Lesson

Food Systems Feed the World

Students will explore the steps and processes that create a food system and gain an understanding of hunger as it relates to the physical well-being, culture, and geographic location of all people. Students will learn what a food system encompasses, create a "food system chain," and discuss why hunger still exists despite modern advances that have made the US food system highly efficient.

Grades
6 – 8
IN: Grades 6 – 8
Estimated Time
1 hour
Updated
December 13, 2024
people with plates of food
Image: kuarmungadd/AdobeStock

Background

Lesson Activities

Recommended Companion Resources

Credits

Author

Debra Spielmaker | National Center for Agricultural Literacy (NCAL)

Acknowledgements

The Background section of this lesson is adapted from Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunter: A World Free From Hunger published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 2001.

Sources

  1. Rural America at a Glance: 2024 Edition | USDA ERS
  2. U.S. Food System Factsheet | Center for Sustainable Systems
  3. Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill | NRDC

Standards

Indiana Content Area Standards

  • English Language Arts.Grade 6.RV.1

    Acquire and use accurately grade-level appropriate general academic and content-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

    • Vocabulary in Literature and Nonfiction Texts.6.RV.3.2: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a nonfiction text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 6.SL.1

    Listen actively and adjust the use of spoken language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

    • Discussion and Collaboration.6.SL.2.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g.,one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade- appropriate topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 7.RV.1

    Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and content-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

    • Vocabulary in Literature and Nonfiction Texts.7.RV.3.2: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a nonfiction text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 7.SL.1

    Listen actively and adjust the use of spoken language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

    • Discussion and Collaboration.7.SL.2.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g., one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade- appropriate topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 8.RV.1

    Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and content-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

    • Vocabulary in Literature and Nonfiction Texts.8.RV.3.2: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a nonfiction text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

  • English Language Arts.Grade 8.SL.1

    Listen actively and adjust the use of spoken language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

    • Discussion and Collaboration.8.SL.2.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g., one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade- appropriate topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.