HomeYouth LessonsProject S.O.W: Food Gardening with Justice in MindUnit 3: Sowing Seeds of Curiosity3.2 Where Do You Land?

3.2 Where Do You Land?

people working in a field of vegetablesSkill Level

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Learner Outcomes

  • Critically think about where your food comes from.
  • Explore your role in the food system.

Life Skills

Critical thinking, decision making, communication, accepting differences, social skills, sharing, managing feelings

Time

10 minutes

Materials

  • 2 sheets of paper
  • 1 permanent marker
  • Tape

Space

Open area in which to move around and have youth form a line, and a location on either end of the line on which to hang signs

Introduction

This activity is intended to promote curiosity and help figure out where we would appreciate more learning, which ultimately helps inform our actions. Systems, food systems, where our food comes from…issues related to how food is grown…. So much information! So many opinions! There is no way that any of us know it all. And we don’t have to, since collaboration and working with others allows for our strengths to shine, and others’ strengths and wisdom to inform the areas in which we are less confident.

Vocabulary

Food system: The journey that food travels from field to fork and beyond, which includes growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consuming, and disposing. It includes the inputs needed and the outputs generated at each step.

Before the Activity

  • Prepare two sheets of paper, one that says “I am confident about this” and the other that says “I have no idea” and place them at opposite ends of the space, so that the youth can form a straight line between them. (You may want to make a straight line on the floor between them using a piece of string, painter’s tape, or chalk.)
  • Read over possible statements and choose the ones that will work best for your group. Suggested statements have been broken up into beginner and intermediate/advanced levels. That being said, feel free to pick and choose which statements will work best for your group. Choose up to six statements.

Activity

Opening Questions

Choose questions suitable for the group, if appropriate pose the question to set the tone and do not seek an answer.

  • What do we know about food systems?
  • What level of confidence do we have in our ability to influence our food systems?
Experience
  1. Explain that you will read out a series of statements with which people may agree to a greater or lesser extent.
  2. Point out the two extreme positions: the signs stating, “I am confident about this” and “I have no idea.” Explain that people may occupy any point along the spectrum of the imaginary line. There is no right or wrong position. Owning where we need to learn more is an act of courage and humility – important qualities in any leader.
  3. Read the statements aloud. As you read the statements, you can vary the rhythm. Some statements can be read out in quick succession, while others may stimulate discussion.
    •In between statements, there can be opportunities for reflection and discussion. For example, you can ask if a few youth want to share why they choose their particular positions, or why their position changed or stayed the same among statements. You can also allow participants to move positions as they listen to each other’s comments.  All the while, it is important to convey this in a neutral tone – since we are not rewarding “knowing it all,” rather, the vulnerability to seek to raise one’s awareness.

Statements

Beginner:

  • I am aware of where my food comes from.
  • I play an important role in my local food system.
  • I know who grows my food.
  • I can grow my own food.
  • I know where my food is grown.
  • I can find a place to grow my own food.
  • I know where I can buy fresh produce.
  • I am aware that there are differences in costs of certain foods, depending on the food and its source.
  • I have a pretty good understanding of hunger, its causes, and who it impacts.

Intermediate/Advanced:

  • I know the difference between fresh and processed food.
  • I am aware of what influences my eating habits.
  • I can easily change my eating habits.
  • I am aware that where a person lives can determine whether or not they have access to healthy food.
  • I am aware that hunger is an issue in my community.
  • I have the power to help eradicate hunger in my community.
  • I am aware of the opportunities to inspire others and serve as a youth leader in my community.
Reflection Questions (choose a few that work best for your group)
  • How easy was it to determine where you fell on the spectrum?
  • How vulnerable did you feel if you were not familiar with a topic?
  • Did you find yourself looking around to see where you peers placed themselves on the spectrum before deciding where you should place yourself? How do you think that their placement influenced your placement?
  • Were there any statements that you found difficult to answer, either because it was difficult to make up your own mind, or because the statement was poorly phrased?
  • Are there any statements in which everyone or no one was confident?  Why do you think this is? Do you think this is true for most of the population or is our group unique? e.g. Do you think there may be a lack of general information available? Are certain things somewhat hidden from us as consumers, such as where certain foods come from?
  • How might we learn more? What can we do as a group to move forward in finding answers?

Acknowledgements 

Originally written by: Christine Hadekel and Marcia Eames-Sheavly

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