.org

For More Information and to Order Online:

www.whatsonyourplateproject.org or www.solar1.org

Front Cover Photo Catherine Gund

V1

Printed on recycled paper

The Whats On Your Plate? Film and Outreach Campaign focuses attention andaction on improving the health of all children and the planet through sustainablefood production and eating habits. www.whatsonyourplateproject.org

Solar One inspires and enables people of all ages with the vision, knowledge andresources to attain a more environmentally sound and sustainable future.To order another copy visit www.solar1.org for more information!


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Intro + How to

An IntroductionWelcome to a curriculumcompanion to Whats OnYour Plate?, a witty andprovocative documentaryproduced and directed byaward-winning filmmakerCatherine Gund about kidsand food politics!

Filmed over the course of one year,

the lm follows two eleven-year-oldAfrican-American city kids as they

explore their place in the food chain.

Sadie and Sayah take a close look at

food systems in New York City and its

surrounding areas. With the camera

as their companion, the girl guides

talk to each other, food activists,

farmers, new friends, storekeepers,

their families, and the viewer, in their

quest to understand whats on all of

our plates.

Just as Sadie and Sayah embark ona journey to discover the origins and

impacts of their food, theWhats OnYour Plate?Curriculum invites you tolearn alongside them with hands-on

activities, readers and investigatory

projects to allow your students to

think creatively and critically about

what food means to their bodies their

school and their community. Pre-

sented as an adaptable resource for

both teachers and non-formal educa-

tors, the objective is to use systems

thinking and project-based learning to

spark a dialogue and relationship with

your students about the interconnec-

tions of food, local ecology, health,

and community. The curriculum also

works together with the Whats OnYour Plate? Film and provides acrucial media learning tool for cultivat-

ing discussion and a deeper under-

standing of the complex and hidden

world of food politics through uniquenarratives, interviews and more.

The complete lm is 76 minutes long,

but for easiest use in the classroom,

the lmmakers have edited three

- 20-minute segments, approximately

20 minutes each, which include most

scenes from the lm. This curriculum

works with those three segments, or

modules: School Food, Local Food

and Health and Access.

A perfect compliment to any subjectarea or setting, the issue of food

provides students and teachers alike

an interdisciplinary interface in which

to contextualize relevant issues of

health and the environment affect-

ing every community in the country.

Concepts related to sustainability and

the environment, often tied to com-

plex and abstract systems, can be

very difcult to present and discuss

in a classroom setting. Food provides

us with creative opportunities to avoid

this abstraction, instead allowing stu-

dents to participate in hands-on and

sense-based learning opportunities

that are intimately tied to their family

life, schools and local community.

Our nation is facing a crisis of expo-

nential proportions, a crisis in many

ways rooted in how we grow and

produce food. From explosive obesity

rates and rampant cases of diabetes

to environmental challenges near and

far, the need to better understandwhere our food comes from, and

the implications for our local com-

munities and individual health, is of

vital importance now more than ever.

Naturally, education on these issues

is therefore of immense concern;

education that provides students a

balanced perspective on emergent

problems related to this food crisis.

Whats On Your Plate? Curriculumtakes the lead on this issue, provid-

ing a solutions-oriented approach to

learning, through investigatory and

creative thinking tools that will spark

students imagination and hopefully

catalyze real change in communities

locally and globally.

Visit www.whatsonyourplateproject.orgfor information about screenings and

news about emerging food issues

and politics. Here you will be able to

share how youve brought food issue

into your classroom by posting lesso

plans, activity ideas, photographs an

contribute to a collective recipe book

of students all over the country! Also

on the site, students can play games

about healthy food options, post the

thoughts and photos about the food

they eat, and contribute to the ongo-

ing conversation about being healthy

For additional copies of the curricu-

lum guide please visit

www.solar1.org.

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ntro + How to Use

Table of Contents

Film Connect..........................................10

Standards + Objectives..........................10Keywords...............................................11Whats The Story...................................11

Student Reader...............................................11-13Activity: Class Cookbook.................................13,14Investigation: School Lunch Through the Ages...15

Lets Take a Closer Look!...................16Student Reader...........................................16-17Investigation: Cafeteria Snoops.......................18Activity: Lets Map It Out!.................................19Activity: Lets Weigh It Out!..............................20

Lets Re-Think....................................21Student Reader..........................................21-24Analysis: School Food Re-Design...................25

Activity: Reduce your Waste............................26

Introduction....................................................................

1Standards................................................................................................................3Learning Objectives..................................................................................................4How to Use...........................................................................................................5-6Selected Reading......................................................................................................7

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Module 1 .................................................9School Food

Module 2 Health + Access

Module 3 Local Food

Film Connect..........................................28Standards + Objectives..........................28Keywords...............................................29Whats The Story...................................29

Student Reader..............................................29-31Activity: Ingredients and Labels.....................32-34

Lets Take a Closer Look!...................35Student Reader...........................................35-38Investigation: Supermarket Snoops.................39

Lets Re-Think.....................................40

Student Reader...........................................40-42Activity: Food Diary...........................................43

Analysis: Health and AccessRe-Design...........44

Film Connect..........................................46Standards + Objectives..........................46Keywords...............................................47Whats The Story...................................47

Student Reader..............................................47-50Activity: Long Distance Mapping....................51-52

Lets Take a Closer Look!..................53Student Reader..........................................53-56Activity: Food Systems!..............................57-58Investigation: Your Food, Your Community.....59

Lets Re-Think....................................60

Student Reader..........................................60-62Analysis: Local Food Re-Design.....................63

.........................................27

...................................................45


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Intro + How to

StandardsAboutThese standards are a composite of education guidelines set on the national level by the National Council of Teachersof Mathematics, National Council of Teachers of English, National Geographic Society, National Council on EconomicEducation, Center for Civic Education, Consortium of National Arts Education Associations, National Center for Historyin the Schools, and National Academies of Science among others! These standards apply for grades 5 8. The contenactivities and media learning tools meet these standards throughout each Module.

ScienceNS.1 Science as Inquiry

a. Abilities necessary to do scientic inquiry

b. Understandings about scientic inquiry

NS.2 Physical Sciencea. Properties of objects and materials

NS.3 Life Scienceb. The characteristics of organisms

c. Life cycles of organisms

d. Organisms and environments

NS.4 Earth and Space Science

a. Properties of earth materials

NS.5 Science and Technology

b. Understandings about science and technology

NS.6 Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

c. Personal health

d. Types of resources

e. Changes in environments

f. Science and technology in local challenges

EconomicsEC.1 Productive Resources

a. As consumers, people use resources in differ-

ent ways to satisfy different wants. Productive re-

sources can be used in different ways to produce

different goods and services.

EC.2 Allocating Goods and Services

a. People in all economies must address threequestions: What goods and services will be

produced? How will these goods and services be

produced? Who will consume them?

EC.8 Role of Price in a Market System

a. An increase in the price of a good or service

encourages people to look for substitutes, caus-

ing the quantity demanded to decrease, and vice

versa. This relationship between price and quan-

tity demanded, known as the law of demand, ex-ists as long as other factors inuencing demand

do not change.

GeographyG.1 Places and Regionsa. Understand the physical and human character-

istics of places.

b. Understand that people create regions to

interpret Earths complexity.

c. Understand how culture and experience inu-

ence peoples perceptions of places and regions.

G.2 Physical Systems

a. Understand the characteristics and spatial

distribution of ecosystems on Earths surface.

G.3 Human Systems

a. Understand the characteristics, distribution,

and migration of human populations on Earths

surface.

b. Understand the characteristics, distribution,

and complexity of Earths cultural mosaics.

c. Understand the patterns and networks of eco-nomic interdependence on Earths surface.

d Understand the processes, patterns, and func-

tions of human settlement.

e. Understand how the forces of cooperation and

conict among people inuence the division and

control of Earths surface.

