Farm to Fork

Lesson Five: Supporting Local Farmers

Materials:

·        Chalkboard for brainstorm activity

·        Computer and website: http://www.organicconsumers.org/afc.cfm.

·        Farmer(s)

·        School bus for travel

 

Prep:

·        Contact local farmer(s)



MMSD Curriculum Standards Connections:

·        Grade 5 Key concept: Group dynamics and contributions

Students will identify the role and status of individuals and groups in the United States, past and present, in family life, religion, and other cultural activities.
Hearing from a local farmer will give students a deeper understanding of one farmer's role and status within the Wisconsin community.
 

 

El Ed Standards Connections:

·        Standard 6: Connects school and community

o       Teachers use the knowledge and abilities necessary for collaboration with individuals, groups and agencies within the school and community. They base instruction of students on an understanding of curricular goals, subject matter and the community, and help the students make connections between community-based knowledge and school knowledge.

§         Students, teacher, and school will make connections with a local farmer. The farmer will speak with students about his/her farm, practices, challenges, production, distribution, etc.  This will help students make connections between their own town and the food they consume (or don't currently consume).

 

Wisconsin DPI Social Studies Standards:

·        Content Standard E (Behavioral Sciences): Individuals, Institutions, and Society

o       Students in WI learn about the behavioral sciences by exploring concepts from the discipline of sociology, the study of the interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions…etc.

§         This lesson involves students listening to, learning from, and interacting with a local farmer. The farmer is a unique individual who has a tremendous influence on other people.

Lesson Objectives:

·        Students will be able to interact with a local farmer by listening, asking questions, and writing a letter of thanks.

·        Students will be able to compose a letter to Congress to begin the task of turning their school lunch program into locally and organically grown foods. 

 

Lesson Context:

·        This lesson can be placed anywhere within this unit. Truly, it will depend on the farmer's schedule.

 

Lesson Opening:

·        Ask students: "Does anyone live on a farm? Has anyone ever been to a farm?  What kinds of farms do you know about?"

 

Procedural Steps:

·        Contact a local farmer and have him/her come in to talk to the class.

·        The day before the speaker comes in to class, put students into small groups of 3 or 4 students.

·        Give each group a large piece of paper and have them brainstorm ideas/thoughts/questions about what they already know about local farming and eating locally. Allow students to write down and discuss whatever comes up.

·        Students will present their ideas to the whole class. There is no right or wrong answers, these are just their ideas.

·        As a whole class, brainstorm questions they would like to ask the farmer who will come in to speak to the class. Be sure to include the following questions:

1.      What is the story of your farm?

2.      What is the purpose of your farm?

3.      What do you sell?

4.      Who do you sell it to?

5.      Are you an organic farm?

6.      Do you participate in other forms of sustainable living besides your farming/growing food practice?

·        Before the class hears from a local farmer and takes a trip to a local farm, as a class we will explore the website: Local food Works (UK)http://www.localfoodworks.org/.  This site is all about supporting our local farms and farmers as our growing global market is semi-taking over these small farms. 

·        After farmer has presented the students will write a thank you letter to the farmer. Teacher will go over letter writing format. These letters need to include at least 3 things they learned from the presentation. Also, they will need to include whether or not their perspective about food and farming has changed after hearing the farmer speak.

·        Send letters to the farmer.

·        Next step: Take a fieldtrip to a different local farm!

·        Why buy local?

·        Most of our food travels many miles in order to get to our city and plate. As we have learned in previous lessons, food that travels a long way loses its nutritional value, burns fossil fuels to travel, costs money, and contributes to global warming. Local food does not use as many resources to travel, it provides fresh taste, nutritional value, strengthens the local economy, and supports our local community.

Lesson Closure

·        Do the students want to change their school lunch program?  Check out the following website: http://www.organicconsumers.org/afc.cfm.

·        There is a link to "write to congress" if you want to change your school lunch program to organic and local foods.

 

Assessment Strategies:

·        Assess student's ability to interact with the speaker during the listening time.  Students need to be quiet, respectful, and actively listening during the session. Assess students' ability to ask engaging; relevant questions (are the questions more than just a yes/no answer).

·        Assess the students' letters simply by the letter-writing format.