Local vs. Industrial: Strawberry Milkshake

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OBJECTIVE

Students will compare local and industrial food systems by tracing food items along the path of seed to fork.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What does it mean to eat local? How do our food choices affect the world around us?

MATERIALS NEEDED

PROCEDURE

Introduction:
Pass out Strawberry Milkshake ingredient cards (1-2 per person, depending on the size of the class). Invite each student to read their card aloud. Mispronunciations are welcome!
Ask students, “What do you think you just read?” Hint: These are ingredients to a certain food item. Second hint: It is a dessert.
After several guesses, explain to students that these are the ingredients to a MacDonald’s strawberry milkshake.

Activity
Ask students, “What are some ingredients you would expect to find in there?”

Discussion: What does this tell us about the modern industrial food system?
Invite students to write down their own recipe for a strawberry milkshake. Challenge: they have to be able to pronounce all of the ingredients!
Students share their recipes.
Using one of the student recipes, demonstrate how to make a local strawberry milkshake.
Hand out tastings to each student.

Discussion:
What does this tell us about the local food system?
Explain that by tracing our ingredients, from seed to fork, we can tell a story about the health of the plants, the soil, and us. Our next activity will be tracing…French fries!

Wrap up/ Assessment:

FOLLOW UP & EXTENSIONS

Trace the French Fry
Local vs. Industrial debate
Food Rules