Inquiry Lesson Plan Template (with Four Ways of Thinking

connection)
Teacher:
Content & Title:
Grade Level:
Mrs. Nicole Card
Science
5th Grade
Sustainability/How
Far Has Your Food
Traveled?
Standards:
Science:
Strand 1: Concept 3:
PO 1. Analyze data obtained in a scientific investigation to identify trends and
form conclusions.
Strand 1: Concept 4:
PO1. Communicate verbally or in writing the results of an inquiry.
Social Studies:
Strand 4: Concept 1:
PO 6. Construct maps, charts, and graphs to display geographic information
Objectives (Explicit & Measurable):
SWBAT describe the environmental impacts resulting from the various system
processes involved in food production and transportation.
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable Assessment: formative and summative):
Formative: student will be formatively assessed throughout the lesson as they
participate in research in regards to food production and transportation
distribution.
Summative: Students will be required to actively participate in group work to
create a plan of action to address the environmental consequences of our
current food system. These plans will be shared aloud and displayed on the
classroom walls.
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (steps that lead to completion of objective; sequence from
simple to more complex):

SWBAT research the location of origin of a given food product.

SWBAT identify the various ingredients within a food product and potential
location of origin for these.
SWBAT accurately mark on a map these location of origins.
SWBAT accurately determine the mode of transportation required to deliver the
food product to the grocery store shelves.
SWBAT calculate the amount of miles required for the transportation of a given
food product.
SWBAT connect the food systems with potential environmental consequences as
a result of these processes including but not limited to pollution, as well as the
required use of fossil fuels which leads to the reduction in natural resources.
SWBAT create a potential plan of action in which they are capable of minimizing
these potential consequences.
Lesson Summary and Justification: (summary gives detailed information about what
students are doing. Justification why is this lesson being taught)

The goal of this lesson is for students to explore our current food systems and the subsequent
impacts on our environment. It is known that average distance our food travels is
approximately 1500 miles. Being surrounded by farmland here in Arizona, its often hard to
believe this can even be true. If we can grow tomatos in our own communities, why are those
being sold at our local grocery store imported from another country? Is this a sustainable
process? If not, why? How is this current process impacting our environment? What can we

do as responsible citizens and active members in our community, to change this very system?
These are the questions students will explore and attempt to answer throughout this lesson.
Students will be investigating where a certain food product was produced and manufactured.
They will be further challenged in identifying where each individual ingredient listed for a
processed food product was harvested and collected in order to be used for production. After
collecting this information, students will identify and mark these locations on the classroom
map. Using this information and what can be collected from the products website, they will
determine if that food was transported to their local grocery store by plane, boat, truck, or
train along with the approximate miles traveled. Students will then brainstorm how this
system effects the earth and our environment, and what we can do as citizens to minimize
these potential consequences.

Background Knowledge: (What do students need to know prior to completing this

lesson)

Students will need to have a basic understanding about our natural resources in regards to
fossil fuels. Students will also need to have a basic understanding of topics such as carbon
emissions, our carbon footprint, and climate change.

Misconception: (what possible misleading thoughts might students have?)

One main misconception students might have is that all of their food comes from right here in
the United States, which is not always true.

Process Skills: (what skills are you introducing or reinforcing)

Students will conduct research to locate where a given food product was harvested,
produced and transported from in order for them to consume it.
Students will predict how these systems effect our environment if at all.
Students will create plans of action to help minimize negative environmental
consequences.

Four Ways of Thinking connection: (Provide a complete explanation of how your

lesson plan connects to futures, system, strategic, or values thinking. Define the way of
thinking you selected and used in this lesson plan. Remember, this should be included
meaningfully in the lesson plan.)

Systems thinking is at the very heart of this sustainability lesson plan. Here, students will be
looking specificially at the various systems involved in harvesting, producing and transporting
the food in which they consume. For example, students will trace the harvesting of wheat
which is shipped to the Chips Ahoy factory, which is then processed into the actual product,
that is then packaged and transported out to grocery shelves around the world. This approach
allows for students to identify how these system and processes can potentially impact our
enviornment. As an extension, students could also use futures thinking to determine if the
current system in place is sustainable for our future generations.
Safety: (what safety rules and items need to be addressed?)

