Understanding Food and Climate Change is an interactive learning experience designed to enrich lessons and units and help students explore the relationships between climate change and the global food system.
A Framework for K-12 Science Education emphasizes the need for coherence across subject areas to increase student learning. The food system and climate change connections in this guide—environmental, economic, and social—provide opportunities to work closely with your colleagues in social studies, language arts/communication, art, and science.
Each page of this guide introduces real-world topics related to climate change and food systems. Each topic is accompanied by suggested activities and resources that connect to the Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core State Standards, and relevant social studies themes. Our goal is to contextualize learning through compelling issues that will pique students’ curiosity and provide stories of people throughout the world who are experiencing climate change. We encourage you to use these topics to lead your students in investigations of the profoundly important issues that reach across geographic borders and affect all of Earth’s inhabitants.
Beyond the classroom, there are opportunities for students to engage in citizen science research projects related to the issues discussed in this guide. From the Arctic to weather, SciStarter (http://crowdandcloud.org/join-a-project) is a database of hundreds of citizen science projects for students to participate in. Search for projects by keyword, activity, or age group. California Academy of Sciences offers a 50-page guide to help K-12 educators integrate citizen science projects into classroom curricula (https://www.calacademy.org/educators/citizen-science-toolkit). Or, plan a Model UN Conference on climate change and the global food system (http://unacov.uk/climate-change-mun) and help students gain valuable debate, negotiation, and public speaking skills while negotiating a climate treaty.
The National Center for Science Education has said, “To improve and reinforce climate change education, make it local, make it human, make it pervasive, and make it hopeful.” Understanding Food and Climate Change does just that.
Next Generation Science Standards Disciplinary Content Connections
| LS2.A. | LS2.B. | LS2.C. | LS4.D. | ETS1.B. | ESS2.C. | ESS2.D | ESS3.A. | ESS3.C. | ESS3.D. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Is a Food System? | ● | ● | ● | |||||||
| Climate Change Basics | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| Systems Thinking | ||||||||||
| Oceans | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Extreme Weather | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| Temperature Change | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| The Arctic Region | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
| Food Waste | ● | ● | ● | |||||||
| Agricultural Production | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| Food Systems Infrastructure | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| Responding to Climate Change | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| Water Management | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| Reducing Food Waste | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| Agroecology | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| Soil Strategies | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Biodiversity | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
In any ecosystem, organisms and populations with similar requirements for food, water, oxygen, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources, access to which consequently constrains their growth and reproduction.
Growth of organisms and population increases are limited by access to resources.
LS2.B: Cycle of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy is transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.
LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
Changes in biodiversity can influence humans’ resources, such as food, energy, and medicines, as well as ecosystem services that humans rely on—for example, water purification and recycling.
ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem.
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes
The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the atmosphere, determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and currents, are major determinants of local weather patterns.
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns.
ESS3.A: Natural Resources
Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes.
ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things.
ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities.
Crosscutting Concepts
| Patterns | Cause and Effect | Energy and Matter | Stability and Change | Systems and System Models | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Is a Food System? | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| Climate Change Basics | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| Systems Thinking | ● | ||||
| Oceans | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Extreme Weather | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| Temperature Change | ● | ● | ● | ||
| The Arctic Region | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Food Waste | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Agricultural Production | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Food Systems Infrastructure | ● | ● | |||
| Responding to Climate Change | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Water Management | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Reducing Food Waste | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| Agroecology | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| Soil Strategies | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Biodiversity | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
Patterns
Patterns can be used to identify cause and effect relationships.
Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data.
Cause and Effect
Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems.
Relationships can be classified as causal or correlational, and correlation does not necessarily imply causation.
Energy and Matter
Matter is conserved because atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes.
Within a natural system, the transfer of energy drives the motion and/or cycling of matter.
The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a natural system.
Stability and Change
Small changes in one part of a system might cause large changes in another part.
Stability might be disturbed either by sudden events or gradual changes that accumulate over time.
Explanations of stability and change in natural or designed systems can be constructed by examining the changes over time and processes at different scales, including the atomic scale.
Systems and System Models
Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions—such as inputs, processes and outputs—and energy, matter, and information flows within systems.
