Food and Natural Resources
Objective
Big Idea
Introduction
Warm Up
I will begin this lesson with a class discussion. I will ask students to transition to the carpet with a pencil and their science journal. We will review what we have learned about natural resources thus far in the unit. I will encourage students to think about how we use these natural resources to meet our needs as humans. I will lead the students into a conversation about food. I will explain to students that one way we use natural resources is by turning them into food.
I will ask students to brainstorm a list in their journals of different types of foods that are produced from natural resources.
Explore
To begin the explore section, students will be given the opportunity to share their lists with the class. This gives students the opportunity to share their ideas and it promotes a classroom culture where new ideas are welcomed and respected. I will inform students that we will now take a look at how tools, materials, and skills are used to turn natural resources into food.
Together as a class, we will review Encyclopedia Britannica articles about rice, vanilla, and chocolate. I will explain to students that when working towards a goal, it is important to weight the costs and benefits. After reviewing the articles, students will complete the cost and benefits comparison sheet.
Wrap Up
To wrap up the lesson, the students will be given the opportunity to share their ideas regarding the costs and benefits of producing food from natural resources. I will encourage students to elaborate and explain their thinking to support their ideas.
Lastly, I will ask students to explain their views about how weighing the costs and benefits of turning natural resources into food help them to understand more about natural resources.