LiFE’s Origins
Linking Food and the Environment
Author: Sarah Pounders
A century ago, kids grew up with firsthand experiences of
the connections between the environment and their food supply. The
weather
didn’t just influence what to wear to school; back then, youngsters
understood
that a late frost or midsummer hailstorm could mean a food shortage.
They knew how much skill and hard work was needed to produce an adequate
harvest and the importance of that harvest for their health and survival.
Our food system has changed dramatically since then. Now few Americans
are directly involved with farming and food production. For most, our
concept of where food comes from is limited to experiences of fully
stocked grocery store shelves and a dizzying selection of fresh fruits
and vegetables available year round. Today much of our fresh produce
is shipped thousands of miles and we rely heavily on processed and
packaged foods. Most kids in our society have only a vague idea of
the origins of their food, so it’s no wonder very few understand the
important link between the environment and sustenance. This raises
challenging questions: What does this mean to the future of
our country? What will happen when a majority of citizens in this democracy
are
ignorant about survival basics like food production and care of the
environment?
"Agriculture
is typically a subject that oozes boredom for my students,
but after learning
about the importance
and relevance of the food system, their attitudes changed. Now
agriculture and the crops that are grown are the first thing
the students want to know about new countries we study."
Pilot teacher, commenting on students' response to Growing
Food and Farm
to Table & Beyond
modules of LiFE series. |
Fortunately, educators recognize their role in changing this trend.
Teachers College Columbia University in New York has created a curriculum
series titled LiFE (Linking the Food and The Environment) that incorporates
science lessons about food, nutrition, the
environment, and the connections among them.
LiFE's journey began in 1996 when nutrition professor Isobel
Contento and science education professor Angela Calabrese Barton considered
how to inspire students with the wonders of science while providing
essential knowledge about our food system.
The
goal
of the LiFE curriculum series, which is funded by a Science Education
Partnership Award from the National Institutes of Health, is for students
to acquire knowledge about how food is preserved, packaged, and processed
and the resulting impacts on the environment. As children analyze these
processes and relationships, they’ll practice critical thinking skills
that help them identify the pros and cons of the food system,
and gain
the knowledge and abilities that allow them to contribute to the social
and environmental health of their communities.
LiFE is divided into 4 modules Growing Food (grades
4-6), Farm to Table & Beyond (grades 5-6), Food & Health (grades
5-6) and Choice, Control, & Change (grades 6-8). Details
about the modules. It has been pilot tested in partner
schools throughout the country, including the New York City Board of
Education,
University
of St.
Louis (Missouri), Lawrence Hall of Science (California), Center for
Ecoliteracy (California), University of Texas, and The Food
Trust (Pennsylvania).
| Before
exposure to the LiFE curriculum, a student named Juan strongly
agreed with the statement, “In nature
humans are the most
important living thing.” His reasoning? "Because animals and
trees are important but humans are more important." After
LiFE, Juan strongly disagreed with the same statement, supporting
his stand by saying "I
think plants are the most important thing because that gives us
food and oxygen." |
Dr. Calabrese Barton says, "One reason LiFE works well in classrooms
is its simplicity. Schools lacking access to extensive
laboratory equipment
can still study food using the curriculum, making instruction appealing
and non-intimidating for teachers." She says that most teachers
feel the curriculum starts with something they know about and something
they feel will easily engage their students. Second, most students
are excited that they’re learning to be "food scientists."
To
expand on the curriculum, Teachers College is collaborating with the
Center for Ecoliteracy to host summer professional development
experiences for educators, called the Rethinking Food, Health,
and the Environment Institute. It’s designed to introduce school teams
of teachers, administrators, food service personnel, and parents
to the LiFE curriculum, and offers ideas for implementing
school
wellness policies and making school food healthier. The institute
will be offered in Berkeley, California in June 2008 and will
be repeated in New
York City in August 2008. Applications will be available in Fall
2007: look for details on the Web sites of Teachers
College Center for Food
and the
Environment and Rethinking
Food, Health and the Environment.
The first module, Growing Food, is now available from the
Gardening
with Kids Store.
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