Food Supply Station Activity

West Vancouver School District > Rockridge Secondary School

Staff login Student login

Home

Departments

Parents

Library

Rockridge Secondary School > Library > Research > Assignment Links

Plagiarism and Copyright

Food Supply Station Activity

The purpose of this station activity is to gather evidence so that you can take an informed position on the choices you make about the food you consume.
Note: for stations 4-6, you will use a graphic organiser called Seeing Both Sides. Open the document here, and save it to your H-drive.

Station One

Watch the video "Do You Know Where Your Food Comes From?".

In a paragraph, summarise the argument the video makes. Your paragraph must begin with a topic sentence that states the purpose of the video. Following sentences must report the claims made to support the argument. Your last sentence should make a general statement summarising the message of the video.

Station Two

1. Please watch the video, Watch your Foodometer

After watching the video, move to the Station Two table to complete the following sheets,

From field to Plate

Go Green! Eco –Food

Calculating Your Foodometer

Station Three

Using the websites listed below, complete the table titled "What's in Season?"

100 Mile Diet

Get Local BC

BC Farmer's Market
Write a paragrpah that answers the following questions: Could you eat locally all year? Which months are the easiest? Which months are the hardest?Which foods would you miss from your current diet?

Station Four: Challenging the Local Foods Argument

Not everyone agrees that eating locally is good for the environment. In fact, James McWilliams, the author of Just Food: Where Locavores Get it Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly, suggests that the "food miles," argument is faulty. Instead we should consider the entire process of producing and transporting our food. Listen to what McWilliams has to say about food miles here. View the first 12 minutes, noting McWilliams' arguments in your "Seeing Both Sides" orgniser.
Then read the article "Food that Travels Well" written by McWilliams and published in the New York Times, adding or clarifying points in your graphic organiser.

Station Five: Responding to the Challenge

In 2007, two young Vancouverites, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, decided they would try to eat locally for a year. During that time, they wrote about their experience in a local online newspaper called the Tyee. They also wrote a popular book called The 100 Mile Diet. Read J. B. MacKinnon's response to those who argue against eating locally, noting his arguments in your Seeing Both Sides organiser. Here's the article: "Food Miles Foibles and Eating Beluga Whales."

Station Six: Putting it All Together

What do you think? Should we try to eat locally? Write a few paragraphs stating your position on the issue. Be sure to provide specific evidence to support your postition.