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Foods 10/11/12 Be the Change Project (Mrs. Robichaud)

How much do we know about the foods we eat? In this inquiry project you will be working in small groups (2 or 3 students) to research controversial foods and their impact on our health and the environment.
  • First you will need to pick your partner and then decide on a topic from the following list.
  • Next, you will need to complete the "Action pack" by researching the questions provided, using the research links below.
  • Finally, at the end of your project, you will be expected to present what you've learned about your topic using one of the 11 options listed at the end of this webpage.

Research Links

1. Food Additives

 How do food additives and preservatives in our processed food impact personal and environmental health?
The Organics Institute Website- "10 Tips on How to Avoid Harmful Preservatives in Your Diet"
Food Additives Website- "Side Effects of Harmful Food Preservatives"
Traditional Oven Website - "Dangerous Food Additives to Avoid Eating"
Natural Cosmetic News  - "The Most Popular Natural Preservatives"
SFU Museum of Archeology and Ethnology - Traditional Methods of Preservation

2. Genetically Modified Organisms

How do GMOs in our food system impact our health and our environment?
David Suzuki Foundation - "Understanding GMOs"
Grist - "The Genetically Modified Food Debate: Where do we begin?"
Non GMO Project - "What is GMO?"
Grist - "Seeding justice: Monsanto vs. soybean farmer case hits the Supreme Court"
HuffPost Green - "Is the Movement to Label GMOs Anti-Science?"

3. Organics

How do the health and environmental impacts of organic foods compare with those of conventional foods?
Think Canada Organic- "What Does Organic Mean?"
Scientific American - "Mythbusting 101: Organic Farming vs. Conventional Farming"
"Is Organic Milk Healthy?"
Sierra Club - "Pesticide Facts"
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) - "Environmental Impacts"
Nourishing the Planet - "Five Ways to Get Rid of Pests Without Using Chemicals"
Policy Brief - "Benefits of Organic Agriculture"
Biodynamics Association- "What is Biodynamics?

4. Fresh and Local

What benefits are there to our personal, community, and environmental health from gardening and eating fresh, local produce?
Local Futures Organization - "Bringing the Food Economy Home"
29 Secrets.com - "The Benefits of Eating Fresh"
Hesperian Health Guides- "Improving Local Food Security"
Hydro-Logic Blog - "Monday Infographics: Food Security"
Organic Authority.com - "Local vs Fair Trade: which way to go?"
Ethical Ocean. com - "Going Local vs. Fair Trade"
OneGreenPlanet.Org - "How the Growth of Monoculture Crops Is Destroying our Planet and Still Leaving us Hungry"

5. The Story of Meat

How does industrial farming of animals and meat consumption impact our personal and environmental health?
Freakonomics Blog - "Beef or Chicken? A Look at U.S. Meat Trends in the Last Century"
NPR Radio- "A Nation Of Meat Eaters: See How It All Adds Up "
NLCATP - "7 Vital Pros and Cons of Factory Farming"
Food and Water Watch Nation Organization - "Factory Farm Nation: 2015 Edition "
HuffPost Green Blog - "The Overlooked Plight of Factory Farm Workers"
Cowspiracy: The Facts
Environmental Working Group: Meat Eater's Guide
Farm Sanctuary Organization - "Factory Farming and Human Health"

6. Toxicants

How do toxicants in our personal and household products affect our health and that of our environment?
David Suzuki Foundation - "The Dirt on Toxic Chemicals in Our Cleaning Products"
David Suzuki Foundation - "What's Inside? That Counts: A survey of toxic ingredients in our cosmetics"

CBC News- "10 Worst Household Products for Greenwashing"
Organic Consumers Association- "How Toxic Are Your Household Cleaning Supplies?"

7. Plastics

What impact do plastics have on our health and our environment?
Alive - "Plastic Pros and Cons Should we be concerned?"
Ecology Center Organization - "The Adverse Health Effects of Plastics"
EatDrinkBetter.Com Infographic "The Truth About Plastic"
Midway Films "Message From the Gyre"
Ecology Center "PTF: Environmental Impacts"
My Plastic Free Life.Com - "100 Steps to a Plastic-Free Life "
About News - "Paper, Plastic, or Something Better?"
Treehugger.com- "Reusable Shopping Bags: Which Is the Greenest of Them All?"

Presentation of Knowledge

Creative Format Options

1. A VERBAL TESTIMONIAL Acting as a stakeholder (person, community, animal, river, etc.) you tell your personal story about how important this topic is to you and how it can affect your life, positively and negatively. You could do it like a talk show where one interviews the other about your experience.
2. GRAPHIC DEPICTION Drawings that are labeled and explain the information you learned in the research. This could be pictures, images, a storyboard, timeline, and includes how you will make changes in your life.
3. MOCK DEBATE You and your partner present two points of view, or two stakeholders, showing the facts that support both sides in the issue.
4. PAINTING OR COLLAGE An artistic representation of what you learned in the research and how you will make changes in your life.
5. MOCK NEWSCAST You are a TV journalist on the scene of an environmental situation and you are interviewing both sides of the issue. For example, trees being cut down, industry’s waste going into a river, protesters with signs at a government office.
6. NEWSPAPER Create a newspaper page with various articles about both sides of the issue. You may include a cartoon that is relevant, a letter to the editor about the issue and columns with the scientific facts. Include what changes are needed to help with this issue in the world.
7. POEM/PROSE/SONG/RAP Present a piece of creative writing that expresses personal feelings and facts together around your issue/topic.
8. SKIT Act out a script to demonstrate your understanding of the issue/topic. Explain the stakeholders on both side of the issue and how you will change your life to help.
9. WEBSITE Create a well designed website that clearly leads the reader through the major issues, facts and opinions on this topic.
10. POWERPOINT/PREZI Create a visual presentation with strong images, graphs, even video, which complements and strengthens your verbal presentation. Remember to use images, not words!
11. VIDEO Create a video that describes the key points of the issue in a compelling way. This video can be an animation.
SLS:

Marking Rubric

SLS PRESENTATION MARKING RUBRIC 
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