G.4 Environment and Society

a. Understand how human actions modify thephysical environment.

b. Understand how physical systems affect hu-

man systems.

c. Understand the changes that occur in the

meaning, use, distribution, and importance of

resources.

Technology

T.1 Social, Ethical, and Human Issues

a. Students understand the ethical, cultural, and

societal issues related to technology.

T.2 Technology Research Tools

b. Students use technology to locate, evaluate,

and collect information from a variety of sources.c. Students use technology tools to process data

and report results.

d. Students evaluate and select new information

resources and technological innovations based

on the appropriateness for specic tasks.

NT.3 Technology Problem-Solving and Decision-

Making Tools

a. Students use technology resources for solving

problems and making informed decisions.

b. Students employ technology in the develop-ment of strategies for solving problems in the real

world.

Language ArtsLA.1 Reading for Perspective

a. Students read a wide range of print and non-

print texts to build an understanding of texts,

of themselves, and of the cultures of the United

States...

LA.2 Evaluation Strategies

a. Students apply a wide range of strategies tocomprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate

texts...

LA.3 Communication Strategies

a. Students employ a wide range of strategies

as they write and use different writing process

elements appropriately to communicate with dif-

ferent audiences for a variety of purposes.

LA.4 Evaluating Data

a. Students conduct research on issues and

interests by generating ideas and questions, andby posing problems...

LA.5 Developing Research Skills

a. Students use a variety of technological and

information resources

LA.6 Multicultural Understanding

a. Students develop an understanding of and

respect for diversity

LA.7 Participating in Societya. Students participate as knowledgeable, reec-

tive, creative, and critical members of a variety of

literacy communities.

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ntro + How to Use

Systems Thinkingand RelationshipsOne of the main goals of this guide isto provide a framework for students to

understand and think about the systemsbehind many of the food items we eat ev-eryday. Where does our food come from?Where is our food grown? How doesthis affect our health? By thinking aboutthe systems and relationships betweenour built and natural environment, stu-dents gain a greater understanding of theproblems and possible solutions that affectlocal and global sustainability.

A Real WorldDesign Lab

The Whats On Your Plate? Curriculumframes your school and neighborhood as

an interactive, real-world design lab. Fromre-imagining your lunchroom to the poten-tials for gardens, composting and com-munity supported agriculture what betterway to address sustainability than throughthe immediate spaces students interactwith! Relevance is often times a missing el-ement in understanding sustainability andits relationship to food; the Whats On YourPlate? Curriculum encourages teachersand students to take local and immediateaction in their situated community.

CreativeProblem SolvingEcological sustainability is inherently tiedto creative problem solving. The Whats OnYour Plate? Curriculum provides a strategyfor students to think creatively about theirlocal food system and the affect it has ontheir very own classrooms and neighbor-hoods. Using design, hands-on activitiesand media learning as a tool to cultivate

creativity, teachers and students alike areencouraged to learn practical skills whenengaged in each section, from growingfood, to starting a composting operation,to cooking healthy. These tools encouragestudents to incorporate critical thinkinginto their problem solving processes, andallow them to create better homes, com-munities and bodies for themselves.

The Outdoors is theDesign LabThe activities provided in this resource en-courage you to take your students outsideto more intimately understand your localenvironment and the community aroundthe school. Stewardship arises from adeep appreciation for our home and thespaces that dene that place. The best

way to gain this appreciation is by formingmemories in and through interaction withthese spaces.

Provide Context+ ExamplesThe Whats On Your Plate? Curriculum useslocal context and real world examples tohelp students visualize the potential fortheir community and school to take thelead on issues related to food and sustain-ability. When we provide examples, weallow students to make abstract notionsreal. Look online, talk to your community

members and integrate as many examplesof organizations, individuals and otherproponents of a more sustainable foodsystem for your community.

ObjectivesWelcome!The Whats On Your Plate? Curriculum is a comprehensive guide to understanding the importance of foodsystems and the relationship food has to our communities, schools and our own bodies. The objective is to fa-cilitate an exploration of how food affects our local communities and to empower students to re-imagine wheretheir food comes from and how it affects our local ecology. Divided into three Modules, this resource facilitatesa dialogue with your students through an exploration of local food, school food and health issues related to thefood we eat.

Expected OutcomesDesign ApplicationsStudents will learn practical skills that

can be used to help them exploreprojects, ideas and questions they mayhave about sustainability.

Local KnowledgeStudents will gain local knowledge oftheir community and local ecology.

Systems ThinkingStudents will be able to understandthe relationships between the naturaland built environment.

Local SolutionsStudents will gain knowledge of manyecological solutions and technologiesthat exist right now and are being usedby engineers, architects, farmers, andchefs worldwide.

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Intro + How to

How to UseFormat and Delivery

This resource guide is adaptable so that it can be integrated into anynumber of lesson plans across disciplines for grades 5 - 8. The best uof this Curriculum Guide will combine the use of the Whats On YourPlate? Film, hands-on activities, critical discussions and projects thatbring students outside into the community. The Curriculum is dividedinto three major sections or themes that can be used interchangeablyaccording to your preference including School Food, Health and Acceand Local Food. Within each of these sections, the module is broken

down into a format that allows students to rst be introduced to a major topic, then encouraged to investigate this issueand nally re-think and develop solutions in relationship to their bodies, school or community.

Recommended Grade Levels: 5 - 8Time: 1-2 Weeks for Each ModuleEach Session: 45 minutes - 1 hourSubject Area: Interdisciplinary

Inside each Module:Whats the Story?: An introductory section providinbackground information and context on each thematicbeing explored from local food to health and access.

Lets Take a Closer Look!: This is a hands-osection empowering students to investigate their ownschools, homes and communities in relationship to fooand its ecological and social impacts.

Lets Rethink!: Lets Re-Think! provides anopportunity for students to re-imagine the way we buyeat and discuss food issues drawing from case studieand examples of sustainable agriculture and food

systems from around the country

This rst Module looks at the kinds of food found inschools, encouraging students to investigate theirown lunchrooms and develop ways to bring healthyand sustainable foods into their schools. Manystudents across the country rely on school food astheir major source of nutrition, eating three meals aday at their local school. In this section we will look atchallenges that schools are facing across the countryin relationship to the food they provide to our youthand the affects it has on their bodies and communities,and possible solutions.

The Health and Access Module will look at how thefoods we eat affects our bodies and the many issuespreventing access to healthy foods in communitiesnationwide. With obesity rates, diabetes and otherhealth concerns on the rise, the need to understandhow food ts into this emerging national challenge ismore important than ever. This section will provideopportunities for discussion and dialogue about theseissues, providing solutions and activities to sparkaction.

In this last Module, the theme of local food isaddressed, connecting international and nationalfood systems to local communities. Local foodmovements are on the rise, but how does that t intoyour school or neighborhood? This section providessome background information on the importance oflocal food socially and ecologically, while allowingfor a critical discussion on possible solutions andapplications for your school or community.

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worksh

Long-Distance MappingHow far did your food travel? Add upthe miles!

Score-Card

Name

What Food?

From Where?

NO.

How Far didit travel? (miles)

What Food?

From Where?

NO. 5


What Food?

From Where?

NO. 4


What Food?

From Where?

NO. 3


What Food?

From Where?

NO. 2


What Food?

From Where?

NO. 1


GrandTotal

Mileage:

2009 Sola

Activity

Everyone will receive a worksheet and calculate their

Food Footprint. How did you do? Are you a Big Foot?

As a class, lets brainstorm other ways we can reduce

our food footprint. Try to come up with at least three

Whats YourFood Footprint?

Hands-On Activities

1. Investigation Studentswill investigate a problem in theirschool or neighborhood. Activitiesand worksheets are provided.