Common Core Standards Connections
| RST.6-8.1 | RST.6-8.8 | WHST.6-8.1 | WHST.6-8.2 | WHST.6-8.7 | WHST.6-8.8 | WHST.6-8.9 | SL.6-8.1 | SL.6-8.4 | SL.6-8.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Is a Food System? | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| Climate Change Basics | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
| Systems Thinking | ● | ● | ● | |||||||
| Oceans | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| Extreme Weather | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| Temperature Change | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| The Arctic Region | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Food Waste | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| Agricultural Production | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| Food Systems Infrastructure | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| Responding to Climate Change | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| Water Management | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| Reducing Food Waste | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| Agroecology | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| Soil Strategies | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
| Biodiversity | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
ELA/Literacy
RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline content.
WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
WHST.6-8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
WHST.6-8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
Next Generation Science Standards Disciplinary Content Connections
| LS2.B. | LS2.C. | LS4.C. | LS4.D. | ETS1.B. | ESS2.D. | ESS3.A. | ESS3.C. | ESS3.D. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Is a Food System? | ● | ● | |||||||
| Climate Change Basics | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
| Systems Thinking | ● | ||||||||
| Oceans | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Extreme Weather | ● | ● | |||||||
| Temperature Change | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| The Arctic Region | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
| Food Waste | ● | ● | |||||||
| Agricultural Production | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Food Systems Infrastructure | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| Responding to Climate Change | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| Water Management | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| Reducing Food Waste | ● | ||||||||
| Agroecology | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| Soil Strategies | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| Biodiversity | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
LS2.B: Cycle of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important components of the carbon cycle, in which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and geosphere through chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes.
LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment—including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change—can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species.
LS4.C: Adaptation
Changes in the physical environment, whether naturally occurring or human induced, have thus contributed to the expansion of some species, the emergence of new, distinct species as populations diverge under different conditions, and the decline–and sometimes the extinction–of some species.
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
Biodiversity is increased by the formation of new species (speciation) and decreased by the loss of species (extinction).
Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus, sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth.
ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
When evaluating solutions, it is important to take into account a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, and to consider social, cultural, and environmental impacts
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
Current models predict that, although future regional climate changes will be complex and varied, average global temperatures will continue to rise. The outcomes predicted by global climate models strongly depend on the amounts of human-generated greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere each year and by the ways in which these gases are absorbed by the ocean and biosphere.
Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity have increased carbon dioxide concentrations and thus affect climate.
ESS3.A: Natural Resources
All forms of energy production and other resource extraction have associated economic, social, environmental, and geopolitical costs and risks as well as benefits. New technologies and social regulations can change the balance of these factors.
ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources.
ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
Through computer simulations and other studies, important discoveries are still being made about how the ocean, the atmosphere, and the biosphere interact and are modified in response to human activities
Though the magnitudes of human impacts are greater than they have ever been, so too are human abilities to model, predict, and manage current and future impacts.
Crosscutting Concepts
| Cause and Effect | Energy and Matter | Stability and Change | Systems and System Models | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Is a Food System? | ● | ● | ||
| Climate Change Basics | ● | ● | ||
| Systems Thinking | ● | ● | ● | |
| Oceans | ● | |||
| Extreme Weather | ● | |||
| Temperature Change | ● | ● | ||
| The Arctic Region | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Food Waste | ● | ● | ||
| Agricultural Production | ● | |||
| Food Systems Infrastructure | ● | ● | ||
| Responding to Climate Change | ● | ● | ● | |
| Water Management | ● | ● | ● | |
| Reducing Food Waste | ● | ● | ● | |
| Agroecology | ● | ● | ||
| Soil Strategies | ● | ● | ||
| Biodiversity | ● |
Cause and Effect
Changes in systems may have various causes that may not have equal effects.
Energy and Matter
Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system.
Stability and Change
Feedback (negative or positive) can stabilize or destabilize a system.
Systems and System Models
When investigating or describing a system, the boundaries and initial conditions of the system need to be defined and their inputs and outputs analyzed and described using models.
Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and interactions—including energy, matter, and information flows—within and between systems at different scales.
