Where does Food come from?

Winnipeg, MB - While some urban children think food comes from the store, the Grade 2's at École Guyot know it comes from cows, chickens, crops and pigs. "The food we eat and where it comes from" is the theme of an innovative Internet tool developed by the Grade 2 students with the partnership of École Guyot in the St. Boniface School Division and the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

Two grade two classes at École Guyot are experiencing first hand what Internet technology has to offer in the classroom. While writing their own Internet homepage on food, they also created links with other schools and organizations outside the classroom, like producer organizations in Manitoba.

The students were responsible for finding recipes from several sources, identifying selected ingredients and matching them with the relevant food groups. "We wanted to develop a better understanding of the four food groups in a more exciting, technologically stimulating environment," said Gérald Fouasse, Principal at École Guyot.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is bringing their capacity and expertise in Internet communications together with the food producers of Manitoba. "The desired result is to help students understand how food is linked to the economy, to the environment and to the well-being of people," said Allen Tyrchniewicz, Program Director at IISD. "We want people to understand at an early age what sustainable development is all about."

Within the Grade 2 homepage there are links to the Internet pages of some of Manitoba's food processors and agricultural producers, The bilingual homepage also outlines how food makes it from the farmers to the consumers. The work of the students can be accessed at http://iisd.ca/grade2/. "We've appreciated the help of the Manitoba Chicken Producers, Manitoba Egg Producers, Manitoba Milk Producers, Manitoba Pork Producers, Peak of the Market and the Beef Information Centre. This project has captured everyone's imagination," said Fouasse.

Where does our food come from?

There were four primary objectives for the students in this project:

1. French: to teach the students vocabulary related to food.
2. Health: to teach the four main food groups and how to select a balanced meal.
3. Technology: to use the Internet, to work new technology into the daily curriculum and to demonstrate partnerships with the private sector.
4. Social Studies: to educate about where some people work, to teach where foods come from, and to use math by adding and subtracting the cost of the recipes.

Using Internet technology as a teaching tool is an exciting and fun way for students to share their learning experiences with other students in other parts of the world. "We hope this project will branch out to other schools across Canada so that kids everywhere will have the opportunity to learn about food, food groups and where our food comes from in an entertaining way," said Tyrchniewicz.

For more information please contact:

Allen Tyrhcniewicz
Great Plains Program Director
International Institute for Sustainable Development
Tel: 204-958-7747
Fax: 204-9587710
Email: [email protected]
IISDNet: http://iisd.ca/