2. Analysis/Re-DesignStudents will think about solutionsto the problems they have identi-ed and think of ways to re-de-sign their relationship to food inschool, at home and community.

School FoodModule 1

Health+Access

Local Food

Module 2

Module 3

o

Activity Types:

Activity Procedure: Worksheets:

See Page 52 to see the full LongDistance Mapping ActivityWorksheet


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ntro + How to Use

How to Use

Suggested UsesInterdisciplinary

ConnectionsThe best learning experience is an inter-disciplinary one. We encourage you totalk with other teachers in different dis-ciplines like social studies, art, science,and math and nd ways to bring theissues of food and ecology into multiplelesson plans.

Lesson Plan Tie-InThere are many ways in which to inte-grate the issue of food into any learningstandard or lesson plan. For instance,if your covering the Roman Empire in

World History, take some time to discussfarming in ancient Rome and make com-parisons to contemporary agriculturalissues. If youre a math teacher, you cangrow food crops and measure growthover time or have students use geometryto design a vegetable garden for theirschool. The possibilities are endless andonly get better the more creative andcollaborative you are!

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Media Learning!This Curriculum is intended to beused alongside the Film WhatsOn Your Plate?, which will providea unique media experience andreference for students and teachersalike.

Movie Clips:Each Module is tied to a particularmovie clip that provides a relevantnarrative for students to get a bet-ter understanding of each concept

being discussed. Teachers areencouraged to use the movie inconjunction with this curriculum toprovide a robust learning experi-ence for their students. Instructionsfound at the beginning of eachModule!

School Food Segment

Health+Access Segment

Local Food Segment

Film Adapted Just foryour classroom!

Choose from three thematic seg-ments adapted from the Whats on

Your Plate? Film especially for yourclassroom. Each segment hasthree chapters which align with thethree sections found in each mod-ule: Whats the Story, Lets Take aCloser Look and Lets Re-Think!

Inquiry-BasedDiscussions:

Inquiry-based discussions are en-couraged at the end of each movieclip viewed. To help spark discussion,each module provides a series ofthematic questions.

The Curriculum provides suggestedstopping points for you to ask ques-tions and begin a discussion. The

best learning happens organically,however, so we encourage you tostop where you need to stop, askquestions where you feel questionsare needed and to use this as a visualtool to explain the ways food affectsus every day.

Field TripsWhats On Your Plate? Curriculum pro-vides a great opportunity to organize aeld trip to visit a local farmer. Plan a har-vest or planting eld trip or visit a farmersmarket in your area.

After SchoolProgramsLooking for after-school program ideas?Food is a perfect t, providing an end-less number of activities and projects toengage your students.

Project-BasedLearningProject-based learning encourages

longer activities that engage multiple stu-dents and community-members in theprocess. Start by organizing a projectaround a specic issue related to yourneighborhood, community or school.Ask students to help you design a proj-ect that will address this issue, begin toplan and then implement! For instance ifyour school is surrounded by vacant lots,ask local ofcials if you can convert onelot into a garden.

Service LearningOpportunitiesUse this Curriculum as an opportunityto match your students with a non-protthat is helping to bring healthy and localfood to your community. Atwww.whatsonyourplateproject.org youcan nd a national Network of Friends,which are organizations is every stateworking on food systems.

Suggested MaterialsThis resource is intended toencourage low-cost and adapt-able activities. The best materialscome from your school, your

neighborhood and your commu-nity. Below is a list of suggestedmaterials:

Poster paperCalculatorsCompost BinRed WormsSoil & SeedsClipboardsTV/Computer for Flim viewing


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Ideas + Notes:

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School Food

Module One

Overview:In this section we will explore issues related to food, how it gets to your school and theenvironmental impacts of this process. Students will be encouraged to investigate the source oftheir food and consider alternative ways of creating a more sustainable and local food systemfor their school.

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Module One: School Food

Film ConnectionChapter 1:Whats The StoryThis section covers an in-class nutri-

tion experiment, Anna Lapp dis-

cusses food packaging, processing,

and HFCS, and nally, Idris Goodwinperforms poetry at an elementaryschool and has lunch with Sadie andSayah.

Discussion Questions

Investigate: Interview several adults(i.e. teachers, parents, and evengrandparents) about school lunch

when they were children. How are theirstories different from your experiencesin your school?

Chapter 2:Lets Take a Closer LookIn this section, the girls interview studentsin the cafeteria about their lunches. Theythen visit Jorge Collazo, the executive

chef for New York Citys SchoolFood, aschool tries to come up with an alterna-tive to current school food system, andwe meet a school dietician and dis-cover the difculties of producing healthyschool lunches.


Investigate: Where does your schoolfood waste go? Find out from peopleworking in the school (cafeteria, custo-dian) what happens to the trash, foodwaste, and recycling (if there is any)after lunch. How much waste does yourschool produce each week?

Chapter 3:Lets Re-Think

This part of the lm includes caf ownerstalking about how to improve school food,the girls reecting on the various perspec-tives they have heard on the topic, and avisit to Schoharie Farms, a small farm in

New York state, which wants to providecarrots to New York City public schools.


Investigate: Poll your friends and otherstudents in your school. First, nd out whoeats fast food. Ask them if fast food disap-peared, what food would they eat instead?

Objectives:Students will better understand the historicalcontext of school food in the United States and

the contemporary framework in which it is noworganized.

Students will better understand where their schoolfood comes from and the hidden impacts this food

may have on their personal health, local commu-nity and environment.

Students will think critically about ways to investi-gate where their school food comes from.

Students will be empowered to develop strategiesto improve the nutritional content of their schoolsfood and ways in which their school receives food.

Science

NS.1 Science as Inquiry a, bNS.3 Life Science a, b, cNS.6 Science in Personal and Social Per-spectives c, d, e, f

Economics

EC.1 Productive Resources aEC.2 Allocating Goods and Services aEC.8 Role of Price in a Market System a

Geography

G.3 Human Systems a, c, dG.4 Environment and Society a, b, c

StandardsTechnology

T.1 Social, Ethical, andHuman Issues a

Language Arts

LA.1 Reading for Perspective aLA.2 Evaluation Strategies aLA.3 Communication Strategies aLA.4 Evaluating Data aLA.5 Developing Research Skills aLA.7 Participating in Society a

School Food Segment on the DVD

Introduction

What are some potential problems

with school food?How does the food in school differfrom food you eat at home? Why?How do you think school food relatesto the discussion in the lm aboutprocessed food?

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

What are the three things you wouldmost like to change about your schoolfood system?How would you go about changingthese things?Do you think there would be any chal-lenges or difculties in making thesechanges?

The Schoharie Farms carrot was oneexample of how people have managedto get fresh, local food into schools.What are some other ways to improveor change school food?In the lm, the caf owners discusswhat they would serve if they catered aschools lunch. What would you serveif you had the opportunity to providelunch at your school? What do you thinkit would be important to consider if youhad to provide food for 500 students?

1.

2.

3.

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Module One: School Fo

Did you ever think about where yourschool food comes from? How didit get to you? Whether you bringlunch from home or eat food served

in the lunchroom, eating at school is

something you do almost everyday,but you might not think a lot abouthow your food got there. What didyour school serve for lunch today?

Are there vending machines in yourschool? Did you ever think about itsingredients or how it was prepared?

Are any restaurants located nearyour school? Because so manystudents in the United States eat

school food, it has a big impact

on our communities, health, and

environment.

So how did schools end upserving lunch anyway?

Believe it or not, American schoolshave not always had cafeterias. Inthe late 1800s and early 1900s,schools were small and usuallynear students houses, so everyonewent home for lunch. Sometimesstudents would bring pails of foodfor lunch. During the Depressionof the1930s many people wereunemployed, farmers could notsell their crops (prices were toolow), and American children wereundernourished.

