The 'Food Origins' Project is a project based learning Environmental Stewardship Activity focused on food miles calculations, eating locally sourced food, and creating recipes from locally sourced food for students in grades 3-6. 

Any or all of the pages in the pdf file can be printed and used for students across a wide range of ages/skills, or collaboratively with kids of different ages. For example, younger kids may focus more on the menu and recipes while older kids may also include the food miles calculations and research aspects of the project. 

Depending on your student’s needs, scaffolding time studying the concepts of food miles and carbon footprint may be useful, including vocabulary. Scaffolding can be done at any stage throughout the project as needed. Additional suggested resources are included for this. 

Learning outcomes: This is a PBL project designed to environment, sustainability, writing, planning, math, research, and critical thinking. There are 13 activities which can be printed and organized into a binder or stapled together. Students can use the internet, textbooks, maps, and their peers as resources to complete the project. Each student will complete a unique project which they can present so that others can learn from their discoveries. Colored pencils, markers, crayons are great resources for decorating each sheet! 

Story: Students explore the journey of where our favorite foods are grown and sourced from around the world and compare that to eating locally grown foods. 

Content: Geography, food miles, mapping, recipe making, local farms, food choices. 

Motivating question: How can we learn about the origins of our food and make mindful choices to support locally grown food and sustainable eating? 

Project Activity Pages

• Food Origins
• Food Scavenger Hunt
• Food Calculator-Miles Food Travels
• World Food Map
• Journey of Chocolate-Mapping
• Favorite Food-Infographic
• Favorite Meal - Ingredients/Origin/Mapping
• Farmer’s Market/Locally Grown Recipe Challenge
• Local Farms Map
• Snack-o-Gram - Eat Local Challenge
• Carbon Footprint Questions
• Reflection
• Final Project
• Extension Activities, Resources 

Student choice: Students choose their favorite meal, snacks and redesign those foods using locally sourced ingredients. 

Type of inquiry: Students research where their food comes from, locally grown food options, food miles. 

Feedback: How can students increase their understanding of food origins and the impact of their choices and local options? Final product: Students will have the choice to produce food mapping infographic, local food tasting event, recipe development challenge or an around the world cookbook.

Total Pages: 31 pages

Answer Key: N/A

Project Duration: approximately 4 days