Students will be using computers and the internet to conduct research. It is imperative that
students understand the internet rules and guidelines as established by both the school as
well as the teacher.

Inquiry Questions: (testable in the here and now.)

1. To explore: How far did your food travel from farm or factory to the shelves of our
local grocery store?
2. To elaborate: What are the environmental impacts or consequences resulting from
this travel?

Key vocabulary: (list and define)

Materials: (list item and possible quantity)

1. Sustainability: able to be used without

being completely used up or destroyed
2. Consequences: something that happens as
a result of a particular action or set of
conditions
3. Systems thinking: Systems thinking is a
holistic approach to analysis that focuses on
the way that a system's constituent parts

1. Science Notebook
2. Computers
3. Class Map
4. Pins to mark locations on map
5. Images of planes, trains, trucks
6. Chart paper
7. Markers
8. Various food products for student exploration

interrelate and how systems work over time

and within the context of larger systems.

Engage - In this section you should activate prior knowledge, hook student
attention, pose a question (IQ#1) based on your lesson objective that students
will seek to answer in Explore.
Teacher Will: (hook)
Students Will:
Teacher will begin by posing the question
have you ever wondered where your food
comes from? It seems like a simple
question, doesnt it, but I want you to
think about that for a minute before
answering. Call on students as they raise
their hand. Potential answeres include the
grocery store, a farm, or a factory.
Teacher will then continue the discussion,
all of those are most certainly true, but
let me ask you this, where is that farm or
factory located and how did that food get
to your plate? Allow for students to
answer.
Teacher will state this is what I want to
talk about today. Food and the various
systems to get that food from the farm to
your plate. I would like for you to get out
your science notebooks first before we dig
in and make a prediction. How far do you
think the average food travels before
reaching your plate right here in Phoenix.
Just give me an estimate.

Actively listen before answering.

Actively listen and answer if called upon.

Write food mile prediction in science
notebook.

Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

Teacher will allow ample wait time for students to process the question before being
expected to answer.
Teacher will write prompt on the white board for students to follow as needed to
complete prediction in their science notebook.
Explore - In this section students should take the lead and actively use materials
to discover information that will help them answer the question posed in
Engage. Teachers may choose to give steps to follow, especially for younger students,
but the goal is for students to discover some or all of the sub-objectives of the lesson.
Teacher Will: (pose IQ #1)
Students Will: (list all steps)
After it appears all students have
completed writing in their journals,
instruction will continue. Teacher will
state, I have brought with me a variety of
different food products I want you to
explore. Working in groups of four and
using a computer, I want you to find out
where these products were manufactured.
When you find that answer I want you to
write it in your science notebooks. After
you have completed that task, I want you
to take a closer look at the ingredients.
Where did these ingredients come from?
Can you find or locate that information on

Students will actively listen to instruction.

Students will form groups of four in order to
explore a given food product.
Student will research the original location of the
food product and subsequent ingredients.
Information will all be noted within students
science notebook.
Students will locate on a map where the food
product and all ingredients were manufactured or

your products webpage? If not how do

you suppose you we could find that out?
Once you have gathered all this
information, I want you to come up to the
class map and locate each an every
original location in relation to your food
product. I have provided you with pins for
you to mark it. Then, you will need to
make the determination if your food was
then transported here to Phoenix via train,
airplane or truck. Do we understand so
far? Thumbs up if we are following the
instructions! Allow for questions as
needed. Teacher will then continue,
Lastly, I want you to calculate the actual
distance your food traveled from factory
to your plate. Note all this information in
your science notebooks, we will be sharing
our information aloud with the class in
approximately 30 minutes. Are we ready
to begin?

produced.
Student will determine possible mode of
transportation for product distribution.
Student will accurately calculate the distance
given food product traveled from factory to plate.

Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

All requirements and instructions will be made available for students per handout.
Explain In this section students share what they discovered, teacher connects
student discoveries to correct content terms/explanations, students
articulate/demonstrate a clear and correct understanding of the lesson sub-objectives
by answering the question from Engage before moving on.
Teacher Will:
Students Will:
Teacher will call students attention back.
Teacher will state, it appears we have all
finished exploring our food products and
have mapped these out for everyone to
see. Give yourself a pat on the back for a
job well done. Each group will now get a
turn to share their discoveries. Tell us
what food product you had, where it was
produced, the various ingredients involved
as well as how it got here and the actual
miles it took to do so. Are we ready?
Once completed teacher will ask, now
that we have looked at processed foods,
do you think this process of delivery and
distribution is any different for goods
coming straight from our farms? Allow
for students to discuss and answer.

As groups are called upon, students will present

all discovered information. Including food
products location of production, each ingredients
original location, where these are located on a
map, how it traveled to Phoenix, Arizona and the
approximate miles it took to accomplish doing so.

Discuss potential differences.

Students will actively listen.

Teacher will continue, this process is not

much different for our fruits and
vegetables. In fact, friends, all our food
whether processed or fresh will travel
approximately 1500 miles before it ever
reaches your plate. That is a lot of miles
isnt it?

Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

Teacher will write on board information in which each group is required to share for
assistance as needed.
Elaborate In this section students take the basic learning gained from Explore and
clarified in Explain and apply it to a new circumstance or explore a particular aspect of
this learning at a deeper level. Students should be using higher order thinking in this
stage. A common practice in this section is to ask a What If? question. IQ #2
Teacher Will: (pose IQ #2)
Students Will:
Teacher will ask what do you suppose is
the significance of that assignment? Why
do you think I asked you to do that?
Allow for students to respond. Provide
additional questioning prompts as needed.
Teacher will continue, were you surprised
by the information you discovered? How
so? Allow for student response. Teacher
will continue questioning, does this
system make sense to you? Why or why
not?
Lets think about our environment now,
does this system support our environment
in positive ways? Does it harm it in
anyway? Think about that for a minute
and then talk within your groups about
this.
Teacher will call students back I heard
some pretty great thoughts as I was
walking around. These systems most
defintely impact our environment, dont
they? Remember our discussions last
week about fossil fuels and natural
resources. These very systems we just
explored can directly impact our
environment in a negative way. Thats a
long way to travel for us to have just one
processed cookie!
Teacher will continue now that we have
identified these various systems and that
they do impact our environment I want
you to work in your groups again, to make
a plan of action of how you as individuals
can chose to change this very process.
Show me a thumbs up if we understand.
Allow for student response.
Teacher will continue Great, now here are
my exact expectations, you will be
creating a poster identifying your plan.
State the environmental effects you
identified and then follow that up with
how you as individuals can work to
minimize these. I will give you about 15
minutes to complete this, then each group
will share their ideas aloud. Lets get
going.

Actively listen and respond to questions.

Actively listen and talk within their groups

and discuss environmental impacts.

Students will group back up to create their

plan of action poster which will later be
presented and displayed on the classroom
walls.

Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

Teacher will have a simple handout for students explaining plan of action expectations as
required by students.

Evaluate In this section every student demonstrates mastery of the lesson

objective (though perhaps not mastery of the elaborate content). Because this also
serves as a closing, students should also have a chance to summarize the big
concepts they learned outside of the assessment.
Teacher Will:
Students Will:
Call each group up to present their plan of All group members will actively participate
action posters. Teacher will ask questions in the presentation of their action plans.
of clarification if needed. Teacher will
emphasize vocabulary such as
sustainable, systems thinking, production,
and distribution as required.
Closure: (revisit objective, IQs and make real world connections)
Teacher will state, I am so proud and impressed by all your hard work today. As you
conducted your research you were able to identify the various systems required to produce
and distribute a food product. Additionally, you found that not all our food comes from a local
farm within our own communities and may in fact travel a great distance just to get here. You
used what is called systems thinking and this important component when studying concepts
related to sustainability. Furthermore, you were able to identify how our current food systems
can negatively impact our environment and if we continue down this same path there will be
consequences for future generations. Great work today, friends.

**Best Practices List the Best Teaching Practices you will use to enhance
the learning outcomes. In each section where prompted, list the best
practice, how the practices will be used and the purpose.