FinalPBISubmission

PBI Implementation
Crystal Dávila and JC Allmond
“Subjectively Sustainable”, PreAP Geometry
November 2015

Table of Contents
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Project Description  . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Day 1 Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
Day 2 Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  26
Day 34 Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Day 5 Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Day 6 Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Student Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Handout Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Reflection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Overview
Component of the
Lesson
Description
TEKS Geometry:
(8) Congruence and the geometry of size. The student uses
tools to determine measurements of geometric figures and
extends measurement concepts to find perimeter, area, and
volume in problem situations. The student is expected to:
(E) use area models to connect geometry to probability and
statistics; and
(F) use conversions between measurement systems to solve
problems in realworld situations.
Algebra I:
(3) Function concepts. A function is a fundamental
mathematical concept; it expresses a special kind of
relationship between two quantities. Students use functions to
determine one quantity from another, to represent and model
problem situations, and to analyze and interpret relationships.
(A) use symbols to represent unknowns and variables; and
(B) look for patterns and represent generalizations
algebraically.1
Objectives Students will be able to:
● Differentiate between organic and inorganic produce
● Analyze the usage of organic and inorganic produce
● Define sustainable produce
● Convert Measuring Systems (Dimensional Analysis)
● Find alternative modes to efficiently provide food for
the population
● Research the energy it takes to transport food
Performance Task Students will be using dimensional analysis to determine the
1
We were originally planning on presenting this lesson in our individual classes. Mr. Allmond teaches
preAP Algebra I and Ms. Dávila teaches preAP Geometry. However, there were some complications with
Mr. Allmond’s class and the academic schedule. We decided that it would be best to have Mr. Allmond and
Ms. Dávila teach 6th period together, which is the time that Mr. Allmond does not teach but Ms. Dávila does.
1