As a solution to these issues, the

government created a school lunchsystem.

Often the food came from localfarms and women would evenspend the summer months canning

fruits and vegetables to be used

during the school year. There wasno money for kitchens or cookingequipment, so the food was eitherprepared at peoples houses andbrought to the school or cooked in a

tiny kitchen at the school.When World War I began, manyof the farm crops formerly given toschools went to supply US militaryforces in Europe. Schools wereencouraged to plant vegetable

gardens to supplement their food

supply. School gardens becamepopular, and this practice continued

through World War II.

In 1946, the government passed theNational School Lunch Act, whichprovided permanent funding for

schools to receive food, buy kitchenequipment, and build cafeterias. It

was believed that providing studentswith healthy meals would help themdo well in school, and in addition,would educate students and theirfamilies about the benets of goodnutrition.

KeywordsCash Crop: A crop grown specically foselling, not for directly feeding humans oranimals.

Child Nutrition Reauthorization ActThis legislation controls all the Federal chi

nutrition programs, including the School

Breakfast and the National School LunchPrograms, the Summer Food Service

Program (SFSP), the Child and Adult Care

Food Program (CACFP), and the Special

Supplemental Nutrition Program for

Women, Infants and Children (WIC).Compost: The broken down remains oforganic matter that has rotted into a natu

fertilizer for plants and food crops.

Farm to School: A national program tobring food from local farms into schools.

Fossil Fuel: A fuel (such as coal, oil, ornatural gas) that is formed in the earth fro

plant or animal remains.

Plant Hardiness Zone: A map of thecountry designated by expected range oflow temperature. This map shows whenand where certain plants can be planted.

Seitan: A high-protein wheat meat mad

from wheat gluten, found in wheat doughA replacement for meat.

Tempeh: A protein source made from splisoybeans, water, and special bacteria,which are allowed to ferment for severalhours. A replacement for meat.Tofu: A protein source made from bean

curds, commonly soybeans. A replacemefor meat.

United States Department ofAgriculture (USDA): The federaldepartment that administers many farmand food-related programs, including

various farmer services and the NationalSchool Lunch Program.

Vermicomposting Method ofdecomposing in which earthworms areused, in addition to microbes, to break

down organic waste into nutrient-rich soil

What s the Story?

2009 Solar 11

Is it lunchtime yet?

Unemployed women got jobsas lunch cooks.The government purchased

farm crops to be used in pre-

paring school food, supporting

US farmers.Children were fed healthymeals.

1.

2.

3.Photo: USDA


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What s the Story?

In the 1980s and 1990s, studentpopulations got bigger and schools

lost funding. They could not afford tobuy new cooking equipment or to paypeople to cook the food.How did they solve this problem? Nomore cooks in the school. In fact, nomore cooking in the school. Schoolshired companies outside of the school

to produce cheap lunches. To makelunch for less money, however, thesecompanies had to cut corners, whichmeant no more food from small farms.These companies get their ingredients

from giant agricultural corporations,

not small farms, and most of it is

processed.

Schools signed contracts with CocaCola and other soft drink companies

agreeing to sell only that brand ofsoda on campus in exchange for

commissions and a yearly bonus. Ifschools agreed to make the beverage

available to students at all times

and place soda advertisements oncampus, they would receive otherbonuses such as money and newequipment for the school. Studentsbegan consuming soda in the place

of milk, juice, or water at lunch andrecess. The same sorts of agreementswere struck between schools andsnack food companies.

One more problem!

The National School Lunch Program

serves over 28 million students eachday! School lunchrooms receive alarge portion of their food from the

U.S. Department of Agriculturescommodities program. Every year,

The USDA buys millions of pounds ofsurplus meat and animals products

from agricultural corporations to give

a boost to falling prices. These foods,

which are high in fat and cholesterol,are then distributed to schools

across the country. The commoditiesprogram allows agribusiness to makemoney from products that are notnecessarily in the best interest ofchildrens health. In 2001, the USDAspent $350 million on high-fat beefand cheese for schools while it spent$161 million on fruits and vegetables.Do you think this is a balanceddistribution?

Now that you know a little bit aboutwhere our school food comes fromhistorically, the next section is allabout nding out specics in yourschool! Where does the food comefrom in your school lunchroom,how do you nd out and why is itimportant? Get ready, cause wereabout to nd out

So what does this

mean to me?This means that school lunch became

less healthy and less tasty. Cornand soybeans are two of the largestcash crops (crops grown for selling)in the United States. Because thesetwo crops are grown in such largequantities, they cost very little. Thislow price tag has made corn andsoybeans the basic ingredients inmost processed foods. They makeup a lot of school lunches. For

example, it is much cheaper to servechicken nuggets, which contain a lotof soybeans and a little chicken thanit is to serve a piece of real chicken.Heres how it works: the meal is madein a processing plant, frozen, and

then delivered to the school cafeteria,

where it is reheated in a microwave sort of like a TV dinner. No morecooks, no more cooking schools

just needed something to warm upthe food.

2009 Solar One 12

Things are different now, but how?

Problem solved, right?

Not exactly, outsourcing stillcosts money and with studentpopulations growing, schoolswere still low on cash. Fast foodrestaurants, especially pizza,had been trying for a long timeto get into schools, but fast foodpizzas and tacos did not meet

government nutrition standards,and could not be served as schoollunch in the lunchroom. The fastfood chains came up with a wayto get around this: offer to pay theschools in exchange for allowingthem to operate a cart or stand oncampus. It worked. Schools mademoney and fewer students ate inthe lunchroom, choosing insteadto eat fast food. Fast food nallymade it into schools, could soda

be far behind?(keep reading...)


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Soda + Fast Food in School?Not long after fast food was introduced into schools, contractswere signed with Coca Cola and other soft drink companiesagreeing to sell only that brand of soda on campus in exchangefor commissions and a yearly bonus. If schools agreed to makethe beverage available to students at all times and place sodaadvertisements on campus, they would receive other bonusessuch as money and new equipment for the school. Studentsbegan consuming soda in the place of milk, juice, or water at lunchand recess. The same sorts of agreements were struck betweenschools and snack food companies.

Profile: SodexoDo you ever wonder where thebig delivery trucks outside of theschool lunchroom come from?

They might be from Sodexo.Sodexo is one of the largest food-

service companies in the world.They provide food to schools,prisons, hospitals, and militarybases in over 80 countries. Sodexobuys much of the food it serves

from companies that make frozenfoods, like chicken nuggets and

corn dogs, then packages it for

cafeterias.

Activity

As a class, students will design a community cookbook bycollecting recipes from their families or other communitymembers. The recipes can reect region, culture, orcommunity. The idea is for the cookbook to form acomposite of the students identity through food history.Students may bear healthy recipes in mind, or they mayalter recipes if they appear to be unhealthy (i.e. substituteolive oil for bacon fat). (See Worksheet on page 15)

Class CookbookInvestigationSchool Lunches

through the AgesStudents will analyze school lunchmenus from various eras, comparing

them to their own schools menu.

(See Worksheet on page 14)

What s the Story?

2009 Solar 13

A

Whats On Your Menu?

What are some of the the foods you find on your menu?

List them here and guess where they were grown!

Food Wheres it grown?


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1917

1948

1953

1966

1971

Today

Monday

(1)Bakedbeansandroll

(2)Cocoaormilk;crack-

ersoricecream.

Escallopedtomatoes

Cheesesandwich

Cucumberpickle

Cookie

Milk

Orange

Juice

Enchiladas

ChileGravy

PintoBeans

ColeSlaw

HalfPeach

Bread

Milk

Applejuice

Ravioliwithmeatsauce

Cinnamonapples

Hotcornbread

Bread

withpeanutbutter

Tapiocapudding

Barbecueonsandwichbun

Friedpotatoes

Applesauce

Milk

Brownie

Soup

Beefstew

Tues

day

(1)Vegetablesoupand

roll(2)Cocoaormilk;crack-

ersoricecream.

