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Generating Possible Solutions
  1. Strand PHIL.I Definitions of Philanthropy
    1. Standard DP 01. Define Philanthropy
      1. Benchmark MS.5 Identify the business, government, family, and civil society sectors.
    2. Standard DP 02. Roles of Government, Business, and Philanthropy
      1. Benchmark MS.1 Describe how different needs are met in different ways by government, business, civil society, and family.
      2. Benchmark MS.4 Compare and contrast the roles of business, government, civil society sector, and family.
    3. Standard DP 03. Names and Types of Organizations within the Civil Society Sector
      1. Benchmark MS.1 Recognize terms that describe the civil society sector.
  2. Strand PHIL.II Philanthropy and Civil Society
    1. Standard PCS 07. Skills of Civic Engagement
      1. Benchmark MS.1 Identify and research public or social issues in the community, nation or the world related to the common good. Form an opinion, and develop and present a persuasive argument using communication tools.
  3. Strand PHIL.IV Volunteering and Service
    1. Standard VS 01. Needs Assessment
      1. Benchmark MS.2 Research the need in the school, neighborhood, local community, state, nation, or world.
    2. Standard VS 02. Service and Learning
      1. Benchmark MS.1 Select a service project based on interests, abilities and research.
    3. Standard VS 03. Providing Service
      1. Benchmark MS.2 Describe the goals of the project and their impact.
This stage in the PBL process involves gathering information about food insecurity and students' individual topics. This may be from teacher workshops and from students conducting research. Students are moving toward determining the focus of their project and thinking about solutions to the challenge presented. The students find reliable sites for conducting research with the help of the teacher. The teacher provides "workshops" to give students information or skills they need to complete their project. The workshops are either unique to students' Need to Knows or they give broad perspective on the topic of food scarcity or farm-to-table issues. The workshops may be conducted to small groups or whole class. 
 
 
Duration: 
PrintFive full class periods for student research and teacher workshops
Objectives: 

The learner will:

  • begin research on the selected topic.
  • continue to narrow the focus of the selected topic.
  • attend teacher workshops.
  • examine those aspects of increasing food production that might be controversial and discuss how accepting or rejecting them might impact hunger.
  • gain needed skills to answer the challenge and complete a project.
  • work collaboratively.
  • start thinking of how to share information with the community to work toward addressing the issue.
Materials: 
  • student copies of handout one: What Our Bodies Need
  • teacher copy of Workshop Two: Farm to Table (handout two)
  • projected image of Part II of handout two to guide small group discussion and research
  • student copies of Farm to Table Research (handout three)
  • student copies of handout four: How Food Grows/Threats to Feeding People
Bibliography: 

Kid Friendly Websites

Instructions: 
Print

  1. This lesson involves a variety of research and investigation activities. As students conduct individual research, the teacher facilitator guides them by giving mini-workshops that teach research skills and provide specific content on food insecurity and other issues, as needed. The teacher provides three mandatory workshops for all learners (see below). In the spirit of learner-centered project-based learning, additional workshops should be added as requested by learners.

    Day One

  2. Show this Feeding America video about the issue of food insecurity to gain an understanding of what food insecurity is and who it affects.

  3. Conduct mandatory workshop one: "What Our Bodies Need to Thrive." This nutrition-centered mini-lesson helps learners identify healthy choices.

  4. To start the process of understanding the many complicated issues of food scarcity, learners must first know what makes a healthy diet that all U.S. citizens should have access to. This is a great workshop to pair up with a health class.See handout one for a detailed plan for Workshop One: What Our Bodies Need.

  5. Day Two

  6. Conduct mandatory workshop two: "Farm to Table." This helps students understand the process food takes to get from the farm to their tables.

  7. See handout two for a detailed plan for Workshop Two that includes a whole group activity, individual research, and a small group discussion about what the different economic sectors are doing to address the issue of hunger.

  8. Day Three

  9. Conduct mandatory workshop three: "How Food Grows/Threats to Feeding People." This guides learners to examine what factors affect the cost and availability of healthy food choices.

  10. After understanding what is needed for a good diet and the farm to table process, learners are now ready to research some possible problems and solutions to food scarcity in a general fashion.

  11. Tell the students that some ways of increasing food production are controversial. Encourage them to explore issues that might have two points of view. Have them weigh costs and risks and propose solutions that take into account how they affect the economy, help address the issue of hunger, and promote the common good.

  12. See handout four for step-by-step plans for workshop three: How Food Grows/Threats to Feeding People.

  13. Days Four and Five

  14. Conduct unique workshops based on students' Need to Knows. These workshops may be on content areas requested by students or on process/skill areas (such as how to do a presentation).

  15. If no unique workshops are created by the teacher, learners should still be given days 4 and 5 to perform research. Learners should be given choice and flexibility in these days to explore possible solutions.

  16. The goal by the end of Day Five is for every learner to have an idea for further study to help form groups in Lesson Four.