energy used to transport food and compare that amount of
energy to the potential amount of energy gained in calories
from eating these foods.
Driving Question How much energy is exerted when growing & transporting
ingredients in our meal, and is it worth it when considering
how much energy we get out of eating this meal?
Launch Event Students answer two questions about their definition of
sustainability and about the origin of both an organic and
inorganic ear of corn on Poll everywhere; teacher takes most
popular answers to make a class definition of sustainability
and to create an example of energy consumption.
We present a PowerPoint presentation including our own
cookbook presentation, with the recipe(s), the tradition behind
our meal, the energy it takes to transport each individual
product, and the energy it takes to burn this food (conscious
eating). Most importantly, we will bring our recipe into the
classroom.
Opportunity for
student to analyze
data
Students will conduct online research to find out information
about different transportation methods for shipping a variety
of foods from around the world. They will also find
information on the amounts of energy from these shipping
methods.
Students will research nutritional information regarding how
many food calories a specific food has.
Opportunity for
student to collaborate
with others
Group contracts will be made to assure that each member is
productive and on task.
Opportunity for
students to use
technology
Students will research and trace backwards where their food
source came from.
Opportunity for
students to share,
critique, and revise
ideas
Students will present their meal, explain where the ingredients
came from and the energy required to transport the meal, and
at least one fact either about why people in a specific
geographic area made this meal part of their regular diet, the
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labor required to bring these ingredients into the grocery store
from the field, the equivalency of burning off these calories, or
what kind of “new” practices would help us conserve energy
and be more efficient with food (this is in general, not specific
or tied to their meal).
Formative assessments Exit tickets about what they expect to learn;
Comparing Poll Everywhere questions before and after the
project to see what students have learned.
Key Words Dimensional Analysis, Conversion, Sustainability, Energy,
Calories
Related Content Areas Algebra, Geometry, Geography, World History
This project was
created by Student
Teachers:
Crystal Dávila and JC Allmond
Sources: ● “What is a Calorie?” Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEQaH4LruUo
● Farm Map: http://www.factoryfarmmap.org
● Jacob’s Backyard Garden: http://www.jbgorganic.com
● Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
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Project Description
This projectbased instruction lesson is designed to expose students to mathematical
practices used to understand the world, specifically regarding the amount of energy needed to
transport basic and immediate items such as food to local grocery stores. Students will be tasked
with finding the amount of energy required to transport individual ingredients from their location
of origin to the local grocery store and assess its efficiency by comparing it to the total amount of
potential kilocalories we can consume from those ingredients. Additionally, they will use the
classroom definition of sustainable produce that they created on the first day to reflect on current
modes of transportation and their efficiency.
Currently, there are many natural events impacting our way of life such as climate change
and it will continue to do so at a greater rate due to many reasons, one of them being human
activity. Thus, we are focusing on the human activity aspect because it is a dependent factor.
Austin recently experienced a flood in October 2015 where several people lost their lives and
countless others lost property. Ironically enough, Austin is still experiencing a drought. These
events indicate that the unprecedented weather will keep affecting our way of life both
momentarily and in the long run.Therefore, it is our job to help minimize anthropogenic factors.
The first and foremost goal of this PBI lesson was to find the amount of energy in
kilocalories it takes to transport materials by using dimensional analyses. After introducing the
PBI lesson with the history and geography of one ingredient, we spent the next day talking about
different forms of energy and focused specifically on calories. Every student is familiar with
calories and we used this prior knowledge to bridge the gap between different forms of energy,
specifically from Kilojoules to kilocalories. In order to change dimensions from Kilojoules to
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kilocalories and keep the same value, we have to perform dimensional analyses. This way,
students can find the amount of energy required to transport ingredients using one unit
(kilocalories) and compare that amount to the potential amount of kilocalories we can gain from
consuming these ingredients.
We are student teaching at Austin High School in the Academy for Global Studies
(AGS). Being a student teacher in the AGS program has encouraged us to design lessons that
take a humanities approach. AGS students focus on four major questions according to their grade
level. For example, freshman students focus on the question of food, water, and the process
behind it, sophomore students focus on waste, junior students focus on what it means to be an
American citizen, and finally, senior students focus on what it means to be a global citizen. AGS
is an interdisciplinary program where teachers from different subjects collaborate on a oneyear
project that all AGS students must participate in. One of the key materials used Freshman year
includes the book Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. In Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan
researched the simple question “Where does our food come from?”. One of the main points
students gain from reading this book is that much of our food can be traced back to corn which
poses problems for both our environment, ourselves, and foreign cultures among a many things.
This book is an excellent book for students in the AGS program because it focuses on food and
the process behind bringing it to the local grocery store. Correspondingly, this year freshman
students are currently putting their knowledge to practice by designing and building a garden for
a project 8 housing complex in South Austin. Students have surveyed residents at the apartment
