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Food Systems Education

What are the essential perspectives students need to understand, shape, and appreciate our food systems?

In an increasingly complex world where dietary trends are shaped not by science alone, but also by economics, politics, and culture, empowering our students to be critical consumers of information is more important than ever. In the past, education about dietary choices occurred almost exclusively in the Health classroom. In today's world, students must be able to integrate perspectives from a variety of disciplines in order to make informed food choices.

The challenge for Educators and Administrators is to ensure an appropriate scope and sequence of experiences across content areas and grade levels that serves to build a holistic understanding within our students around the subject of Food. The good news is, this need not be an additional class to teach; these threads can be, and often are already, woven into our K-12 curriculum at the state and local levels. The key is to examine core content areas, K-12, and then bolster or tweak the existing curriculum to support this type of interdisciplinary perspective building.

Grade:
Resources:

Content Areas:

2
  • Health
  • Sci, Art
3


4
  • SS, Sci
5


6
  • SS, Sci
7
  • Cow Pies and Corn Fuels: The Science of Alternative Energy
  • Sci
8
  • Cow Pies and Corn Fuels: Project Citizen Connection
  • Revolutionary and Civil War Connections
  • SS, Sci
  • SS
9


10


11


12




Projects by Content Area:
Geography & Economics
Civics
Science
Health
Art
Meal Mapping*
Project Citizen
Food Safety and Microbiology
Experiential Cooking
Images of  Food Plants*
Seed Projects*
Service Opportunities
Garden Science
Garden Projects
Art in the Garden
*Denotes activities that generate products suitable for Cafeteria display
 

Physical Activity

Physical Activity

Senior-X Resources
   

Substance Abuse Prevention

When students take the lead in exploring solutions to youth substance abuse, they often develop a more authentic understanding of the importance of avoiding drugs and alcohol, and their outreach work to the school and broader community provide powerful messages.
   

Environmental Health

Campus Sustainability 
School Gardens and Landscape 
Water Quality
Alternative Energy
Garden Science
MDI Water Quality Coalition Projects
Recycling
Composting
Hancock County Youth Watershed Forum

   

Service Learning

2010-2011 MDIRSS Service Learning Website (click here)

To access the current news about MDIRSS Service-Learning, click here.

Posted by Joanne Harriman on 11/14/10; 9:23:27 AM from the dept.

Thank You, KIDS Consortium!

On behalf of our entire school system, we would like to extend sincere thanks to KIDS Consortium for their support and assistance as we worked to develop and strengthen our Service-Learning program these past six years.  In particular, we want to recognize Tracy Harkins, our amazing consultant, whose expert guidance has helped us learn and grow in so many important ways.  Thank you, Tracy!

Posted by Joanne Harriman on 7/17/09; 10:03:46 AM from the dept.

 

MDES Grade 3 Shopping Bag Project

 

2009 KIDS Consortium Student Summit

 

Students Make Sails to Support Art at MDES

 

Chris' Pond Warming Hut Project

 

Resources from Administrative Team SL Seminar, 1/22/09

Admin. Team Power Point, 1/22/09 sl1

Project Identification Worksheet sl2Project Probe Project Probe:

Union 98 Service-Learning Talking Points

Teaching 21st Century Skills (article)

 

What is Service Learning?
Service-learning is a teaching strategy that connects classroom instruction with community service experiences engaging youth in their schools and communities. Students are challenged to identify, research and solve real problems, and then evaluate their learning and effectiveness. Service-learning is seen as a powerful strategy to implement Maine Learning Results: Parameters of Essential Instruction, but also assists us in fulfilling our MDI Regional School System educational mission.

sl4
Service-Learning at Union 98 is supported in part through The KIDS Consortium

 

 


   

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