Transcript The Foodshed Project’s Food Sustainability Science Fair

Food Sustainability
Science Fair Workshop
Who we are:
Doreen Ojala,
Project Manager,
The Foodshed Project
www.foodshedproject.ca
Cathy Orlando,
Science Outreach Coordinator,
Laurentian University
Trained by Al Gore, David Suzuki and
an incredible team assembled by
The Climate Project Canada
www.lu-ltspp.ca
Presentation Outline:
1. What is food sustainability?
2. Science Fair Project Guidelines
3. Foodshed Project Grant Application
4. Hands-on Activity – Rank your lunch!
5. Evaluation
The Video
1. What is Food Sustainability?
It is a term used to describe any
issues involved with buying, growing
and eating local food.
Why is food sustainability important?
Because it is good for
ourselves, our community
and our environment
Why is buying, growing and eating
local food good for:
Ourselves
Our
Community
Our
Environment
Why is buying, growing and eating
local food good for:
Ourselves
Health &
Nutrition:
freshest food
Education:
teaches you
how to
garden and
cook
Our
Environment
Our
Community
Economy:
local
farmers
Economy:
growing food
=
affordable
food
less carbon emissions
(transportation )
less
concentrated
animal waste
Eat lower on the
food chain – more
vegetables, whole
food, and less
processed food
less packaging
biodiversity:
different varieties
of vegetables are
grown
Now let’s go through the
Science Fair Project Guidelines…
2. What are the three types of
projects can you have?
Experiment
Start with a question, make a hypothesis, test
controlled variables, record & analyze results
Study
Start with a question, state a hypothesis,
observe naturally occurring variables, record &
analyze results
Innovation
Design a product or process to solve a particular
problem, run trials, record & analyze results
BASEF 2004
So…what is the difference between an:
Experiment
Study
Innovation
design a product
or process
test controlled
variables
observe naturally
occurring variables
MAKE SURE YOUR SCIENCE FAIR
PROJECT INTERESTS YOU!!!!
Can anyone think of a food sustainability
experiment, study or innovation?
for studies…
Study: How do the
food regulations of
other countries
affect Canada?
Study: How
many common
foods in Canada
are grown from
trees?
Study: If we
had to rely on
local food
sources, how
would our diet
change –
consider each
season.
Study: What
resources such as
movies, books and
magazines exist
to educate people
about food
sustainability?
…for studies…
Study: What
Canadian-grown
foods can be bought
in season each month
of the year?
Study: How many
people in you
school grow their
own food?
Study: What is
the carbon
foodprint of
potatoes (that are
bought in Sudbury)
grown in Azilda,
compared to
potatoes grown in
Newfoundland?
Study: What was
the diet of a
Sudbury pioneer,
and how has that
changed over the
last 60 years?
Study: How much
do people know
about food
sustainability?
Study -
Start with a question, state a hypothesis, observe
naturally occurring variables, record & analyze results.
For example…
Question: How many people in my school grow their own food?
Hypothesis: I think 25% of people grow their own food.
Methods & Materials:
- design a survey
- have students fill it out
- ask questions like
- do you grow your own food?
- if not, would you like to?
- what food do you grow?
- do you compost?
- do you preserve your food?
Organize and Analyze:
- how many people said ‘yes’ and ‘no’
- plot your results
Experiment: Do
store bought
chemicals
improve the
seedling
production of a
food plant?
Experiment:
Can education
about food
sustainability
alter
shopping
habits?
Experiment: What
effect does
different soil types
have on plant
growth?
…for experiments…
Experiment:
Which store
bought potatoes
sprout the best?
Experiment:
Which store
bought potatoes
sprout the best?
Experiment:
Under what
conditions does
yogurt grow best?
Experiment:
What types of
seeds can be
sprouted from
common grocery
store beans and
seeds?
Innovation:
Develop a diet
plan that
supports food
grown by local
farmers?
Innovation:
Build your own
hydroponic
garden or use
a commercial
one and
evaluate its
performance.
Innovation: How
can you improve
the Sun Oven solar
oven design?
…innovations…
Innovation: Design
a menu for a week
for your family
that has uses on
the “150 mile
diet”
Innovation: How
does adding
compost improve
soil quality?
Innovation: Build
your own home
made seed
sprouter.
3. What are the four major steps
of a science fair project?
1. Thinking and planning
2. Performing and Recording
3. Analyzing and Interpreting
4. Communicating your results in a poster
1. Thinking and Planning
-ask questions
-- clarify problems
-- plan procedures
ie., What is the
effect of
different soil
types on bean
growth?
ie., What types of soil
will I use… do some
background research.
ie., Where will I get my soil,
what type of bean will I use,
what types of soil will I use?
-- develop your hypothesis
What type of project is this?
ie., My hypothesis is
that the seeds will
grow best in well
drained and aerated
Experiment, soil.
Innovation or Study?
2. Performing and Recording
- Write out all your steps
(methods and materials)
- follow your instructions
- KEEP A LOG BOOK!
- fill it in as you go
3. Analyzing and Interpreting
- organize and analyze results
-what does it all mean?