complex as an effort to learn about their diets, what they would like to see in their garden, and
who is willing to keep up with the garden. Since freshman students focus on the idea of food and
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the process of sustaining the population, we decided to design a PBI lesson where students
researched the amount of energy required to bring specific ingredients to the local grocery store.
This allowed the 9th grade students to connect global questions to geometry and algebra.
As student teachers in the math department, we want students to understand and
appreciate mathematics. Additionally, we want students to use math in order to understand and
analyze the world. We worked with freshman students, thus we wanted to be consistent with the
AGS program and make our PBI project focus on the question of sustainability and where food
comes from. This PBI project focuses on the amount of energy required to transport specific
ingredients from the location of origin to the local grocery store and compare that to the amount
of potential energy we can get from these ingredients. In order to make this project more relevant
to students, we decided to start with a recipe regularly eaten at home. We presented tamales for
the PBI rollout because a recent trip I took to Mexico City taught me that many of the tools and
dishes used in Mexican households have been used for over a millenia! This dish is made during
special and celebratory occasions. Furthermore, corn (or rather, maize) has played a crucial role
in Mexican society. We encouraged students to do the same; choose a recipe that is regularly
eaten at home and find historical and geographical facts about it. Finding historical and
geographical facts about recipes eaten at home connects students’ individual way of life to their
own culture and the evolution of it. Finding the origin of each ingredient was a crucial step in
beginning to understand the complex process required to bring food to the local grocery store,
and hopefully learn some neat facts about their own culture.
The next question becomes “What is the amount of energy required to bring food to the
local grocery store?”. This was the central question in the PBI project. As mentioned, freshman
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students read Omnivore’s Dilemma and the central question to Pollan’s book was “Where does
my food come from?” (2006, p. 11). The author goes through great extents to find out how
exactly our food is grown and brought to the local grocery store. His research ranged from
visiting corn fields where farmers receive subsidies from the government to industrial farms
where cows are fed things they have not evolved to eat, such as corn, chicken manure, among
many things. The students had not read far between the book but they did grasp one of the main
themes from the book which was that corn is in many of the foods we eat. We can trace corn in
our morning cereal, our soda, and the meat we eat. In fact, when I presented my own tamales
recipe for the PBI rollout students sarcastically said “corn is everywhere!”. I decided to present
tamales because I had recently taken a trip to Mexico City and visited the National Museum of
Anthropology. At the National Museum of Anthropology I learned that some of the tools my
parents use have been part of indigenous culture for over a millennia, such as the molcajete (see
picture). Additionally, the museum did a good job at communicating to visitors that corn has
played a spiritual and economic role since its domestication. Native American people
domesticated corn (more appropriately called maize) which took anywhere from several hundred
years to a couple of thousand years to domesticate to the corn we are now familiar with (see slide
4 of my presentation). Since its domestication in the Americas, corn has helped feed people and
keep them economically stable within their community. Ancient indigenous culture has been
found to have at least three different gods and goddesses dedicated to corn. We used my travel
experience, personal interests, and what AGS focuses on to create the PBI rollout. The rollout
also served as an example of the final product that students would have to turn in. Thus, my PBI
presentation gave students a positive perspective on corn.
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Corn has played an important part in Mexico’s history and economic situation. Though,
Pollan exposes readers to the negative effects corn has had in our economic and environmental
situation. When we initiated the PBI lesson, students had learned that the amount of energy
required to make corn in the US exceeds the benefits it brings to society. For one, farmers have
little to no option but sell their corn for cheaper than it costs to produce it. In order to
counterbalance this situation with farmers, the government steps in and subsidizes the corn
(Pollan, 2006, p. 35). Furthermore, there is far more waste produced from growing and
transporting food than the amount food produced (Pollan, 2006, p. 137).
When implementing projectbased instruction, it is important that the project incorporates
the five essential elements of PBI. The first essential element is that students explore solutions to
a question that is meaningful and relevant to them. This was the “driving question” to be
ultimately answered. The question of how much energy was used when transporting foods
compared to the potential energy gained from those foods, and whether or not it would be worth
it to transport these foods was relevant to the students considering the fact that they discuss both
sustainability and energy usage within the AGS program. The driving question was also
meaningful, because as consumers we should be mindful of how we get our food and how it
affects our environment. The second essential element is that students engage in inquiry by
conducting investigations. They were tasked with finding out information about different
ingredients, whether it be through online search, contacting farmers, or going out to local grocery
stores. Next, it is necessary that students collaborate to find solutions. This project was done in
groups of 3, and each group member was held responsible for contributing and working together
to complete the project. Students must also use technology to gather, analyze, and
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communicate information. They used the internet to research the majority of their information,
and students used calculators and formulas in Excel to obtain results. When presenting their
findings, students used PowerPoint to present their projects to the class. Lastly, it is essential that
students create an artifact to demonstrate what they have learned. Their final artifact was in the
