A growing demand for sustainable food systems comes from schools and even some cities. So what are some solutions? Scholars consider four different ways to approach sustainable food solutions and list the pros and cons of each. The fifth...

In 2018, the average fast food burger cost $2.64 while a salad averaged $4.14. Does the price difference matter to public health? Scholars consider that question and others in a brainstorming session about improving our global food...

Students discuss the oil crisis and how it affects the food they eat. In this food production lesson, students look at the foods sold in their grocery store and imagine which would leave if there was no oil to ship the food. They watch...

Class members examine a variety of snack foods, noting the packaging that they come in. They work in groups to design a heat-proof and waterproof package that will safely transport a s'more snack. They test to see if it prevents the...

Are you a good egg? Learners begin a farm-to-table instructional activity by acting out verbs in groups to demonstrate the egg production process, and then research the steps using online resources. Several excellent videos are linked...

Students explore foods.  In this nutrition lesson, students chorally respond to questions about a kitchen PowerPoint, complete a Venn diagram about breakfast and lunch foods, and play a food Bingo game.

Second graders learn about how the food is broken down in our bodies and the job of each body part involved in our digestive system. The utilize the CD ROM game, "Body Works." This wonderful game takes pupils through the human body's...

Have your class talk about the importance of the rainforest and the products that come from it. Learners watch a video showing the path of chocolate from the rainforest to the supermarket. They discuss how the rainforest and...

When it comes to eating a balanced diet, portion control is paramount, but what is the difference between the serving size on the nutrition facts label and a portion as determined by the USDA? In a comprehensive look at portion control,...

Why are our national parks important? Scholars research the national parks and explore the basic ecology of these areas in a differentiated instruction unit on ecology. They learn about ecosystems, food chains, symbiosis, and biomes. The...

Energy comes in many forms, but how do living things get the energy they need to survive and thrive? In a simple, controlled experiment with yeast, water, and sugar, groups make observations about how yeast reacts with water alone, then...

Role-play to learn. Writers pretend to be a team of news writers. They research information about genetically engineered corn and the impact of biotech food products. Then create a video, Powerpoint, or oral presentation to present their...

With articles entitled, "What's Puke?" and "What is a Fart?" this digestive system lesson is sure to be a gas! Elementary anatomists do a belly dance to illustrate how food moves through the digestive system and then design a board game...

Students view videos, read, and fill in charts about agriculture production. In this agriculture lesson plan, students complete these agriculture activities and explore careers in agriculture.

Scholars investigate an issue associated with food systems and design their own solutions. Working collaboratively, they follow each step in the design process to complete the 10th lesson of the 13-part Our Hungry Planet series.

Students plan, practice, and act in a 2-3 minute videotaped production about a specific topic. Students from a local high school give presentations pertaining to seasons, earth rotation, and moon phases. Students analyze the...

Fourth graders discover how organisms depend upon each other in an ecosystem. In this ecosystems lesson, 4th graders use food webs to discuss the interdependence between organisms in an ecosystem.

Here is a brain-popper! Corn, or more appropriately, maize, was intentionally domesticated by humans around 9,000 years ago and over a period of hundreds to thousands of years! Genetics and botany researchers have collaborated to find...

Mini microbiologists play a card game in which they group microorganisms by groups: virus, fungus, protist, or bacteria. Then they identify the roles different microbes play in the natural world and explore how humans effectively use...

Students consider why we eat and where our food obtains its energy. They illustrate food chains that might be found on an open field, dissect owl pellets, identify the remains of animals in the pellets, watch videos and participate in...

Students research sharks, the food chain, and the water habitat shared by humans and sharks.

Scholars explore the procedure for bacteria sampling in a virtual lab by first walking through a detailed step-by-step procedure of preparing the samples of raw milk and pasteurized milk, growing the bacteria, and comparing results....

Herre is a lesson plan on divergent and convergent evolution. It has links to terrific video clips, an associate worksheet, and more. The analysis questions have been reviewed separately on Lesson Planet if you would like more...

Young scholars list all the ways humans use trees and tree by products. For this lesson students watch a video, discuss the impact trees have on humans, and research common products made from trees. The young scholars use their findings...