Food Systems (6th Grade)
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Provided by: Ten Strands|Published on: August 1, 2025
Lesson PlansScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This Seeds to Solutions Grade 6 unit from Ten Strands and the San Mateo County Office of Education engages students in a ten-lesson exploration of how climate change impacts our food system, beginning with food shortage investigations and ending with adaptive solutions like seed saving.
- The curriculum blends science, social science, and equity considerations as students examine causes and effects of climate-related food challenges, culminating in a collaborative final explanatory model and an action plan to improve resilience in their own school or community food systems.
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Seeds to Solutions, Ten Strands
Region: United States, California
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Activities like the Food System Charades in Lesson 5 will get students moving and engaged in this exploration.
- The case studies of students affecting change in their schools will inspire and empower students as they read.
Prerequisites
- When creating plans for action in Lessons 9 and 10, teachers may want to bring a food service staff member to act as a consultant, or consult them ahead of time.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers should note that there are accessible materials designed for students using text-to-speech assistive technology.
- In Lesson 2, as students learn about climate change, teachers may want to incorporate this resource to help students identify and process emotions that arise.
- Teachers should refer to the Teacher Background Information in Lesson 4 for tips on how to group students by ability for the jigsaw reading activity.
- In Lesson 7, as students listen to the podcasts, teachers can give students copies of the transcripts to take notes, write questions, and highlight important parts.
- Science teachers can collaborate with health teachers, having them precede Lesson 8 with a lesson or discussion about nutrition.
This unit guides students in understanding the links between food systems and climate. The basic science of climate change is clearly presented. The unit features a nuanced analysis, detailing how agriculture is impacted by and contributes to climate change. This resource is clear, well-sourced, and is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
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Ten Strands
Ten Strands is a California–based nonprofit established in 2012. Their mission is to strengthen the partnerships, strategies, and systems that advance environmental literacy, ensuring all California TK–12 students thrive in sustainable, resilient schools and engage in meaningful environmental learning experiences, both in and beyond the classroom. They operate with a small, diverse, and nimble staff and strategic partners throughout the state. Ten Strands utilizes the largest and most diverse institution in California—the public school system—to impact 58 county offices of education, more than 1,000 school districts, approximately 10,000 individual schools, over 300,000 teachers, and 5.8 million children.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