form of an electronic cookbook page that could easily be shared, printed, and used by classmates.
Day One
During the first day of the PBI lesson, we started the classroom by asking students
“which corn do you think is more sustainable?”. We brought two pieces of corn and did not
reveal any information about them. We used Poll Everywhere to gather responses and from there
moved the discussion to what sustainability means. We asked students “Where do you think this
corn comes from?”, “How did it get to the grocery store?”, “What are the differences between
organic and inorganic food?”, and finally ”Which one do you think is more sustainable?”. After
using Poll Everywhere to gather answers from students, we pinned down opinions about the
individual pieces of corn. For example, we asked students which corn they thought was organic
and which one wasn’t. After choosing a specific corn (organic or inorganic), we asked students
where they thought the corn came from and started writing this information on the board. This
was followed by the question: “How is it transported from its place of origin to the local grocery
store?”. After getting answers from students for both the organic and inorganic pieces of corn,
we asked them what made each of them “sustainable”. For the most part, students thought that a
long shelflife made corn (and produce, generally speaking) more sustainable than corn with a
short shelflife. Thus, having chemicals in our produce was beneficial for the population. Others
argued that the long termeffects was not worth the abundance of produce because we would
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eventually create enough damage in our environment that will limit our current mode of
producing food. Students disagreed on what sustainability meant and what it consisted of. We
were able to define sustainability in each class period according to their information and
opinions. Needless to say, we were satisfied with the discussions happening at the very
beginning of the PBI lessons.
After gathering responses from students on sustainable produce, I went over the history
and geography of maize and precolombian artifacts. Then I connected the information I had
given them regarding the history and geography of maize and the precolombian artifacts with
my mom’s tamale recipe. Afterwards, we had students get into groups and use the remaining
time of Day 1 to choose a group recipe and work on the student contract. Students were allowed
to use iPads in order to find a recipe they all agreed on. We went around the classroom giving
students tips on how to choose a recipe and verifying if their recipe was a good choice for the
project. When we had about five minutes left, we urged students to complete and sign the student
contract before the bell rang. The student contract includes agreements on what their plan is if
there is some miscommunication, strong disagreements, or if one of their classmates is absent.
The last agreement was an important issue; we wanted students to have a plan in case a student
in their group happened to be absent. Relying on one group member for one task can work at a
great disadvantage if that particular student is absent. Thus, we had students copy information on
their individual worksheets and not rely on one sole person for any section of this project.
On the first day, we did not reveal information on how they were going to find the energy
required to transport these materials. If we had presented the dimensional analyses required to
find the total amount of energy needed to transport materials, then we suspect that some students
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would have chosen a simple recipe, possibly one where they do not have to do much research
about their ingredients. Plus, students wouldn’t have had time to decide on a recipe and complete
the student contract.
However, we did tell students to agree on one store. As part of the assignment, they
would visit a store and find each of the ingredients on their recipe in order to find the place of
origin. This was an instrumental part of the project because we need this information in order to
find answers to the driving question.
Day Two
On the second day, we began the classroom by introducing what a calorie was with a five
minute Ted Talk video. Introducing a calorie was a significant section of this project because we
were going to convert units we were unfamiliar with to kilocalories in order to examine and
analyze the quantity of kilocalories in any given context. In order to broaden the discussion about
calories, we compared American food labels to those of other countries because the majority of
foreign countries use kilocalories instead of calories. We discussed calories, what they are, and
how it can relate to other forms of energy. After confirming that there are other ways to measure
energy, we computed some simple dimensional analyses by converting three feet to one yard,
and one hour to 3,600 seconds (see Dimensional Analysis Notes). Most students understood how
we converted from one unit to another using dimensional analyses, but weren’t entirely clear on
what exactly happened in the middle steps of the dimensional analyses.
After computing elementary dimensional analysis and volunteering students to
demonstrate how they computed their answers, we moved on to the second page of the
dimensional analyses notes. We brought up the topic of calories again and reminded students that
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there are other units used to measure energy. The majority of students in each classroom were
familiar with joules, so we highlighted sections in their notes that informed us how many joules
is equal to one kilocalorie, the number of calories to one calorie, and gave them the unit factor of
1 tonne=1,000,000 grams. With this information, we pursued a challenging but relevant problem
from the notes: converting from kilojoules to kilocalories and from metric tonne to grams.
In order to link these conversion factors with the project, we reminded students that we
are trying to find the amount of energy to transport food via several different modes of
transportation. Not only did we want to find the amount, but we wanted to convert to a specific
unit in order to examine a specific amount of energy needed via a specific mode of transportation
with other modes of transportation. The first calculation involved converting energy used to
transport via train 1 metric tonne of food for one kilometer. We wrote the first step of the first
problem of the notes on the second page, which was (677 KJ/ tonnekm) and told students that
we wanted to convert from kilojoules to kilocalories and from metric tonne to grams. We
