1. Food Waste: Science, Sustainability, and Solutions
Erin Ingram, Curriculum Development Specialist,
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
IANR Science Literacy

2. Overview
Lesson 1 | Food waste is a sustainability issue Lesson 2 | Measuring food waste Lesson 3 | The journey of food waste Lesson 4 | Engineering a solution

3. NE College and Career Ready Standards
Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems
SC B Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as matter moves through an organism. (Energy and matter)
SC D Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. (Energy and matter)
Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
SC B Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. (Stability and change)
SC C Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
SC D Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and increasing positive human impact on the environment. (Cause and effect)

4. National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges
Fourteen game-changing goals for improving life identified by leading thinkers
Engineering designs to solve food waste challenges fit within “Manage the nitrogen cycle”

5. Overview of the Food Waste Problem
Approximately 40% of available food is wasted every year in the U.S.
Environmental and economic issues
U.S. food production uses:
10% of all energy
50% of land
80% of freshwater
16% of U.S. methane (a greenhouse gas 25 times more harmful than CO2) comes from decomposing food
Schools are certainly contributing…
The average student wastes ½ lb of food per week
Food waste makes up 45% of all disposed waste in elementary and secondary schools

6. Real-World Engineering Challenge
Reduce food waste by designing smarter lunchroom strategies

7. Discussion
What’s the most challenging barrier to implementing a real-world engineering challenge with your students?

8. Lesson 1
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Get students excited about embarking on an engineering challenge

9. Lesson 1 Introduce Engineering Design Process Engage Explore Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Introduce Engineering Design Process

10. Lesson 1 Introduce the “big-picture” food waste problem
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Introduce the “big-picture” food waste problem
Read about a student who has implemented the engineering design process to address food waste in food pantries
Newsela article: tech/id/13678/
Close-reading and classroom discussions
Examine personal contribution to food waste in school cafeteria

11. Lesson 2
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Guiding Question: How much food waste is produced in our cafeteria?
Design a data collection plan for measuring food waste in our cafeteria
Carry out an investigation in the school cafeteria
Analyze data to determine what percent of food is wasted

12. Lesson 3 Why do we divide up our waste or garbage into different bins?
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Why do we divide up our waste or garbage into different bins?
Activate students’ prior knowledge of different types of waste and where they go

13. Lesson 3
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Guiding Question: What changes take place after food is disposed?
Compost
Landfill

14. Lesson 3 Investigate decomposition in two simulated environments.
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Investigate decomposition in two simulated environments.
Without plastic bag
Air present
Contact with soil
With plastic bag
Air absent
No contact with the soil

15. Lesson 3
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Take measurements and record observations to document how waste changes
Compost container: 21 days
Landfill container: 21 days

16. Lesson 3 Introduce scientific terminology
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Introduce scientific terminology
Physical vs. chemical changes
Decomposition
Students classify observed changes as physical or chemical
Students use observations, readings, discussion to create a model to explain
Where matter from a discarded banana peel goes
Where energy is absorbed or released and why

17. Lesson 4
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Guiding Question: Can anything be done to minimize the amount of food that is thrown away in the cafeteria?
Consult with administration and nutrition services about existing waste reduction methods.

18. Lesson 4
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Guiding Question: Can anything be done to minimize the amount of food that is thrown away in the cafeteria?
Expand students’ ideas of what engineering can be!

19. Lesson 4
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Ask
What is your design supposed to do?
How will you know if it is doing what you want? What could keep you from making it do that?
How will you test your design?
A good opportunity to focus on a cross- cutting concept, Cause and Effect

20. Lesson 4 ??? Food Waste Cause Effect
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Ask
What is your design supposed to do?
How will you know if it is doing what you want? What could keep you from making it do that?
How will you test your design?
What causes unnecessary food waste in the cafeteria?
Turn and Talk– Brainstorm answers with a partner
Cause
Effect
???
Food Waste

21. Lesson 4 Possible causes of food waste in the cafeteria
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Possible causes of food waste
in the cafeteria
Students accidently throw food in the wrong bin
Students take more food than they can eat
Portions are provided, but are too large
Students lack the option to take smaller portions and return for seconds
Students are not provided enough time to eat
Food does not taste good
Food looks unappetizing
Students are required to take unwanted foods
Which of these causes can we fix or improve?

22. Lesson 4 Criteria Engage Ask Explore Explain Extend Evaluate
What is your design supposed to do?
How will you know if it is doing what you want? What could keep you from making it do that?
How will you test your design?
Criteria
What makes a solution successful?
How will we measure this?
Constraints
What are our limitations?

23. Lesson 4 Criteria Engage Ask Explore Explain Extend Evaluate
What is your design supposed to do?
How will you know if it is doing what you want? What could keep you from making it do that?
How will you test your design?
Criteria
What makes a solution successful?
How will we measure this?
Constraints
What are our limitations?
Must be implemented in the cafeteria
Must reduce amount of food thrown into the trash
Others?

24. Lesson 4 Criteria Engage Ask Explore Explain Extend Evaluate
What is your design supposed to do?
How will you know if it is doing what you want? What could keep you from making it do that?
How will you test your design?
Criteria
What makes a solution successful?
How will we measure this?
Constraints
What are our limitations?
Must be implemented in the cafeteria
Must reduce amount of food thrown into the trash
Others?
Cost
Time
Materials
Rules or Laws- coordinate with administration and nutrition services

25. Lesson 4
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Imagine
Apply knowledge and creativity to brainstorm ideas together.
Agree on one to try!
After a period of brainstorming, have students explore strategies at smarterlunchrooms.org

26. Questions