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=Welcome to the Sustainable Cafeteria!=

Summary

 * This is a project-based learning experience focused on the complex issues surrounding the topic of sustainable agriculture.
 * As a long-term project this experience will take the majority of the semester.
 * The final project of this course will be to synthesize the information from the course and to use this information to propose a model for a sustainable cafeteria.
 * On this page you will find the enduring understandings and the essential questions used to organize the course. Please refer to these throughout the semester when working on your projects

Enduring Understandings

 * Decisions about agricultural practices and personal diet are environmental issues.
 * The price of food in a grocery store does not necessarily reflect the true cost of producing, processing, and shipping the food.
 * When determining the "best way" to feed a population, issues of sustainability, economics, and politics all must be considered.
 * Consideration of sustainable agriculture must include consideration of population size.

Essential Questions

 * How does agriculture relate to the concept of sustainability?
 * How do my eating choices relate to the concept of sustainable agriculture?
 * How can I reconcile the short-term needs of my local economy with the long-term needs of sustainable agriculture?
 * How can I redesign my school cafeteria to reflect the principles of sustainable agriculture?

Course objectives

 * Students will keep a food journal chronicling their dietary choices for a two-week period.
 * Students in small groups will design a multi-media presentation one for their classmates on an aspect of agriculture: biogeochemical systems; agricultural practices; economic concerns; political considerations.
 * Based on the multi-media presentations and their individual diet journals, students will as a small group analyze how their food choices relate to: systems, farming methods, economics, and politics.
 * As a whole, the class will develop criteria for a sustainable school cafeteria.
 * Based on class criteria, students in small groups will develop a sustainable cafe model.
 * Students will present their models to a panel of experts, which may include: social and natural scientists, local school administrators, local political representatives, and local farmers.