emphasized that we wanted to cross out the units that were not kilocalories, grams, or kilometers.
After getting suggestions from students, we continued with this problem one step at a time.
Eventually, we converted from (677 KJ/ tonnekm) to (.677 kilocalories/ 4184 gramskm).
After converting units for the amount of energy needed to transport via train, we used this
number we calculated to find the total amount of kilocalories need to transport one Bartlett pear
weighing 177 grams from Kelseyville, California to Austin, Texas (see number two on the
second page of Dimensional Analysis Notes). This problem demonstrated how we could used the
unit factors to calculate the total amount of kilocalories needed to transport a specific ingredient.
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For this Bartlett pear, it takes 85.289 kilocalories to transport from its place of origin
(Kelseyville, California) to Austin, Texas.
The last question in the notes asked students to compare the amount of energy needed to
transport the Bartlett pear (85.3 kilocalories) to the potential amount of energy we can get from
consuming it (112 kilocalories). There was no right or wrong answer but this question, it was
simply asking students to reflect on the amount of energy needed to transport it versus the
potential amount of energy we can consume from a sustainable and objective point of view.
These numbers we produced allowed us to think about sustainability in a more objective manner,
as opposed to ranking sustainability from a subjective and somewhat limited viewpoint.
The notes supplied students with information and techniques on finding the amount of
energy needed to transport 1 metric tonne of food one kilometer via different modes of
transportation. Additionally, it also provided an example of finding the specific amount of
kilocalories needed to transport individual ingredients (a Bartlett pear in this case). The
remaining of the class period was devoted to practice and finish Food Math Conversions. This
would assist students in calculating the amount of energy needed to transport their own
ingredients.
Day Three
We started day three by practicing dimensional analysis and converting from a specific
unit to another unit and then finding the amount of kilocalories needed to transport individual
ingredients. This gave students the opportunity to practice these challenging calculations and ask
questions as a classroom before calculating numbers for their own ingredients in their recipe.
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Afterwards, we quickly summarized what we had done in the previous days. We had
decided on a recipe to research, we had found how to calculate the calories needed to transport
individual ingredients, and now it was time to finish our work and turn in a final product as a
class project. After looking at the project rubric, we demonstrated several examples of final
products. Most of these examples included errors, tangled information, or simply lacked content
we were asking for. Then, we used the rubric to assign grades to the examples. These examples
gave the class an idea of what was the standard for this project and the information we were
expecting to find on their final product.
We reserved one computer lab from the school library and worked the entire class period
to research the history and geography of each recipe, where each ingredient came from, and the
amount of energy needed to transport these ingredients.
Day Four
On day four, we started out the class period with a warmup addressing sustainability.
Many of the students were focused on addressing every point in the rubric in order to get the
maximum amount of points and we wanted students to bring it back together by addressing the
classroom’s definition of sustainability. We created a warmup that asked students about the
longterm effects of using chemicals, factors other than transportation increasing energy output
(such as food production and storage, among many others), and why sustainability is an
important topic we need to urgently address.
During the warmup discussion, students were pointing out critical points about the
different modes of transportation and its inefficiency. We recommended students to take notes of
the discussion during the warmup in order to use this part of the discussion to write their
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reflection on the final product. Afterwards, we headed to the computer lab and used the rest of
the class period to finish the last details on their final product. Towards the end of the class
period, we discussed how the amount of energy required to transport ingredients usually
overpassed the potential amount of energy we could gain from eating these ingredients. Many of
the students used the discussions from day four and included it in their reflection.
Day Five
Day five was presentation day. In order to keep students occupied and engaged
throughout the presentations, we designed a ranking sheet where students ranked particular
aspects of each project according to how sustainable they thought it was. For example, the sheet
included rankings for ingredients, origin of ingredients, and mode of transportation. Every
student used the ranking on this sheet of paper to answer this questions on the back: According
to the classroom's definition, the most sustainable recipe includes locally grown and processed
produce and has a long shelf life. Examine the most "sustainable" recipe and explain how it
corresponds to the classroom's definition.
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Calendar of Events
October/November 2015
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
19 20 21
Day 1: PBI
Rollout
1) Define
Sustainability
2) Geohistorical
context of
corn
3) Determine
Recipes
4) Group
Contract
22
Day 1: PBI
Rollout
1) Define
Sustainability
2) Geohistorical
context of
corn
3) Determine
Recipes
4) Group
Contract
23
Day 2:
Mathematical
Practices
1) What is a
calorie?
2) Dimensional
Analysis
3) Student
Calculations
26
Day 2:
Mathematical
Practices
1) What is a
calorie?
2) Dimensional
Analysis
Example
3) Student
Calculations
27
Day 3: Student
Work Day
1) Rubric
Explanation
2) Finish
Calculations
3) Create recipe
books
28
Day 3: Student
Work Day
1) Rubric
Explanation
2) Finish
Calculations
3) Create recipe
books
29
Day 4: Student
Work Day Con’t
30
Day 4: Student
Work Day Con’t
2
Day 5:
Presentations
1) Peer
Assessment
2) Project
Reflection
3
Day 5:
Presentations
1) Peer
Assessment
2) Project
Reflection
4
Day 6:
Reflective Essay
1) Sustainabilit
y Review
2) Prompt
Creation
3) Essay
Stations
5
Day 6:
Reflective Essay
1) Sustainabilit
y Review
2) Prompt
Creation
3) Essay
Stations
6
16

