This is an authentic learning experience being implemented in a 4th grade classroom. The main goal is to create empathy, understanding, and a spark of curiosity to engage the learners to not only understand the topic of food security, but to move into action through voice and agency.

Our main driving question is above along with our milestones below as checkpoints along the way of the learning journey. Additionally, the project is hoping to provide answers and solutions to these issues as learners move towards a mindset of becoming changemakers.

Students identify a food system problem and design an intervention to address it and empower them to create change.

Food system problems - Students will unpack and discover that there are many problems to this issue. Here are a few to set the stage, but students will explore pathways of discovery and will not be limited to these options. 

1. High consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among students.

2. Lack of access to healthy food in the community

3. High rates of wasted food

During this experience, students will explore reasons for change and how innovation is required to solve problems. Students will explore a hunger-related issue, its causes, and its impact on people.  the background of inequalities women’s rights, the rights of migrants/hispanics, and equality for people who require accommodations for physical accessibility.  

As a result, students will learn the importance of standing up for what they believe in to become a changemaker, not a bystander. Students will learn about key events and courageous people who led efforts for positive change. After exploring the power of changemakers and the dispositions of changemakers, students will engage in a community issue that allows them to empower and awaken the change makers within themselves. 

By becoming aware of hunger in their community, students will be able to identify a key problem, use creative thinking to explore solutions and raise awareness and empathy within their community. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their journey as change makers and communicate their process and ideas to an authentic audience. Students should begin thinking about system-level causes of hunger and responses to these problems.  

Students explore a hunger-related issue and its impact on real people.