Lights, Camera, Food Safety!
Author: Sarah Pounders
Overview
Students research basic food-safety procedures and create a play to educate others.
Standards (Microsoft
Word Document)
Materials:
Internet access
Paper and pencils
Assorted props for play
Background
• Safety First
• Food Safety Tips for Your Edible Home Garden from the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security at the University of California, Davis
• Safe-Handling of Fruits and Vegetables from the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security at the University of California, Davis
• Rhode Island Food Safety Education Garden to Table Outreach Program
• SafeFood from the Iowa State University Extension's Food Safety Project
• Fight Bac! from the Partnership for Food Safety Education:
Laying the Groundwork
- Ask students if they have ever heard of food making someone sick. Do they know
a likely cause?
- Explain that food illnesses can be caused by microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. To prevent contamination, food must be prepared and stored properly.
One of the best ways to really learn new information is to teach it to others. Instruct students to research food-safety basics (see links above) and create a list of recommended food-handling practices.
Next ask students to write a play to teach others about these procedures. They can focus on one area (for instance washing hands; see
The Scrub Club ), or demonstrate multiple safety techniques. To add humor to a play, one scene might show characters doing everything wrong (sneezing on the food, using the same knife to cut chicken and vegetables, etc.), followed by a “teaching” scene in which students demonstrate the correct methods. The play can be recorded on a movie camera or presented to a live audience.
Making Connections
- Have students research current events articles about food-borne illnesses. Discuss the findings as a class. Ask, Are some foods more likely to be involved than others? What regulations exist to help prevent problems? What measures can we take at home to keep our food safe? Are there any other reasons why people can get sick from eating certain foods (e.g., allergic reactions)?
- As a class, develop guidelines for your school garden that support food-safety practices. Post the list in appropriate places (the garden, the classroom, the kitchen).
- Design posters that use humor to make key points about food safety procedures.
|
-lo.jpg)
© 2009
National Gardening Association