Spaghettiwithmeat

balls

Buttersandwich

Carrotstick

Breadpudding

Vanillasauce

Milk

Beefan

dBrownGravy

Whippe

dPotatoes

English

Peas

HotRolls

Buttera

ndHoney

Milk

Bakedmacaroniwith

tomatoandhamburger

Corn

Ripeolives

Breadwithjelly

Whippedorangejello

withtopping

Vegetablebeef

Peanutbutterorhamsalad

sandwich

Biscuitandbutter

Coleslaw

Milk

Icecream

We

dnes

day

1)Creamedbeefon

toast

androll,


ersoricecream.

Dates

Escallopedpotatoes

Harvardbeets

Jellysandwich

Sauce

Milk

HamburgeronaBun

PotatoChips

Lettuce

Leaf

Tomato

Slice

PruneC

ake

Milk

Potatochips

Frankfurts

Cutgreenbeans

Breadandbutter

Apricothalves

Pizza

Greenbeansandbutter

Tossedsalad(spinach,

lettuceandtomatowithoil

dressing)

Applesauce

Brownie

Milk

Thurs

day

(1)Macaroniwithto

mato

sauceandroll


ersoricecream.

Jamsandwich

Mashedpotatoes

Beefgravy

Carrotstick

Buttersandwich

Apple

Milk

Chicken

alaKing

ButteredRiceCup

Carrots

trips

Pineapp

le,GratedCheese

Salad

Peanut

Butter

Graham

Crackers

Halfand

HalfBread

Milk

Chickenandgravyon

bakingpowderbiscuit

Cranberrysauce

Celerysticks

Breadwithpeanutbutter

Mixedfruit

Hotroastbeefsandwich

withgravy

Whippedpotatoes

Butteredcabbage

Milk

Cherrycobbler

Fr

iday

(1)Creamedsalmon

and

roll.


ersoricecream

Escallopedcorn

Peanutbuttersandwich

Peasalad

Cookie

Milk

Salmon

SaladonBun

Lettuce

andTomatoSalad

IceCreamCup

Milk

Blendedjuice

Mashedpotato

Fishstickswithtartar

sauce

Beetrelish

Breadandbutter

Applepie

Grilledcheesesandwich

Butteredcorn

Lettucewithcreamdressing

Milk

Peanutbuttercookie

Jellocubes

Ques

tions

1.Arethereanysimilaritiesbetwe

enyourschoolsmenuandothery

ears?Circlesomeofthethingsthatarethesame.

2.Whatyearseemstobethemostsimilartoyourschool?Whichyearseemsmostdifferent?Why?

3.Whichmealsseemthehealthiest?Why?Whichseemtheleasthe

althy?

4.Whatwouldyouchangeabout

thesemenusandwhy?

Ana

lys

is

School

Lunche

s

through

the

Ages

worksheet


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workshee

Class CookbookLets make a cookbook! But first we need some recipes!Directions: Talk with one family member or friend and ask them to share some recipes that reect yourfamilys history or culture. Ask them to help you write down a recipe in the Family Recipe box below and the

add your own spin to it in the Your Recipe section!

Your SchoolYour Recipe

Ingredients

Family Recipe Directions

Ingredients

Directions


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Let s Take a Closer LOokSo you dont like sloppy

joes what else is wrongwith school lunch?

You can probably already guess whatsome of the issues with school food are,but lets talk about it. From waste issuesto issues related to the way we farm,there are many things to consider. Letslook at a couple of issues below:

Environmental Issuesthe school cafeteriamakes a lot of trash.

Packaging waste: Many cafeteriasserve meals on plastic or Styrofoamdisposable trays with plastic forksand spoons, and many food items arepackages in their own wrappers. Notonly does this produce a large amountof garbage that cannot be recycled,it took a lot of fossil fuel and water tomake the trays and utensils.

Food Waste: All students are given thesame kind of food- whether they wantit or not. In order to receive moneyfrom the government, many schoolsalso have a milk requirement (althoughthis can vary), in which students inyounger grades must accept a con-tainer of milk as part of their lunch. Formany reasons, students dont alwayseat or drink everything that is served,and as a result, a lot of food ends up in

the garbage can, producing even more

waste.

Both packaging and food waste canalso apply to lunch brought from home,and certainly apply to food purchasedfrom fast food restaurants. Individualbags of chips, food wrappers, anddrink boxes produce extra garbage.

Other IssuesIndustrial agriculture makes school lunch

This is a very big issue. You will learn about industrial agriculture inModule Three. Much of school lunch food is produced using industrialagriculture and can have negative impacts on health and the environ-

ment (soils erosion, water depletion, chemical fertilizers, hormones inmeat and dairy, etc.)

Fossil Fuel use Chances are, your school food is not made anywherenear your school, maybe not even in your state! The lunch your schoolis serving today was probably trucked in from somewhere far away,using a lot of gas to get there.

Health Issues Obesity and type II diabetes are two major health prob-lems facing children and teens today. We will examine this in-depth inModule Two.

What about your school?

So now you understand some of the impacts the food at your school mayhave on the environment and your health, but what about your school?

Your school may be purchasing food from industrial farming operations andcreating a lot of waste. Begin to think about how this specically relates toyour community and your health. Well there are number of environmental

impacts that we should look at:

Land/Water/Air How does thefood you purchase affect local land,water and air quality? Landlls canharm local habitats where animalsand plants live. Dangerous chemi-cals and gases collecting from the

waste can contaminate the waternear a landll. What other impactscan you think of that may relate toyour communitys local water, air orland resources?

Resource Use What kinds andhow many resources are beingused to produce and transport yourfood? We need to transport food tothe factory for packaging, then tothe school for reheating and eating,

and then that waste is transportedto landlls sometimes hundreds ofmiles away, which causes air pol-

lution from the use of gasoline for

instance. How does poor air qualityaffect your body?

Carbon Footprint How manygreenhouse gases are produced in

the production and transportation of

your food? (ie. CO2, carbon diox-ide) These greenhouse gases can

contribute to a phenomena knownas climate change, affecting global

temperatures because the green-house gases create a think blanket

around the earth, trapping too much

heat around the earths surface.How does climate change, or globalwarming affect your community?

Cool Idea! - Watch a coolmovie - The Story of Stuff for freeonline: www.storyofstuff.com

2009 Solar One 16


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Now its time to investigate your school lunchroom. Work with your local school lunchroom staff and gure out justwhere your food comes from and how they choose what they choose. Conduct interviews with your lunchroom staff.

Ask them about their purchasing process and how they prepare their foods, where they are stored and if they knowwhere the food is processed and transported from. Make sure to be polite and thankful for your lunchroom staff!Remember that they also want whats best for you but often have many obstacles in the way of serving better food.Some sample questions include:

1. How many meals are prepared each day?2. What are the common items ordered?3. How are the meals prepared?4. How do you decide how much food and

what foods to purchase?5. Where does the food come from?

Next, with classmates create an archive of the products found in your schools freezer and pantry. Look closely atthe labels and write down ingredients for common food items, noting where they were distributed from, informationusually found below the nutritional facts. Observe, ask questions and write down everything you nd!

InvestigationCafeteria Snoops

As a class or in groups, students should investigate

the campus and/or surrounding neighborhood, noting

locations and proximity of fast food restaurants andvending machines to the school. (Studies have linkedchild obesity and the proximity of fast food restaurantsto schools). Coming back to class, students will createa map of the school and/or neighborhood.

Using the map, students may poll their class,their grade, or other students in the school on

how frequently students eat from nearby fast food

restaurants or the schools vending machines.

Information can include:

The collected information will be utilized in Module Two.


Investigation

Map it Out!

ActivityLets Weigh it Out!The goal of the activity is to re-imagine the materialsused for packaging for a school lunch. This activityhas students think about the disposability ofproducts they use everyday and to design solutionsto make school lunch more sustainable.


Let s Take a Closer LOok

2009 Solar 17

Do students frequent vending machines or fastfood restaurants either for lunch, recess, or after

school?Are students allowed to leave campus for lunch?If not, is fast food available on campus?

Vending machines: are students allowed sodaand/or snacks at any time during the day?

1.

2.

3.

Photo: Matt Carpent

Add your questions here:



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worksheet

Cafeteria SnoopsDirections: Now its time to investigate your school lunchroom. Work with yourlocal school lunchroom staff and figure out just where your food comes from

and how they choose what they choose.

InterviewStep One: First, you need to develop a list of interviewquestions, so you can get the information you want. Somesample questions could include:

1. How many meals are prepared each day?2. What are the common items ordered?3. How are the meals prepared?4. How do you decide how much food and what

foods to purchase?5. Where does the food come from?

Step Two: Come up with a few questions of your own!

Step Three: Conduct interviews with your cafeteria staff. Askthem about their purchasing process and how they preparetheir foods, where they are stored and if they know wherethe food is processed and transported from. Make sure tobe polite and thankful to your cafeteria staff! Rememberthat they also want whats best for you but often have manyobstacles in the way of serving better food.

Questions:

ObservationsStep Four: Next nd out if you can tour the lunchroom.Keep good notes on what you observe.

What kind of kitchen equipment does the lunchroom have? Microwaves? Stoves? Ovens?What are some common foods in the cafeteria freezer?Make note of the ingredients, nutritional facts, and the com-pany that sent the food.

Observe, ask questions and write down everything you nd!

What did you find out?


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workshee

Map it Out!Directions: Create a map of your neighborhood and the inside of your school.

Your School

Your Neighborhood

Your School

Key

Key

Name

lN

lN

Identify things like where the fast food restaurants are located

Mark where the vending machines areIdentify other things that influence what kind of food you eat


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5. Total Waste

worksheet

Let s Weigh it OutLets find out how much waste your lunch creates each month!Directions: Follow the steps below to calculate the amount of waste created by your lunch each month.

Weigh itTake everything you have in your lunch - from home or fromschool. Weigh it on a scale in grams (g).

1. Total Weight of your lunch

Now lets weigh each kind of material separately. Sort outthe paper, metal, plastic, organic (leftover foods), styrofoamwaste and other materials. Now weigh only things made of

that material. Record your answers below:

paper

metal

plastic

organic

styrofoam

other

Now lets gure out what percentage of each material is inyour waste:

Material Weight

Total Weight= %

Unit

grams

How Much?To gure out how much waste is actually created, we haveto know how many people we are talking about and overwhat time period:

No. of Students in your class =No. of lunches each month (average) =

papermetal

plastic

organic

styrofoam

other

Now lets gure out how much waste were talking abouthere! Take the answer from the above calculation and use it

to nd out which kind of material creates the most waste!

Total = No. of Students x No. of lunches =

Total Weight x (Students x lunches) =

Total Waste x (% of material)ie. 500 grams/student/lunch x 0.12 = 60 grams/paper

paper

metal

plastic

organic

styrofoam

other

2. Material Weight

3. Percentages

%

g

4. Time and People

Now we can gure out the total amount of waste (in grams)created each month by the number of students in yourclass!

6. Total Material Waste

FinalAnswer

Unit

g

What material created the most waste?


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Let s Re-ThinkWere Just Getting Started!Wow, weve learned a lot so far. We found out about the history of school food,what kinds of foods are in your lunchroom and where they come from. Now itstime to think about solutions to some of the problems weve found. Its time tostart thinking about your school and some amazing things we can do together asa community to address some of these problems. So it looks like we have a lot ofproblems with our how some of our food is produced. But wait, theres good news!People are changing the way think about their food and the ways that they get it.Whether you live in the country or the city, there are many, many alternatives toindustrially produced food.

A School Garden!A great idea to bring local and more sustainable food to your school is to start a garden, a garden not just for owersbut for food crops as well! Starting a garden is a big project so expect some hurdles along the way. Start by talkingto your principal and other teachers and start investigating possibilities. Think big, but start small. Follow some ofthese steps to get a garden started and remember the more you know about your local bioregion, its climate, soil andhydrology (the study of water movement, distribution and quality) the better!

Step One: Planning1. Make sure that starting a garden is even allowed inyour school.2. If you are facing opposition host a meeting with yourteachers, parents, and other students.

Step Two: Choose a Site1. Choose a site that will be good for a garden. Consideryour regional characteristics.2. Consider important parameters like sun, soil and rain.Some areas of the country have lots of sun and rain andothers have very little.3. Garden Type there are many ways to grow yourgarden: raised bed (using boxes that are 2-3 feet off theground) or simply in the soil near your school.

Step Three: Choose What to Grow1. Choose what will be easy to grow and maintain. Somesuggestions for a simple and easy garden include:

2. What and When what you decide to grow dependson where you live. Use the National Gardening Associa-tions Plant Hardiness Zone Map to help you determinewhen and what to plant: http://www.garden.org/zipzone/

Step Four: Start Your Garden!1. Prepare the soil once you have your site selected

you will need to till the soil and add in compost. Depend-ing on the kind of soil you have you may have to addsome other elements like sand or clay to balance the soil2. Irrigation Consider a simple irrigation system that wilhelp keep you garden watered.3. Fencing If your garden is near a forest or wildlifehabitat, put up some fencing to keep out animals that

may eat your plants!4. Planting: Once you have decided what you want togrow, how do you plant it? Some seeds must be startedindoors during the winter, while others can be planteddirectly in the soil during spring or summer.5. Harvesting: Harvest time is when your hard work pays

off, and in a big way. Be sure your class has a plan foryour harvest.

Step Five: MaintenanceDevelop a maintenance and care plan. Remember gar-dens need lots of care, water and sun. Depending on theplants you grow, you may need to weed, mulch, fertil-ize, or prune. Develop a plan to make sure someone isalways taking care of the garden; create a class chart inwhich students rotate garden duties and nd someone totake care of it in the summer months.

The Three Sisters a traditional Native American tech-nique of growing beans, squash and corn together.

Hot Head, Cold Feet Plant cucumbers and pepperstogether. Good companion planting is an excellentway to control pests.

Pizza Garden Plant basil, tomatoes and pepperstogether.

Idea # 1

2009 Solar 21


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Let s Re-Think

Farm to SchoolA garden may not be enough to bring local and sustainable food into your school. Consider a Farm to Schoolprogram sponsored by the USDA. Farm-to-school is an initiative that encourages small farmers to sell fresh fruits andvegetables to schools and schools to buy this wholesome produce from small farmers. If one isnt available in yourcommunity, think about starting your own version of the program with local community members, farmers and yourschool community. To develop your own farm to school program start with some of the following steps:

Needs AssessmentDetermine where school food is currently being sourced.How far is food being shipped? What foods could locallygrown crops could replace?

Preliminary PlanningFind farmers and select a city and site to meet that are

centrally located, convenient to the farmers in the area.Select a time of year and date when farmers and schoolfood service staff will be available.

Determine Goals and ObjectivesWhat is the goal/objective of the program? To replace allfoods, a certain percentage?Outline a very clear plan and list of objectives for 1, 5 and10 years.

Identify PartnersIdentify local environmental, health and food organizations

that can help you in establishing relationships with farmersand providing educational programs to your school com-munity (http://www.farmtoschool.org/links.php).

Organize a Planning MeetingOrganize a planning meeting at your school, invite repre-sentatives from the State Department of Agriculture andState Department of Education.

