School Food
Tracy Cheddie- P.S. 306 Q
Introduction/Background
In 2017, New York City announced it would offer free lunch in all its public schools. At least 1 in 5 students each school lunch every day. In 2012 the Hunger-Free Kids Act was implemented by President Obama and Michelle Obama. Salad bars and other healthy food options were added to school cafeterias. However, since then, many of the items have been removed (due to $60 million in budget cuts) which caused a decline in how often school lunch is taken by students. We will explore healthy but likable food options that schools can have in order to make students each school lunch.
Video to start the conversation:
Task: In your groups…
(5 students per group- Groups will be formed by the teacher. Students who are English Language Learners will be in a group with 2 students who also speak their native language, to help translate and present. Students who have IEPs will be in smaller groups with other students who can help encourage their work.)
- You will research the requirements for school lunches in New York DOE schools.
- Based on those requirements, you will find 10 food items that can be possible school lunches.
- You will create a google survey and send it to all 5th graders, asking to rank the foods in order of importance. 10 means that they really like the food option and 1 means they dislike the food option. *Make sure that at least 2 food items are VEGAN (no milk, cheese, butter, etc.)
- Create a google presentation suggesting the best foods to put in schools.
Checklist:
- The nutritional value of each food item is listed.
- Persuade viewers as to why these food items should be in school cafeterias.
- Show survey results.
- Create a video asking your classmates to express their feelings about the current school food.
- Each group will present their slides.
Process
We have to find a solution to encourage more students to eat school lunch. Use the PPA Process to…
Step 1: Define the Problem
Only 1 in 5 students eat the school lunch, although it is free. By doing research and conducting surveys/interviews with your classmates, determine why students do not enjoy the school lunch.
Prompt: Students struggle to choose school lunch because ___________________.
Step 2: Gather the Evidence
Each group will choose a class to focus on in the cafeteria. Use paper to take notes and gather your information. Take a survey/poll on how many students are:
______ Eating school lunch
______ Eating lunch from home
_______ Not eating anything for lunch because of lack of options.
Use the videos as resources to help as you gather evidence.
Step 3: Causes
Based on the information from the survey, each person in the group will ask the following questions to the respective sub groups.
Sub Groups =
- Eats school lunch
- Eats lunch from home
- Does not each lunch
Questions:
- What do you like about school lunches?
- Why do you prefer lunch from home than school lunch? Have you ever tried school lunch?
- Why don’t you eat lunch? Would you try school lunch? If not, what about school lunch do you dislike?
Assuming that most students dislike the school lunch options and the cut back on the favorites (chicken tenders, waffles, etc.), research why there were cut backs, how much money was taken away from school food, and the effects of the lunch changes. Use this video to help gather more information- Changes to School Lunch
Day 4: Existing Policy & Data
Existing Policy: Use these sites to explore the rules and regulations for school food in NYC DOE public schools.
Data: Create a Google form/survey to gather data on which food items your classmates prefer to be implemented in the cafeteria.
Task:
1. Interview your classmates to express their feelings about the current school food. You may video record their responses to use later.
2. Find 10 food items that can be possible school lunches. Please be sure to check that they meet the nutritional guidelines.
3. Create a google survey and send it to all 5th graders, asking to rank the foods in order of importance. 10 means that they really like the food option and 1 means they dislike the food option. *Make sure that at least 2 food items are VEGAN (no milk, cheese, butter, etc.)
- Make sure that the nutritional value of each food item is listed.
Please use this video to help you create the Google Form: How To: Google Form
Step 5: Develop A Solution & Present it
We agree that the solution is to offer better choices of food in the cafeteria. Create a google presentation suggesting the best foods to put in schools based on the data you collected.
What should be included in your presentation:
- Survey results. (who eats school lunch and the best options)
- Persuade viewers as to why these food items should be in school cafeterias.
- Videos from classmates with their opinions.
Presentation
Each group will present their findings and we will forward the presentations to the school administration. Hopefully they will help us to get our message across about possible but beneficial changes to school lunch.
Evaluation:
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4 |
All 6 steps are complete. Each group member presented. Data is valid. Solutions are possible. Students were able to answer questions from the audience. |
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3 |
5 steps are complete. Most group members presented. Most of the data is valid but some is from sources that are not reputable. Solutions are not clear or attainable. |
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2 |
Only 3-4 steps are complete. Only some members of the group presented. |
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1 |
Missing data and/or a solution. (Data is incomplete. Solutions are not attainable.) Presenters were not prepared. |
Conclusion:
Thank you so much for taking the time to research, survey your peers, and find a solution to the issues with school lunch. We hope that our voices are heard and that there will be a positive change in the near future. Congratulations on completing a [your first] research project on a very important issue!
Standards Addressed:
5W1: Write an argument to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. 5W1a: Introduce a precise claim and organize the reasons and evidence logically. 5W1b: Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details from various sources.
5W1c: Use precise language and content-specific vocabulary while writing an argument.
5W1d: Use appropriate transitional words, phrases, and clauses to clarify and connect ideas and concepts.
5W1e: Provide a concluding statement or section related to the argument presented.
5W6: Conduct research to answer questions, including self-generated questions, and to build knowledge through investigation of multiple aspects of a topic using multiple sources.
5W7: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from multiple sources; summarize or paraphrase; avoid plagiarism and provide a list of sources
5SL1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners; express ideas clearly and persuasively, and build on those of others.
5SL1a: Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
5SL1b: Follow agreed-upon norms for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
5SL1c: Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.
5SL1d: Consider the ideas expressed and draw conclusions about information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
5SL2: Summarize information presented in diverse formats (e.g., including visual, quantitative, and oral).
5SL4: Report on a topic or text, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support central ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace and volume appropriate for audience.
5SL5: Include digital media and/or visual displays in presentations to emphasize and enhance central ideas or themes.
5SL6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate.