"Got Local?": Fourth Grade Students Unpack Local Foods Choices!

A unit plan was created to address a need to educate and create awareness of local foods to elementary aged students. After researching local foods and problem based learning, information was consolidated and developed into a comprehensive unit plan that serves as a teacher resource guide. This unit plan was created to provide information, tools, and resources for upper elementary students from 4th to 6th grade to learn about local foods in hopes of impacting student health and knowledge as well as building a foundation for their future eating habits. Another goal of this unit plan focuses on promoting students' awareness of local foods within their community and the benefits of buying locally in general. This unit contains seven lessons aligned to the current Arizona state standards that have creative and engaging activities ranging from socratic seminars, creating a brochure, and performing skits. Each lesson contains student objectives, clearly laid out lesson plans, and the majority of supplemental materials included such as videos, handouts, Google slides, and photographs. These lessons were planned with the intention of being able to be realistically taught in a 45-60 minute class period and laid out in a way that would be easy for teachers to read and then teach without much preparation. Simple and effective assessments are integrated throughout the unit and provide a means of tracking student progress and understanding of concepts. This unit plan is designed to engage students and plant ideas in their heads about where their food comes from and how learning about local foods can be beneficial for their community and their health.