Develop a Budget and Operations ProcedureDevelop a budget and operations procedure for the pro-

gram outline roles, responsibilities and ways to continuallywork with local farmers.

Pilot ProgramLaunch a small pilot-program in your cafeteria, maybestarting with something like local lettuces for salads orlocal apples.

Develop a Long-Term PlanAfter your pilot program develop, a long-term plan anddiscuss possible contracts with local farmers.

Finally: Time to Get Started!

www.farmtoschool.org

Zero Waste LunchWhether you bring your lunch from home or eat meals served in the lunchroom, food waste and package waste atschool can be reduced. Here are some tips to get you thinking in the right direction:

If you bring your lunch:1. Drinks can go in a thermos or reusable water bottle.2. Instead of using paper or plastic bags, pack a reusablelunch bag. There is no waste and you buy it only once.3. Try to pack all food items in reusable containers. Oneway to do this is to buy in bulk instead of buying individualcontainers. This way you can pack the desired amounteach day and create less waste.4. If you do bring disposable food containers, try to makesure you rinse and recycle them.5. Bring reusable silverware from home instead of usingdisposable spoons and forks.

If you get lunch from the lunchroom:1. Talk to your school cafeteria about getting reusabletrays, napkins, and silverware.2. If this is not possible, nd out about placing napkindispensers on tables instead of the serving line. This way,students will take only what they need.3. Be sure your school has a recycling program in place,so that paper milk cartons, bottles, etc., are recycled.

What other ideas do you think would help reducewaste in the lunchroom?

Idea # 2

Idea # 3

2009 Solar One 22


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Compost!Composting is a great way to reduce school foodwaste, and can be great for your garden too! Compostis a mixture of decaying food scraps and other organicmaterials like leaves used to provide plants withnutrients. Here are some tips on starting a compostoperation at your school!

1. Compost bins Compost bins are often made ofwood or wire mesh and measure about 4x4x4. Thisis an optimal size for decomposition in a compost pile.

You can build one or several. It is best to build the binsin a shaded area out of direct sunlight.

2. Plant material(ie. dried leaves, twigs, grassclipping, newsprint, and wood chips) The microbesthat will be doing the decomposing in your compostpile need a balanced diet. The food from your lunchesprovides nitrogen and plant material are rich in carbon,

and should be mixed in the pile regularly.

3. Collection barrel for the lunchroom Foodwaste to be taken to the compost pile should beplaced in the collection barrel. Do not place meat,dairy, chicken bones, or any other animal products inthe compost. These foods tend to smell, attractingunwanted animals to the compost area. Also the fatsin these animal based foods do not break down veryeasily.

4. Compost Pile Helpers The barrel should betaken to the compost pile regularly, and the compostrequires watering in hot weather, and turning, or aerat-ing to keep the decomposition going strong. You cancreate a rotating list of students or recruit volunteers

to help. Like the garden, compost requires care to

produce good humus.

5. Tools The primary tools needed for compostingare gloves, a pitchfork for turning compost, wheelbar-row, bucket, and a screen to sift the compost.

6. Schoolwide Participation In order for this proj-ect to be successful, everyone needs to participate, soagain, educate students and teachers on the projectsand its importance.

Idea # 4

Let s Re-Think

Reduce MeatIdea # 5An easy way to reduce your carbon footprint is to re-duce the amount of meat you eat each week. Replacered meat, poultry and other meats with tempeh, tofuand seitan, which offer better kinds of proteins for yourbody.

Meat production creates some of the worst pollution inthe country, responsible for up to 60% of water pollutioncoming mainly from animal waste like manure and urine.Does eating stuff like tofu sounds disgusting? Well startwith peanut butter and jelly, a cheese sandwich or saladand work your way up! Beans and rice are another ex-cellent source of protein. Try dishes like chili, beans andrice, or bean/veggie burgers. By doing less, like eatingless meat, you are doing more for the environment!

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Students monitor how much waste their class pro-duces for one month. Create a class chart in whichstudents record the weight of class garbage either dailyor weekly. After the rst week, discuss strategies forreducing waste like reusing paper, creating less wasteat lunch, recycling, etc. Set reduction goals for eachsubsequent week. (see worksheet on page 26)

ActivityReduce Your Waste!

Vermi-CompostIdea # 6

There is another method of composting called vermi-

coposting. This is a type of decomposition in whichearthworms do all the work. You just need plastic binswith lids and air holes (the worms need to breathe). Putin the same kind of food waste (no animal products) asin other compost piles and let the worms chew away.Worms love apple cores, vegetable scraps, and egg-

shells! Remember, a balanced diet is as important forthem as it is for you.

If you dont have a school garden or space for on-site

composting, thats OK. Some school districts have pro-fessional composting services pick up the food waste.Check with your local parks and recreation departmentor waste management for possible options. No garden,but room to compost? There are lots of people that willuse or buy good compost.

The Edible Schoolyard New Orleans serves students ingrades K-8 from two charter schools. Now in its thirdyear, the Edible Schoolyard has integrated organicgardening and cooking into school curriculum. Studentsparticipate in all aspects of farming as well as preparing,cooking, and serving fresh, seasonal food. The culturaland social importance of food is taught in history andsocial studies classes, where students learn about therole of Creole cooking in the New Orleans area, andparticipate in a hands-on Creole cooking class. The twoschools are using the garden to transform the meals

and snacks prepared at school. They have designedan open kitchen, so students may see how their foodis prepared. Leftovers are composted and studentseat from reusable dishes, reducing waste. Two days amonth, the entire community is invited to visit and helpmaintain the garden.

For more information go towww.esynola.org/

Let s Re-Think

Help students apply some of the ideas and conceptslearned in this section through a quick excersize calledRe-Design. In this activity, pose some of the ques-tions covered in this module. Prompt students to thinkcritically about a reponse to some of these questionsor explore ideas on how one could design some solu-tions to these problems. (see worksheet on page 25)

Analysis

School Food Re-Design!

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Profile: The EdibleSchoolyard New Orleans

A

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workshee

Re-Design!Lets think about how to re-design your schools relationship to food!

BrainstormStep One: Brainstorm some answers to the questions above. Think of 2 ideas anddescribe each idea with 2 sentences below:

SketchStep Two: Draw some diagrams or sketch out some of your ideas below:

Idea 1:

Idea 2:

Title:

Description:

How can we grow food at your school?

How can we reduce waste?How can we get healthy and local food into your school?

Name

School Food


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worksheet

Reduce Your WasteLets monitor how much waste your class produces in just 1 month!Directions: Collect data on how much waste you and your classmates produce in one month. Set a goal each weekto reduce your waste and nally make some recommendations on how to reduce waste in your school or classroom.

Weigh it Measure the waste created by you and your classmates each week:

Week No. ____

Week No. %

Time Weight Time Weight

lbs. or kg Week No. ____ lbs. or kg

Reduction GoalsRecord your reduction goals for each week:

RecommendationsWhat are some of your long and short termrecommendations for reducing waste in your classroom orschool? List 2 here:

# 1:

# 2:


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Health

Module Two

Overview:In this module we will explore the impacts of food on health and our bodies. Students willinvestigate conventional packaged foods and will learn how to decipher nutrition labels. Studentswill explore availability of healthy food in their community and examine their own eatingpatterns. Access+

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Module Two: Health + Access

Film ConnectionChapter 1:Whats The StoryWe are introduced to the topic of

health through Sadies visit to the

doctor. The girls then poll people on

the street about why they eat fast food

followed by a talk with Sadies doctor,

who mentions a rising trend of obesity

in children, and its related health is-

sues.


Investigate: Interview adults to ndout how their lives as children differed

from yours. What kinds of health prob-

lems were common to children during

that time? What foods did they eat?How much food did they eat? Did they

spend more time inside or outside?

