OBJECTIVE

Students will understand the difference between the industrial and local food systems. Students will recognize the efforts of our community in supporting a sustainable food system. Students will be able to identify the impacts of their food choices.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Where does our food come from? Why is it important to know where our food comes from? How do our food choices impact the world?

MATERIALS NEEDED

• Snacks (apples, granola bars)
• IGI Maps
• IGS Annual Reports/Brochures

PROCEDURE

Introduction:
Hand out snacks. (“Wherever we go in IGS, we bring food!)
Check in with students about their knowledge of IGS – did they have school gardens at their school? Have they worked in the high school garden?
Explain IGS and how it functions on the island, and in their school – the gardens, farms, cafeteria, and \ classroom experiences.
Students help to identify the farms on the island. (Use the IGI Map as a resource) Explain a bit of agricultural history on MV.
Ask students why they think it might be important to talk about food, and where food comes from? How do our food choices impact the world around us?

Activity:
Students trace the ingredients in our snacks.
Students identify the impacts of these snacks on our environment, economy, and our health.
Students brainstorms ways we can change our food choices to have positive impacts on our environment, economy, and our health.

Wrap up/ Assessment: To prepare for our field trip, students write down 3-5 questions to ask our farm host. They will bring these along and they are responsible for finding out the answers during the field trip.

FOLLOW UP & EXTENSIONS

Farm field trip