Lesson

Chain of Food (Grades 6-8)

Students will explore the path food takes along the Farm-to-Table Continuum. They will begin on the farm and investigate food safety issues during processing, transportation, at restaurants and supermarkets, and finally, in their own homes. Teams will identify how food can become contaminated along the continuum and develop and present strategies for preventing contamination at each step.

Grades
6 – 8
TX: Grades 6 – 12
Estimated Time
45 minutes
Updated
April 10, 2024
Tags

Background

Lesson Activities

Recommended Companion Resources

Credits

Author

Food and Drug Association (FDA) and National Science Teaching Association (NSTA)

Acknowledgements

The Science and Our Food Supply Curriculum was brought to you by the Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the National Science Teaching Association.

  • FDA Education Team Leader Food Safety Initiative: Marjorie L. Davidson
  • FDA Science and Our Food Supply Project Director: Louise H. Dickerson
  • FDA/NSTA Associate Executive Director and Science and Our Food Supply Program Director: Christina Gorski
  • FDA/NSTA Science and Our Food Supply Program Assistant: Jill Heywood

Standards

Texas Content Area Standards

  • Investigating Careers: 7/8.127.2.c.1

    The student investigates one or more careers within the 16 career clusters.

    • Investigating Careers: 7/8.1.C: The student is expected to identify the various career opportunities within one or more career clusters.

  • Career and College Exploration: 127.2.d.1

    The student takes one or more career interest surveys, aptitude tests, or career assessments and explores various college and career options. The student is expected to:

    • Career and College Exploration: 127.2.d.1.C: identify various career opportunities within one or more career clusters.
    • Career and College Exploration: 127.2.d.1.D: research and evaluate emerging occupations related to career interest areas.

  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1

    The student demonstrates professional standards/employability skills as required by business and industry. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1.A: identify career development, education, and entrepreneurship opportunities in the field of agriculture, food, and natural resources.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1.B: apply competencies related to resources, information, interpersonal skills, problem solving, critical thinking, and systems of operation in agriculture, food, and natural resources.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1.C: demonstrate knowledge of personal and occupational safety, environmental regulations, and first-aid policy in the workplace.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1.D: analyze employers' expectations such as appropriate work habits, ethical conduct, legal responsibilities, and good citizenship skills.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1.E: identify careers in agriculture, food, and natural resources with required aptitudes in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, language arts, and social studies.

  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4

    The student explains the historical, current, and future significance of the agriculture, food, and natural resources industry. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4.B: analyze the scope of agriculture, food, and natural resources and its effect upon society.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4.E: describe how emerging technologies and globalization impacts agriculture, food, and natural resources.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4.F: compare and contrast issues impacting agriculture, food, and natural resources such as biotechnology, employment, safety, environment, and animal welfare issues.
    • Principles, of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4.D: identify potential future scenarios for agriculture, food, and natural resources systems, including global impacts.

  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.6

    The student demonstrates appropriate personal and communication skills. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.6.A: demonstrate written and oral communication skills appropriate for formal and informal situations such as prepared and extemporaneous presentations.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.6.B: demonstrate effective listening skills appropriate for formal and informal situations.

  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.13

    The student describes the principles of food products and processing systems. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.13.A: evaluate food products and processing systems.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.13.B: determine trends in world food production.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.13.C: discuss current issues in food production.

  • Social Studies: 8.113.20.b.31

    Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others. The student is expected to use problem-solving and decision-making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution.

    • Social Studies: 8.b.31: Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others. The student is expected to use problem-solving and decision-making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution.

  • ELA: 6.110.22.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 6.1.C: The student is expected to give an organized presentation with a specific stance and position, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.
    • ELA: 6.1.D: The student is expected to participate in student-led discussions by eliciting and considering suggestions from other group members, taking notes, and identifying points of agreement and disagreement.

  • ELA: 6.110.22.b.12

    Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

    • ELA: 6.12.D: The student is expected to identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources.
    • ELA: 6.12.J: use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results.

  • ELA: 7.110.23.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 7.1.D: The student is expected to engage in meaningful discourse and provide and accept constructive feedback from others.

  • ELA: 7.110.23.b.12

    Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

    • ELA: 7.12.D: The student is expected to identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources.
    • ELA: 7.12.J: The student is expected to use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results.

  • ELA: 8.110.24.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 8.1.D: The student is expected to participate collaboratively in discussions, plant agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set time limits for speakers, take notes, and vote on key issues.

  • ELA: 8.110.24.b.12

    Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

    • ELA: 8.12.D: The student it expected to identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources.
    • ELA: 8.12.J: The student is expected to use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results.

  • Social Studies: 6.113.18.c.22

    Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others. The student is expected to:

    • Social Studies: 6.113.18.c.22.B: use problem-solving and decision-making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution

  • Social Studies: 7.113.19.c.23

    Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others. The student is expected to:

    • Social Studies: 7.113.19.c.23.B: use problem-solving and decision-making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution

  • Social Studies: 8.113.20.c.31

    Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others. The student is expected to:

    • Social Studies: 8.113.20.c.31.B: use problem-solving and decision-making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution

  • Technology Applications: 126.17.c.1

    Computational thinking--foundations. The student explores the core concepts of computational thinking, a set of problem-solving processes that involve decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms. The student is expected to:

    • Technology Applications: 126.17.c.1.A: decompose real-world problems into structured parts by using visual representation
    • Technology Applications: 126.17.c.1.D: design a plan collaboratively using visual representation to document a problem, possible solutions, and an expected timeline for the development of a coded solution

  • Technology Applications: 126.18.c.1

    Computational thinking--foundations. The student explores the core concepts of computational thinking, a set of problem-solving processes that involve decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms. The student is expected to:

    • Technology Applications: 126.18.c.1.A: decompose real-world problems into structured parts using flowcharts