Name: _____________________________
Period: ______
Date: ________________
Warm Up Day 1 (5 mins alone, 5 mins in group)
Below is a list of regions/places around the world. Work with your group to list as many
foods/dishes as you can that are specific to or originated in each region.
Mexican Italian Indian
Chinese Southern USA Spanish (Spain)
African South American Japanese
Total:_________________
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Group Recipe Information

Group Members:
________________________________________________________________

Name of dish:
__________________________________________________________________

Recipe Criteria:
● Includes 69 ingredients (excluding seasonings/herbs)
● Minimally processed
● Has historical or geographic significance

Ingredients
Ingredient Person Responsible for researching origin

● Region and historical or geographic significance:

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

● Agreed upon grocery store to research:

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Individual Research
___________________________________

Ingredient 1:
_________________
Ingredient 2:
_________________
Ingredient 3:
_________________
Location(s) of origin
and distance traveled
in km

What mode(s) of
transportation were
used to transport this
ingredient?

Number of calories
per given quantity

Source(s) for the
information written
above (sticker on
produce, address on
packaging, specific
website for internet
research, interview
with store employee)

Suggested Research Sites:
22

Individual Research
● Johnson’s Backyard Garden:https://www.jbgorganic.com/guide
● Factory Farm Map: http://www.factoryfarmmap.org
23

Group Contract
Group Members: ___________________________________________________
Our Agreement:
(Please initial next to each item)
● We all promise to listen to each other’s ideas with respect. ______________________
● We all promise to do our work to the best of our ability. ______________________
● We all promise to do our work on time. ______________________
● We all promise to ask for help if we need it. ______________________
● As a team liaison, I promise to ___________________________________
● As a proofreader, I promise to ___________________________________
● As the task manager, I promise to________________________________
● We all promise to _______________________________________.
______________
● If someone on our team breaks one or more of our rules, the team may have a meeting
and ask the person to follow our agreement. If the person still breaks the rules, we will
ask our teacher to help ﬁnd a solution.
Date: __________ 2015
Signatures:
x __________________________
x__________________________
x__________________________
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Exit ticket
Presentations for this project start NEXT WEEK! To make sure you group meets the deadline,
each person will need to finish his/her assigned work on time. This includes homework.
Complete the tables below for each member of the group.
Homework Plan
Group member Homework Signature
Roadblock Plan
It can be difficult to anticipate unexpected hurdles in your research, and the deadlines may not
change. Complete the table below to outline a plan for what to do:
Hurdle/Problem Who to contact for help When to contact them for
help
You lost your individual
research handout and you
don’t know what ingredients
you have been assigned
You find out at the last
minute that you will not be
able to go to the grocery
store
● Why is it important that every group member finishes their fraction of the work in time?
● How will you work collaboratively and make sure to get everyone involved?
● What are you going to do if you and your group members are having difficulty?
● How will you approach a disagreement or conflict between group member?
25

Name______________________________________________
Period______
Date__________
WarmUp 2
1) The AHS Maroons have 2 minutes left in their
rematch against Westlake. It is 4th and goal, and
they are 7 yards away from a touchdown. How many
feet do they need to score? (Hint: 1 yard = 3 feet)
2) Ms. Davila had a pineapple for lunch. It just so
happens that this pineapple was actually grown
under the sea, which is 7 miles below sea level. How
many kilometers did this pineapple travel to arrive to
Ms. Davila? (Hint: 1 mile = 1.61 kilometers)
26

Name______________________________________________
Period______
Date__________
Revised WarmUp 2
1) The AHS Maroons are having a rematch against
Westlake. It is 4th down, and they are 7 yards away
from a touchdown. How many feet do they need to
gain in order to score? (Hint: 1 yard = 3 feet)
2) Ms. Davila had a pineapple for lunch. It just so
happens that this pineapple was actually grown
under the sea, which is 7 miles below sea level. How
many kilometers did this pineapple travel to arrive to
Ms. Davila? (Hint: 1 mile = 1.61 kilometers)
27

Name: _________________________________________________ Period: _____ Date: ________________
Dimensional Analysis Notes
Dimensional Analysis is a problem-solving method that uses the fact that any number or
expression can be multiplied by 1 without changing its value.
Example)
12𝑖𝑖 𝑖𝑖
1𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓
=
12𝑖𝑖 𝑖𝑖
12𝑖𝑖 𝑖𝑖
= 1
This method allows the user to convert from one unit to another using known equivalencies
called “unit factors”. Unit factors may be made from any two terms that describe the same or
equivalent "amounts" of what we are interested in, like 12in = 1ft.
Steps for using Dimensional Analysis:
1) Write the 2 givens (beginning
value with units and the desired
end unit).
2) Fill in the middle with
conversion factors placing units
you need to “cancel” at diagonals from each other.
3) Determine the final value by multiplying across the top and the bottom and simplify the final
fraction.
Example 1) Convert 36 inches to yards.
1 inch = 12 feet
3 feet = 1 yard
Example 2) If you get 8 hours of sleep at night, how many seconds do you sleep?
1 hour = 60 minutes
1 minute = 60 seconds
28