4. Communicating - your poster
- organize materials for poster into:
intro, methods, results, conclusion,
references
- not much writing
- use lots of graphs, tables and diagrams
…for example…
Line graphs, Pie charts and Bar graphs…
The effect of soil type on bean growth
The effect of soil type on bean growth
4.5
Bean growth (cm)
4
3.5
3
Clay, 0.5, 5%
Compacted Soil,
1.5, 15%
5
Sand, 0.5, 5%
Clay
Sand
Clay
Aerated Soil
Sand
Soil with rocks
Aerated Soil
Compacted Soil
Soil with rocks
2.5
Compacted Soil
2
1.5
Soil with rocks, 3,
30%
1
0.5
Aerated Soil, 4.5,
45%
0
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Time (days)
The effect of soil type on bean growth
Bean growth at day 9 in various soil types
5
5
4.5
4.5
4
Bean growth (cm)
Bean growth (cm)
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
3.5
3
Clay
Sand
Aerated Soil
Soil with rocks
Compacted Soil
2.5
2
1.5
1
1
0.5
0.5
0
0
Clay
Sand
Aerated Soil
Soil Type
Soil with rocks
Compacted Soil
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Time (days)
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Be a scientist!
In your investigations what are your…
- subjects
- independent variables
- dependent variables
- controls (or control groups)
- quantitative observations
- qualitative observations
Know what
these
terms
mean.
What are the conditions:
- plotting the independent and dependent variables
Bean growth at day 9 in various soil types
dependent
variable
(bean growth)
on Y axis
5
4.5
Bean growth (cm)
4
independent
variable
(soil type and
time)
on X axis
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Clay
Sand
Aerated Soil
Soil Type
Soil with rocks
Compacted Soil
A few more notes…
Manage your time!
Be safe and ethical.
A lot of information???
…relax…
it’s all in the guidebook
and we’re also here to help
Why we’re here today…
The Foodshed Project
is offering a grant of up to
$50.00 to support food
sustainability projects.
You can receive up to $50
to use towards supplies for
your science fair project.
Writing your Grant Proposal
The grant proposal rules are;
- must be about a food sustainability issue or topic
- must submit a grant proposal
- money can only be used on materials for your project
- material will be purchased by The Foodshed Project staff
- Only 5 grants will be awarded
- Partners for Youth Engagement in Food Sustainability will judge the
application and award the winners
DUE DATE: Last Monday in January, 2010
Writing your Grant Proposal
This is what it will look like!
Writing your Grant Proposal
We also have stuff you can borrow FOR FREE
4. Hands-on Activity - Rank your lunch!
How would you rank your lunch today?
Materials: your lunches, flip chart paper, markers and masking tape
Assemble into groups of 4-7 students
Develop a scale (0 =poor, 5 = excellent) for ranking your lunches
using the following criteria:
4. Hands-on Activity - Rank your lunch!
How would you rank your lunch today?
1. Nutrition – score items that have lots of sugar, white flour
and/or transfats low and those look more like they were in
nature (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nonprocessed and low fat meats, etc) higher
4. Hands-on Activity - Rank your lunch!
How would you rank your lunch today?
2. Garbage generated- come up
with your own scale with “0”
being a lunch where an item has
non-recyleable packaging and “5”
if a food item came in reusable
containers or can be composted.
Don’t forget to rank your lunch
bag!!!
4. Hands-on Activity - Rank your lunch!
How would you rank your lunch today?
1) Food miles - give an item a score of “0” if you
do not know its food miles or if it did not come
from North America, give yourself a medium
score if it came from Canada and high score if
it was from Ontario and a perfect score if
came from within 150 miles
Different ways of plotting data
4. Hands-on Activity - Rank your lunch!
1) Nutrition:
- low score (0-2): items that have lots of sugar, white flour and/or transfats
- cookies, chips, pop, candy, french fries, etc.
- high score (3-5): items that look more like they were in nature
- vegetables, fruit, non-processed meats, nuts, home-made meals,etc.
2) Garbage generated:
- low score (0): non-recyclable packaging
- medium score (3): recyclable packaging
- high score (5): reusable packaging
(Don’t forget to rank your lunch bag)
3) Food miles:
Determine one way
to display the
results (table,
graphs, or pie
charts) on the flip
chart paper.
Post the results on
the walls.
- low score (0): if you do not know where it came from
- low score (1): if you know it did not come from North America
- medium score (2-4): if you know it came from Canada
- high score (5): if you know it came from within 250km of Sudbury
4. Hands-on Activity - Rank your lunch!
How would you rank your lunch today?
Was this activity a study, experiment or innovation?
Was this investigation subjective or objective? Can you compare
the results between groups?
What were the dependent and independent variables?
What are the some general conclusions you can make from the
results obtained today?
What is a possible application of the results from this
investigation?
The Foodshed Project’s
Food Sustainability
Science Fair Workshop
Thank you,
Please fill out an evaluation form.
Thanks for being part of the pilot project.
You are making a difference.
This workshop was put together by
with help from