Food Miles Project Based Learning PBL for Environment and Sustainability
Food Miles Project-Based Learning Activity for Grades 4-7
This project is an engaging, project-based learning activity focused on environmental stewardship including calculating food miles, eating local and seasonal food, and the 100-mile diet. Integrates multiple subject areas, including English Language Arts (ELA), writing, planning, math, research, and critical thinking. Perfect for a wide range of ages and skills, it offers flexible activities that can be tailored to your learner's needs.
Objective:
The primary goal is to engage learners in exploring where their food comes from and to develop a deeper environmental awareness about food miles, food prints, carbon footprints, locally grown food, and food sustainability.
Learning Outcomes:
Learners will:
- Develop research, planning, and critical thinking skills.
- Gain knowledge about food miles, locally sourced ingredients, and sustainability.
- Integrate ELA, writing, math, and research into a cohesive project.
Motivating Question: "Where in the world does our food come from, and how far does it travel before it reaches our plates?"
Project Activity Pages:
- What are Food Miles? Mind Mapping
- What’s in a Label?
- Food Scavenger Hunt
- Favorite Meal
- Favorite Meal Miles
- Food Mapping
- Food Calculator
- Carbon Footprint
- Local, Seasonal
- 100 Mile Meal: Sustainable Meal with Local Ingredients
- Eco-Friendly Recipes Challenge
- Snack-o-gram Challenge
- Reflection
- Final Project
- Facts, Resources, Extension Activities
Learner Decision-Making:
Learners will choose their favorite meals and snacks and redesign them using locally sourced ingredients. They will decide how to create sustainable meals within the 100-mile diet framework.
Learner Inquiry:
The project encourages learners to research where their food comes from, explore locally grown food options, plan a 100-mile diet, understand food miles, and calculate the transportation distances of their food from farm to table.
Feedback and Revision:
Learners will offer suggestions on the project, discussing what went well, what was difficult, what was most interesting, and what else they still want to learn. They will have opportunities for self-guided inquiry to expand on the project through extension activities.
Published Product:
Learners will choose how to present their findings. Options include producing an awareness campaign, creating a community food map, compiling a book of recipes, or interviewing local farmers to showcase their creativity and knowledge.
Differentiation:
Learners can choose from a range of activities, from simpler tasks like recipes and menu design to more complex activities like food miles calculations and research aspects.
How to Use:
The project includes 14 activities that can be printed and organized into a binder or stapled together. Scaffolding information, including vocabulary and additional resources, is available at any stage of the project.
Colored pencils, markers, and crayons are encouraged to enhance the visual appeal of project materials. Resources such as the internet, textbooks, maps, and peer collaboration will help learners successfully complete their projects.
Get your learners excited about environmental stewardship with our Food Miles Project – a fun, educational, and comprehensive learning experience!
Terms of Use
Please note: Purchase of this product is for Personal and Classroom Use ONLY
Not for Commercial Use. Purchase of this product entitles you the right to reproduce the pages in limited quantities for single classroom use only. Copying any part of the product and placing it on the internet in any form (including a personal or classroom website) is strictly forbidden and is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Copyright: Quest Schooling LLC.
After purchase you will receive a link to download the PDF file. All pages are included in the file and can be printed in black and white for immediate use.
Any or all of the pages in the PDF file can be printed and used for students across a wide range of ages/skills, or collaboratively with kids of different ages.
For example, younger kids may focus more on the design and drink recipes for the stand while older kids may also include the business plan and profit margin aspects of the project.
Depending on your student’s needs, there are several pages of scaffolding information, including vocabulary, facts, reading list, weblinks. Scaffolding can be done at any stage throughout the project as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
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All projects are digital download pdf files. They can be printed in gray scale or black and white and are ready for your student to use.
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No, the projects are flexible and can be adapted to your student's grade and skill level. Each project includes a list of student activities. you can review them and decide which pages work for your student.
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In project based learning, each student completes both the project activities and a final project. I always offer a choice of final projects to provide differentiation and give students of different skills enough options.
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Most projects include a rubric to help you assess your students work and give your student an opportunity to assess their own work. However, each student's project will be unique to them and be a reflection of their knowledge and skill set. There is no one 'right answer' to a project. The success of a project is largely in the process of doing the project.