*Taken from Food, Fuel, and Freeways published by Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State
University
A calorie is a unit of energy. We tend to associate calories with food, but they apply to anything containing
energy. For example, a gallon (about 4 liters) of gasoline contains about 31,000,000 calories.
Specifically, a calorie is the amount of energy, or heat, it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of
water 1 degree Celsius. One calorie is equal to 4.184 joules, a common unit of energy used in the physical
sciences. In some countries, food labels list the amount of energy in food using kilojoules as opposed to
Calories.
Most of us think of calories in relation to food, as in "This can of soda has 200 calories." It turns out that the
calories on a food package are actually kilocalories (1,000 calories = 1 kilocalorie). The word is sometimes
capitalized to show the difference, but usually not. A food calorie (kilocalorie) contains 4,184 joules. A can of
soda containing 200 food calories contains 200,000 regular calories, or 200 kilocalories. A gallon of gasoline
contains 31,000 kilocalories (or food calories, yum!).
Energy Used to Transport Food
It takes 677 kilojoules of energy to transport 1 metric tonne of food one kilometer using a train*. As a ratio, this
looks like:
Energy used to transport via train =
677 𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾
𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡−𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
1) Use dimensional analysis to change the units from kilojoules to kilocalories and from metric tonne to grams.
2) Use the conversation factor you found in number 1 to determine the amount of energy in kilocalories it takes
to transport a Bartlett pear weighing 177 grams from Kelseyville, CA to Austin, TX (2978 km).
3) The amount of energy a person can get out of that Bartlett pear is 112 kilocalories. How does this compare
with the energy it takes to transport it from California? Use the classroom’s definition of sustainability to decide
and justify if this pear is sustainable.
29

Mode of
transportation
Primary energy
consumption
KJ/Tonne-km
Primary energy
consumption
KJ/gram-km
(1 tonne = 1000000
grams)
Primary energy
consumption
KJ/lbs-km
(1 tonne = 2204.62
lbs)
Primary energy
consumption
Kcal/gram-km
Primary energy
consumption
Kcal/lbs-km
Rail
677 KJ
tonne−km
Water
423 KJ
tonne−km
Truck
2890 KJ
tonne−km
Air tonne−km
15839 KJ
Energy Used to Transport Food
Taken from Food, Fuel, and Freewayspublished by Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.
30

Food Item
Origin of Food and
Mode of
Transportation
Weight of the
Item
Number of Calories used to transport food (Show all work)
Bartlett Pear
(112 Kcal)
Kelseyville, CA 95451
Transported via truck
2978km
177 grams
Blackberries
(62 Kcal)
Guatemala
Transported via plane
to Dural, FL 1616.5km
then shipped via truck
2178km
144 grams
Tomato
(22 Kcal)
Oceanside, CA
2139km
123 grams
Tomato
(22 Kcal)
Oceanside, CA
Transported via train
2139km
123 grams
Seedless
watermelon
(544 Kcal)
Edinburg, TX
486km
1814 grams
Banana
(105 Kcal)
Guatemala
Transported via boat
to Port Hueneme, CA
3635km then shipped
via train 2324km
118 grams
31

Name________________________________________Date____________Period__________
Food Project Rubric
Student 1 Name: ____________________________Food
presented:_____________________________
Notes specific to Student 1:
Student 2 Name: ____________________________ Food
presented:_____________________________
Student 3 Name: ____________________________Food
presented:_____________________________
Presentation Rubric
Overall
Presentation
20 19 18
❏ Students explain why and how
they chose their recipe.
❏ Presentation includes the
ingredients, measurements, and
where they were grown.
❏ Presentation specifies which
ingredients are organic or not.
❏ Presentation includes a historical
or geographical background.
Examples:
❏ Origins of dish
❏ Changes made to the dish
❏ Are certain ingredients
abundant?
❏ Includes correct calculations for
items purchased at nearby
grocery store.
ingredients could be purchased
locally and what the effects it can
have on the calculations and
energy waste.
17 16 15 14
❏ Presentation includes a
recipe but glosses over
why/how they chose it.
❏ Presentation includes
ingredients with little to
no information.
❏ Presentation has shallow
historical or geographical
facts.
❏ Includes calculations for
items purchased at
nearby store.
❏ One group member does
not present.
13 10 5 0
the recipe but no other
information.
ingredients with no
additional information.
❏ Presentation does not
include any historical or
geographical fact.
❏ Information in the
presentation is not
presented
clearly/effectively
❏ 2 or more group
members do not
present.
Presentation
Total
_____ / 20 points
Content Rubric
32

