Lesson 5.2: Food Access and Safety

Overview

This lesson focuses on learning about food issues like food insecurity and foodborne illnesses and how you can advocate for accessible, healthy and safe foods.

Learning Targets

  • LO5: Explain influences on food insecurity.
  • LO6: Describe the food chain and identify ways that foods become contaminated.
  • LO7: Explain the four steps to food safety.
  • LO8: Practice advocating for food access and food safety.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the Journal Question on the board or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use:

For the Content Focus: Make copies of the Lesson 5.2 Note-Taking Guide. Project the Lesson 5.2 PowerPoint slides.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Lesson 5.2 Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Advocating for Food Access.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: How does the location of where a person lives influence food supply? Which social and environmental factors make it more challenging to eat a healthy diet?
    • Option: Write or project the question and have students respond in their journal or on their “bell ringer” sheet as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to complete the Lesson 5.2 Vocabulary Review Worksheet
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Lesson 5.2 Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quiz and use it alongside a posttest to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Lesson Focus: Advocating for Food Access

  1. Give each student a copy of the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Advocating for Food Access.
  2. Option: Have students work individually to complete the assignment.
    Option: Pair students into groups of two to three. Tell each group to decide on which food access item they want to focus on for this assignment. Groups should then complete the assignment working together.
  3. Once students have completed the assignment as a group, ask for group to come to the front of the room to present their advocacy campaign to the rest of the class.

Challenge Activity

Have students needing an additional challenge work on the following Thinking Critically task.

You have a budget of $40 to spend on food for you and one other person for a day. Determine how much food and the types of foods you can afford to buy in your neighborhood. Write down all of your selections and then compare your list with another student from your class.

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you...

  • Explain influences on food insecurity?

    Some people may be food insecure because they don’t have enough money to buy the food they need. Others may not be able to get to food supplies because they don’t have access to transportation, or they are unable to move independently and must rely on friends, neighbors, or social services to bring them food.

  • Describe the food chain and identify ways that foods become contaminated?

    The food chain requires several steps that food goes through before it gets to your plate. The food chain includes the production, processing, distribution, and preparation of food. Foods can become contaminated with pathogens at any point along this process.

  • Explain the four steps to food safety?

    Clean, separate, cook, and chill. These four steps are explained in detail in figure 5.5.

  • Practice advocating for food access and food safety?

    Students will practice advocating for food access and safety by completing the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Advocating for Food Access.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

Take It Home

Create a drawing or digital image that illustrates the four steps to food safety. Include words or phrases as needed to ensure that all key points in the steps are clear and easily understood.