Activation Activity #1: Farm to Table & Food Security
(due date: Wednesday September 20, 2023)

This activation activity asks you to think about the food that you eat and grow. Food is a universal experience, and we would like you to explore our theme for the year: Farm to Table & Food Security.

Start here by interacting with the Seed Stewardship PowerPoint Presentation by Farm Folk City Folk. You will find 2 short videos and background information about seed saving practices.

We would like families to modify the amount of printing depending on the age of your child/children. You can scribe/print for your child if needed.

Grades K/1/2

  1. Find and read an Indigenous or Indigenous creation story that is related to seeds. Draw a picture and add a few words or a sentence (K/1) or a few sentences (gr.2) to tell a feature of the story.
  2. Interview a family member (guardian, aunt, grandparent) or someone in your community about seeds or a specific vegetable/fruit/grain they may have grown and see if you can find the variety available for sale in your own community. Ask for a personal or family story about growing this plant. Draw a picture to represent the story and add a few words or a sentence (K/1) or a few sentences (gr.2) that describes the story.
  3. Prepare a food dish that includes the plant that you learned about or prepare any food dish that is important to your family. Take photos of you preparing your recipe as well as the final product.

Grades 3/4

  1. Find and read an Indigenous or Indigenous creation story that is related to seeds. Draw a picture and write 3 to 5 sentences to summarize the story.
  2. Interview a family member (guardian, aunt, grandparent) or someone in your community about seeds or a specific vegetable/fruit/grain they may have grown and see if you can find the variety available for sale in your own community. Ask for a personal or family story about growing this plant. Draw a picture to represent the story and write 3 to 5 sentences that summarizes the story.
  3. Prepare a dish that includes the plant that you learned about or prepare any food dish that is important to your family. Take photos of you preparing your dish and the final product. Write 3 to 5 sentences to share your opinion of the dish.
  4. Thinking about the plant or one plant-based ingredient from the dish you prepared above, make a map to show where in the world it came from. Your map should include a compass rose, and a legend using symbols and colours to represent important landmarks, landforms, bodies of water, vegetation, or other information.

Grades 5/6/7/8

  1. Find and read an Indigenous or Indigenous creation story that is related to seeds. Produce an artistic representation representing a feature of the story. Write 1 to 2 paragraphs to summarize the story, as well as 1 to 2 paragraphs reflecting on the importance of the message.
  2. Read journal article about Tea Creek Farm from the Watershed Sentinel, an environmental news magazine. Read online article Plant a Seed Saving Garden. Using the information from both sources, write 1 to 2 paragraphs explaining what is “food insecurity,” how can we mitigate “food insecurity,” and why is “food security” important? If you use additional sources, be sure to cite them.
  3. Interview a family member (guardian, aunt, grandparent) or someone in your community about seeds or a specific vegetable/fruit/grain they may have grown and see if you can find the variety available for sale in your own community. Ask for a personal or family story about growing this plant. Write 1 to 2 paragraphs that tells the story.
  4. Prepare a dish that includes the plant that you learned about or prepare any food dish that is important to your family. Take photos of you preparing your dish and the final product. Write 3 to 5 sentences to share your opinion of the dish.
  5. Include a copy of your recipe.
  6. Thinking about the plant or one plant-based ingredient from the dish you prepared above, make a map to show where in the world it came from. Your map should include a compass rose, scale, and a legend using symbols and colours to represent important landmarks, landforms, bodies of water, vegetation, or other information. Write to describe the route, including modes of transportation, as well as a distance calculation that your plant/ingredient traveled.