Farm to Classroom: A Case Study in Eco-centric Biology Education

Abstract

With frequent attention in the news on nutrition and obesity, food can be a practical and engaging instructional context worthy of consideration in our classrooms. Students often lack basic information on where their food comes from; how it's produced, manufactured, and marketed; and the costs associated with these processes. Yet there is inherent interest among students in food and issues related to nutrition. These realizations helped to direct a recent project-based learning (PBL) experience that bridged the gap between farm, classroom, and even the lunchroom. The unit I describe here could be reproduced elsewhere but is meant more to inspire and instruct. Sometimes opportunities for educational innovation can be as close as the nearest lettuce leaf! To help engage and inspire my students, I introduced them to Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma . Through a discussion of the issues in Pollan's book, students identified concerns about traditional food production and nutrition. With encouragement from me that we could design a PBL lesson with authentic, motivating, and meaningful elements, we began to address the issues raised. Some students had previous experiences with growing crops using …