Implementation of “Food for Thought: sustainable learning experiences” (SOI-RS-351)

Author: Marina Stanojlovic Mircic, Citizenship Teacher

School/Organization: Ljuba Nesic lower secondary school

My students, through activities in the kitchen, and following SDGs learning, will show how it is possible to be responsible for the environment to reduce household food waste. The activities they carried out in their homes are preparing meals from surplus foods, preparing meals without creating waste, or showing how they and their householders reduce food waste in their homes. These are dishes that are traditionally used in Serbian cuisine, which do not require expensive ingredients and often exist in every Serbian home. We used this LS: Food for Thought: sustainable learning experiences (LS-PT-532),

Food for Thought: sustainable learning experiences (LS-PT-532)

About implementation activities
This Story of Implementation was created by combining several school subjects that exist in Serbian lower secondary school education: guardians of nature, household, and citizenship. My students are 13 years old and are familiar with Sustainable Development Goals. They knew what sustainable agriculture was because they had opportunities to see how organic food was being nurtured, they learned what kinds of pollution there were in our country and pollution impacts on global climate change.
This mini-project involved 10-12 students, all activities were voluntary, and the challenge lasted almost 10 days. Parents were involved in the realization of the project by giving support from home, however, students had a lead role.

About implementation activities
This Story of Implementation was created by combining several school subjects that exist in Serbian lower secondary school education: guardians of nature, household, and citizenship. My students are 13 years old and are familiar with Sustainable Development Goals. They knew what sustainable agriculture was because they had opportunities to see how organic food was being nurtured, they learned what kinds of pollution there were in our country and pollution impacts on global climate change.
This mini-project involved 10-12 students, all activities were voluntary, and the challenge lasted almost 10 days. Parents were involved in the realization of the project by giving support from home, however, students had a lead role.

Description of phases
I. During the first lesson, taking place online (through Zoom), I explained briefly what the LS “Food for Thought: sustainable learning experiences” was all about. We concluded that we could not do the whole scenario and we needed to make some adaptations – just the practical part of experimenting at home.
I told them the following facts:
A third of the food produced in the world is discarded, while globally more than 800 million people
are still starving. Food that ends up in landfills breaks down and emits gases with the effect of glass
garden, methane, and carbon dioxide, which negatively affects climate change.
Then I asked them how they would reduce food waste, so the debate developed, and the
conclusions were the following:
By reducing food waste

1. we are saving the environment and saving money,
2. the easiest way to do that is to plan grocery shopping and meals,
3. freeze the edible leftovers of meals for later,
4. and cook using the foods we already have in the household.
   These conclusions were based on the task: to make a video or photo of a meal made from surplus
   foods, a meal in which no waste is produced, or to show how they and their households reduce food
   waste in their home.

II. The students worked very consciously for five days and they took the issue seriously. Students
needed to make their proposal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their recipes and photos can be
seen in the Presentation created with Sway: https://sway.office.com/b0A0HkzyhGhYRZGK

III. I was delighted with their work results and we organized another online lesson for me to provide
them feedback and tell them about the Sustainable Development Goals. I reminded them that this
activity is part of the SD Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production and SD Goal 13: Climate
Action.

Main achievements:

My objective was to increasing interest, awareness, and appreciation among school students to the

impact of science in our daily life and to show them the link between bioeconomy, its application,

and importance to everyday life.

After our project, I am can say that:

1. Students can define bioeconomy.

2. Students can describe bio-waste.

3. Students are aware of the problem of buying too much food, rotting, destroying, and throwing food.

4. Students can critically identify ways to reduce food waste.

5. Students improved and raised their awareness in pro of environmental protection.

6. Students were able to guide their projects or activities.

7. Students learned to think critically and develop problem-solving skills.

8. Students increased their passion for learning and developed creativity.

9. Students could prepare a small meal from the food they have in the house.

10. Students loved to have the final product they can exhibit.

Teaching outcomes:
Teaching with Europeana helped me gather important information on bioeconomy and bio-waste in general. Then I learn how to enhance students’ problem-solving skills through context-based learning and how to cultivate their abilities to analyze questions and then select and develop solutions. Lastly, I learned how to help students to dive in “hands-on learning” and to encourage them to apply essential content knowledge in meaningful ways.
I recommend teaching bioeconomy because teachers will learn to encourage students to incorporate arts into a STEM project. By adding the elements of arts to STEM projects students can use both sides of their brain—analytical and creative—. STEAM education sparks students’imagination and enhances their flexibility, productivity, and innovation. 21st-century teachers consider themselves co-learners we learn while teaching. There is a conscience of not knowing everything before teaching or being the only holder of knowledge. This is one of the best characteristics of a 21st-century teacher.

Did you find this story of implementation interesting? Why don’t you read about the related learning scenario? Food for Thought: sustainable learning experiences (LS-PT-532) created by Maria de Fatima

Did you find this story of implementation interesting? You might also like: 

• What’s Cooking? (LS-RS-450) implemented by Olivera Ilic
• Bites: when nutrition meets SDGs (LS-ME-554) implemented by Patricia Barciela

Do you want to discover more stories of implementation? Click here.

Public Domain Mark 1.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Nationalmuseet Sweden.