Food for Thought Action Toolkit
Provided by: Learning for a Sustainable Future|Published on: March 15, 2024|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Biology, Geography
Authors: Resources for Rethinking
Location: North America
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this collection of activities, students will learn about the global food system, the benefits of supporting local farmers, how to grow food, and where food comes from in Canada.
- Students will create a food log, map where foods come from, learn the parts of a plant, plant and care for seeds, investigate food miles in a pizza simulation, interview elders about historical food systems, persuade grocery stores to be more sustainable, reflect through journaling, and create a mindmap to synthesize their learning.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students think critically about their food choices and how they impact the environment.
- Many of the activities are collaborative and hands-on.
- Students are encouraged to change their food choices to help reduce food miles.
Prerequisites
- The resource is also available in French.
- The resource provides student worksheets as PDFs and Google Docs.
- Students need access to computers with internet access.
- Teachers must provide paper towels, plates, spray bottles, seeds, masking tape, markers, pots, drainage trays, potting soil, plastic wrap, and poster/chart paper.
- The lesson has five sections of activities: SDG Connections, Getting Ready - Asking Why, Planting Food, Essential Follow-Up Activities, and Extending the Learning. There are also three appendices: Background, Planting Options and Tips, and Assessment Opportunities.
Differentiation & Implementation
- List-making and grocery-shopping activities make this lesson a relevant addition to a life skills class.
- This lesson is specific to Canada, but teachers can modify it for other countries by having students research in-season food, percentage of imports, and distances between cities for their area in the pizza simulation.
- The resource provides numerous options for extension and differentiation, including means to connect the lesson with English language arts, math, health, and art.
- For younger students or those who may need more structure and support, there is a version of this toolkit available for middle grades.
- Students less familiar with climate change may need help building connections between the food system, such as food miles and climate change. The additional resources linked throughout the introduction and background information sections can help do this.
- Teachers can add questions directly addressing climate change to the journaling follow-up activity, such as "How are my food choices impacting the environment and climate?"
This resource from Learning for a Sustainable Future guides students in thinking about where their food comes from, concluding with a gardening project and baking a locally sourced ‘Canadian pizza.’ This resource forces students to examine how their food choices impact climate change due to the international transportation of many foodstuffs. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a guiding force, and the resource stresses a systems view of food production. The action toolkit provides links to excellent sources that detail crucial background information. This resource features clear text, includes a series of helpful tables that lay out each activity, and is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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