Food and Climate Change Design Challenge

Along with math and design, I also teach 7^th grade science at Vista Innovation and Design Academy (VIDA) which has a learning engine of design thinking.  In this design challenge, students will be looking at the connections between nutrition, food production, and global climate change. I will be meshing components of nutrition action plans, NGSS and the VIDA Design Cycle. Through the process, students will be able to tackle either personal, community, or global issues.

Early in the year we begin the study of climate change by investigating the Arctic ecosystem and the changes in glaciers and sea ice. We then look at causality and learn about the chemistry of fossil fuels and how the build-up of carbon dioxide leads to the greenhouse gas effect. At this point I would introduce the Understanding Food and Climate Change interactive guide, and go over the ideas presented in “What is a Food System?” As a class, we could share about favorite foods and possibly have a debate about what true California cuisine should look like. This would involve research into indigenous plants as well as imports that thrive in our climate.  Because droughts are an ongoing problem in California, we could also look at issues related to irrigation and water usage.  

To build background knowledge, I will have student work with a partner to go through the “How Climate Change Affects Our Food System” portion of the interactive guide. They will draw a model demonstrating their understanding of the impact in their science journal, and will have the opportunity to share with the class and refine their ideas. Then, for inspiration, we will review “How Our Food System Affects Climate Change” and dive into empathy with other species and future human populations.

In our Design Cycle, the next phase is to define our focus. Here I will support students to direct their own path and develop a goal. Having students determine the direction of a design challenge is an important component of our school culture. These goals could be individual, small group, community, or global goals. We can chart the importance and difficulty of each goal to help ensure that each goal is feasible and worthwhile for students. I will review goals with each student and help them to refine them into  clear statements that students can record in their journals and track.

The next part of our school process involves ideation and prototyping the student change ideas. For this portion of the design challenge, our school has a variety of procedures to help facilitate student projects. First, students will be encouraged to team with other students sharing similar goals, unless working individually really seems to be a better fit. Then, there are several scaffolded protocols that students can opt to use to guide them towards their next steps, and staff members who will take time to help students find and use the right protocol. Students will have time in class to work on their goals, and will be encouraged to communicate with their families to enlist help and support at home.  I will also have students explore the “Promising Strategies for Addressing Climate Change” in the interactive guide to help them formulate and refine their plans. For further information I am curating an annotated list of resources, primarily from the Food and Nutrition Education Resources Database, so that students can dive deeper into the process. They will also be encouraged to add any additional resources to the class database.

Our school culture should make creating a supportive environment for student change relatively easy. We have experts in a variety of areas in and around our campus that students could look to for advice and support. One teacher has developed a hydroponics lab, while another houses aquaponic tanks in her room. One of our wellness (our version of P.E.) teachers is turning an unused baseball diamond into a student garden. Our school also houses both a health aid and one of the district RNs, and both are always willing to support students in any aspect of their health. Our site and district Nutrition Services staff are willing to speak with students and listen to their concerns and ideas. While they can’t always implement the ideas, they will take the time to explain to reasoning behind any of their practices.

The final step in our process is to reflect and refine. Students will have several opportunities to present their ideas and progress towards their goals. They will be encouraged to continually seek feedback and support along the way. In the Spring, they will have the opportunity to share their ideas with a public audience at our school’s annual Design Expo.