Common Core Standards Connections
| RST.11-12.7 | WHST.9-12.2 | WHST.9-12.7 | WHST.11-12.8 | SL.11-12.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Is a Food System? | ● | ● | |||
| Climate Change Basics | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Systems Thinking | ● | ● | |||
| Oceans | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Extreme Weather | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Temperature Change | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| The Arctic Region | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Food Waste | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Agricultural Production | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Food Systems Infrastructure | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Responding to Climate Change | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Water Management | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Reducing Food Waste | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Agroecology | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Soil Strategies | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Biodiversity | ● | ● | ● |
ELA/Literacy
RST.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
WHST.9-12.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.
WHST.9-12.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
WHST.11-12.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.
SL.11-12.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Social Studies Themes
| 1: Culture | 2: Time, Continuity & Change | 3: People, Places, & Environments | 7: Production, Distribution, & Consumption | 8: Science, Technology, & Society | 9: Global Connections | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Is a Food System? | ● | ● | ● | |||
| Climate Change Basics | ● | |||||
| Systems Thinking | ● | ● | ||||
| Oceans | ● | ● | ||||
| Extreme Weather | ● | |||||
| Temperature Change | ● | ● | ● | |||
| The Arctic Region | ● | ● | ||||
| Food Waste | ● | ● | ● | |||
| Agricultural Production | ● | |||||
| Food System Infrastructure | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| Responding to Climate Change | ● | ● | ● | |||
| Water Management | ● | ● | ● | |||
| Reducing Food Waste | ● | ● | ||||
| Agroecology | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Soil Strategies | ● | |||||
| Biodiversity | ● |
1: Culture
Human beings create, learn, share, and adapt to culture. The study of culture examines the socially transmitted beliefs, values, institutions, behaviors, traditions and way of life of a group of people; it also encompasses other cultural attributes and products, such as language, literature, music, arts and artifacts, and foods. Students come to understand that human cultures exhibit both similarities and differences, and they learn to see themselves both as individuals and as members of a particular culture that shares similarities with other cultural groups, but is also distinctive. In a multicultural, democratic society and globally connected world, students need to understand the multiple perspectives that derive from different cultural vantage points.
2: Time, Continuity & Change
Studying the past makes it possible for us to understand the human story across time. The historical experiences of societies, peoples and nations reveal patterns of continuity and change. Historical analysis enables us to identify continuities over time in core institutions, values, ideals, and traditions, as well as processes that lead to change within societies and institutions, and that result in innovation and the development of new ideas, values and ways of life.
3: People, Places, & Environments
The study of people, places, and environments enables us to understand the relationship between human populations and the physical world. Students learn where people and places are located and why they are there. They examine the influence of physical systems, such as climate, weather and seasons, and natural resources, such as land and water, on human populations. They study
7: Production, Distribution, & Consumption
People have wants that often exceed the limited resources available to them. The unequal distribution of resources necessitates systems of exchange, including trade, to improve the well-being of the economy, while the role of government in economic policy-making varies over time and from place to place. Increasingly, economic decisions are global in scope and require systematic study of an interdependent world economy and the role of technology in economic growth. As a result, a variety of ways have been invented to decide upon answers to four fundamental questions: What is to be produced? How is production to be organized? How are goods and services to be distributed and to whom? What is the most effective allocation of the factors of production (land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship)?
8: Science, Technology, & Society
There are many questions about the role that science and technology play in our lives and in our cultures. What can we learn from the past about how new technologies result in broader social change, some of which is unanticipated? Is new technology always better than that which it replaces? How can we cope with the ever-increasing pace of change, perhaps even the concern that technology might get out of control? How can we manage technology so that the greatest numbers of people benefit? How can we preserve fundamental values and beliefs in a world that is rapidly becoming one technology-linked village? How do science and technology affect our sense of self and morality? How are disparate cultures, geographically separated but impacted by global events, brought together by the technology that informs us about events, and offered hope by the science that may alleviate global problems (e.g., the spread of AIDS)? How can gaps in access to benefits of science and technology be bridged?
9: Global Connections
Global connections have intensified and accelerated the changes faced at the local, national, and international levels. The effects are evident in rapidly changing social, economic, and political institutions and systems. World trade has expanded and technology has removed or lowered many barriers, bringing far-flung cultures, institutions, and systems together. Connections among nations and regions of the world provide opportunities as well as uncertainties. The realities of global interdependence require deeper understanding of the increasing and diverse global connections among world societies and regions.