Drs. Pamela Koch and Isobel Contento, Teachers College, Columbia University

Seminar Abstract: Human impact on the natural world is expected to increase as human populations grow and as science and technology develop ever more sophisticated ways to manage the natural world to meet human desires. The food system, from which our food choices are made, is an example of the interconnectedness of human and natural systems. The Linking Food and the Environment Curriculum Series for upper elementary and middle school students uses food and food systems to teach about science as inquiry.

In order for students to be able to engage in public debate and personal decision making related to the complex and important socio-scientific issues related to food system choices, they need to have in-depth experiences, including questioning, experimenting, researching, constructing their own theories and applying to their daily lives. The content focus is on systems and their interactions- ecological, food, and body systems.

In the Growing Food module, students learn about photosynthesis, food webs in nature, the flow of energy and matter, and agriculture; in the From Farm to Table and Beyond module they learn about the impacts of food processing, packaging, transporting and marketing on the natural environment and on personal health. The Food and Health module teaches students why we need food, how our food choices impact body systems, and how to make healthful choices. The Choice Control and Change module focuses on the interactions between biology, environment and personal behavior. Students analyze the impacts of biologically-based preferences and today's human-designed environment on their food choices and the consequences of such choices for health. They also learn that they can exert personal control over their environment to develop competence in food and physical activity choices.

Throughout the modules the emphasis is on "learning as agency," where students not only acquire deep understanding of the knowledge and skills of science but also learn how to use those understandings for personal and social action or change. Several evaluations with about 2,500 students using pre-post, intervention control, group designs have shown that the curriculum improves conceptual understandings in science, critical thinking, attitudes, and behaviors. The series has been disseminated to some 150 classrooms nationwide.

Host: Dr. Alan Berkowitz