Why do they think kids spent more

time outside? How much TV did they

watch? And remember they didnt

have computers! Think of other ques-

tions that might relate to health.

Chapter 2:Lets Take a Closer LookThis section begins with national statis-

tics on obesity and diabetes followed by

personal accounts of diabetes by two

people who have the disease. During an

animation, the girls reect on the costs of

bad food and ill health. Sadie talks with

her doctor and the girls receive instru-

ments for measuring physical activity

from scientists who study the health of

communities.


Investigate: Turn off the TV. Can youstop watching television for one week?

Challenge some of your friends to do thesame. What did you do differently during

that week? Do you think it would be help-

ful to watch less TV? If you cant turn off

the TV, limit how much time you spend

watching it. Keep a TV diary and write

down what time you started and what

time you nished each day. Try to keep it

less than 1 hour. Instead of watching TV,

try helping to cook dinner. Good luck!

Chapter 3:Lets Re-ThinkIn this section, the focus is turned to

availability of healthy food. We meet Caleb

and his family, who live in a neighborhood

with little access to fresh food. Sadie and

Sayah talk to Manhattan Borough Presi-

dent, Scott Stringer, about the locations of

farmers markets and fresh produce in New

York City. They then visit a farmers market

in East Harlem and nally, Sadie gets her

cholesterol test results from the doctor.Discussion Questions

Investigate: Find out what food is avail-able in your neighborhood. How easy is

it for you and your family to get healthy

food? Is fresh food available nearby or do

you have to travel a long way? Is there a

farmers market or CSA? etc.

Health + Acess Segment on the DVD

Introduction

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What are different factors in our

current food system that could

be contributing to the increasing

health problems of children and

teens, like diabetes and obesity?

How do these problems relate

to things like high fructose corn

syrup?

1.

2.

1.

2.

3.

What is one way you would get kids

in your school to exercise more?

What are some things you can do to

prevent health problems in the future

for yourself?

How would you help prevent health

problems in family members and

friends?

After watching the lm, how does ac-

cess to fresh or fast food affect you?

Think about what food is available near

your home or school and what you eat.

What changes would you make to the

food availability in your area?

If a neighborhood has little or no

healthy food nearby, how do you think

this affects the community members

and the food choices they make?

Sadie managed to lower her cholester-

ol through eating healthy and exercise.

What are some healthy changes you

could make to your diet?

1.

2.

3.

4.

Objectives:Students will understand the connections between theirhealth and the foods they eat.Students will think critically about the foods they eat in

school, at home and on the go, their nutritional content,

and environmental impacts.

Students will understand processed foods, how they are

made and their impacts on health and diet.

Students will develop ways to improve their health and lo-

cal environment by changing their diet and eating habits.

Science

NS.1 Science as Inquiry a, b

NS.6 Science in Personal and

Social Perspectives c, d, e, f

Economics

EC.1 Productive Resources

EC.2 Allocating Goods and Ser-

vices

EC.8 Role of Price in a Market

System

Technology

T.1 Social, Ethical, and Human

Issues

Language Arts

LA.1 Reading for Perspective a

LA.2 Evaluation Strategies a

LA.4 Evaluating Data a

LA.5 Developing Research Skills a

LA.7 Participating in Society a

Standardsll

l

l


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Module Two: Health + Acc

Theres more than one wayto skin a potato!What is processed food? Food processing is a set of techniques used tochange raw ingredients (like corn) into other types of food (like Coca Cola).

Some methods include canning, freezing, dehydrating, and sterilizing. Chem-

icals and other difcult-to-pronounce ingredients are added to processed

foods for many reasons. Here are a few:

KeywordsCarbohydrates: Sugar, starch, or cellu-lose that is a food source of energy for an

animal or plant (Saccharide).

Fats: A wide group of compounds likeoils, fats, and lipids occurring in

organic tissue.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: A group ofcorn syrups that has undergone process-

ing to convert its glucose (sugar) into fruc

tose (fruit based sugar) and has then been

mixed with pure corn syrup (100% glucos

Insulin: A hormone that takes the glucoseto the cells. If a body does not produceenough insulin or the cells ignore the insu

lin, glucose builds up in the blood stream

This can cause diabetes among other

health concerns.

Legumes: Fruits of plants in the familyFabaceae. Well known legumes include

beans, lentils, mesquite, peanuts, peas,

and alfalfa.

Minerals: Nutrients, such as iron and zincthat the body uses to perform necessary

life functions.

Obesity: A medical condition in which ther

is excess body fat, which has a negativeeffect on a persons health.

Preservatives: A chemical compound thatis added to processed foods to protect

against decay or decomposition.

Processed Food: Food processing is amethod used to transform raw ingredi-

ents (whole foods) into other forms for

consumption by humans or animals. This

process typically reduces the nutritional

value or content of a food.

Proteins: Organic compounds made up oamino acids. Proteins are one of the majo

constituents of plant and animal cells.

Type 2 Diabetes: The most commonform of diabetes. It is a disease in which

the body either does not produce enough

insulin or the cells ignore the insulin.

Vitamins: Organic compounds required asa nutrient source in most organisms.

What s the Story?

Color These additives bring MountainDew its neon glow and the orange to

macaroni and cheese in a box.

Bleach - Lets disinfect and deodorizeWhite bread is white because the our isbleached.

Texturize Makes cereal and po-tato chips crunchy and, cheese spread

creamy, and candy chewy.

Soften Ice cream is soft, margarine isspreadable.

Preservatives- Added to food so it cantravel a long way and sit on the grocery

store shelf for a long time without going

bad. Oh, and just in case you want to

save your Twinkie cupcake and eat it in

six months.

Sweeten High fructose corn syrup issix times sweeter than sugar, and is in

more foods than you think, even breads

and pasta sauces.

Hide Odors - Do you really want tosmell all the weird stuff that is put into

your food? One more additive covers up

the smells.

Flavor Processing food removes a lotof the taste, so it has to be put back into

the food using articial avors. Chemical

avorings are in almost every kind of pro-

cessed food from bubble gum to salad

dressing to frozen pizza. Often these

avorings are used in place of the real

thing because they are cheaper.

Nutrients Processing food destroysvitamins and minerals. Some nutrients

are replaced, or added back into the

processed food, but overall, it still has

far less nutritional value than the original

whole food.

So, basically, if it has a list offive or more ingredients, and is ina box, bag, jar, can, or wrapperits a processed food.

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Module Two: Health + Access

What s the Story?So why make

processed food?So whats the story? Why do com-

panies all over the world make pro-

cessed foods? Isnt easier to just sell

stuff directly from the farm? You prob-

ably know some of the answers to this

question already, but lets look at some

primary reasons below:

Its cheap. Remember all the surpluscorn and soybeans? Based on very

old policies, the government subsi-

dizes the farming of a few specicscrops, including corn and soybeans.

Many farmers have switched to grow-

ing these crops to stay in business.

Now we have far more of these crops

than we could ever eat, Food com-

panies have come up with so many

ingredients made up of these two

crops that it is now cheaper to make

a processed snack than to grow a

tomato. Because of the low cost of

high fructose corn syrup, soda costs

less to produce than any drink except

tap water!

It can travel a long way. With all ofthe preservatives and other chemicals

in processed food, it can be transport-

ed all over the world and stay exactly

the same. This is why a McDonalds

hamburger in Portland, Oregon tastes

identical to a McDonalds hamburger

in Miami, Florida, or in Paris, France

for that matter.

Its convenient. It is easier to heat a

frozen pancake in the microwave than

it is to make it from scratch. It is faster

to pick up food at a drive-through than

to cook a meal at home. It may be

easier, but is it better for you?

A frozen chicken nugget

never hurt anyone?Ok, so now we know a little bit why

processed foods are made, but whats

the big deal? I have soda and potato

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