Name________________________________________Date____________Period_________
Food Project Rubric
Individual Ingredient
Research and
Calculations
(20 points)
20 19 18
❏ Weight, Number of
kilocalories, and Place of
Origin are shown clearly.
❏ Type of transportation
used and distance
between locations is
distinctly shown.
❏ All Energy calculations are
displayed clearly for the
ingredients.
❏ Energy calculations are
justified.
❏ Sources used to find
information.
17 16 15 14
Origin are shown but are
difficult to understand.
used or distance
shown,but is unclear.
❏ All energy calculations
are displayed, but are
difficult to follow.
❏ Invalid sources used to
find information.
13 10 5 0
Origin are not shown.
❏ Type of transportation or
distance between
locations is not displayed.
❏ There are no energy
calculations for the
ingredient that was
chosen by the individual.
❏ No sources were
provided.
Reflection on Food
Project
(30 points)
30 29 28 27
❏ Written using complete
and grammatically correct
sentences.
❏ Reflection references all
group members.
❏ Students compare food
that can be purchased
locally to those found at
the grocery store.
❏ Reflection references the
Individual Research
Handout and the Group
Calculation Handout.
26 25 23 21
❏ Sentences are complete,
but contains some
grammatical errors.
❏ Reflection does not
reference all group
members.
❏ Reflection contains
simple research about
purchasing produce
locally.
❏ Reflection references
only one of the following
handouts: Individual
Research Handout OR
Group Calculation
Handout.
20 15 10 5
❏ Incomplete sentences are
used in the reflection.
reference group
members.
❏ Reflections does not
contain research about
purchasing produce
locally.
❏ Individual Research
Handout or Group
Calculation Handout Are
Not referenced in the
reflection.
Content
Total
_____/50 points
Final Grade= Content Total + Presentation Total
Final Grade= ______ + ______ = _____ / 70 points = __________%
*Individual students with different grades:
33

Name________________________________________Date____________Period__________
Revised Food Project Rubric
Student 1 Name:____________________________Food
presented:_____________________________
Student 2 Name:____________________________ Food
presented:_____________________________
Student 3 Name:____________________________Food
presented:_____________________________
Presentation Rubric
Overall
Presentation
20 19 18
❏ Students explain why and how
they chose their recipe.
❏ Presentation includes the
ingredients, measurements, and
where they were grown.
ingredients are organic or not.
❏ Presentation includes a historical
or geographical background.
Examples:
❏ Origins of dish
❏ Changes made to the dish
❏ Are certain ingredients
abundant?
❏ Includes correct calculations for
items purchased at nearby
grocery store.
ingredients could be purchased
locally and what the effects it can
have on the calculations and
energy waste.
17 16 15 14
❏ Presentation includes a
recipe but glosses over
why/how they chose it.
ingredients with little to
no information.
❏ Presentation has shallow
historical or geographical
facts.
❏ Includes calculations for
items purchased at
nearby store.
❏ One group member does
not present.
13 10 5 0
the recipe but no other
information.
ingredients with no
additional information.
❏ Presentation does not
include any historical or
geographical fact.
❏ Information in the
presentation is not
presented
clearly/effectively
❏ 2 or more group
members do not
present.
Presentation
Total
_____ / 20 points
Content Rubric
34

Name________________________________________Date____________Period_________
Individual Ingredient
Research and
Calculations
(20 points)
20 19 18
Origin are shown clearly.
used and distance
distinctly shown.
❏ All Energy calculations are
displayed clearly for the
ingredients.
❏ Energy calculations are
justified.
❏ Sources used to find
information.
17 16 15 14
Origin are shown but are
difficult to understand.
used or distance
shown,but is unclear.
❏ All energy calculations
are displayed, but are
difficult to follow.
❏ Invalid sources used to
find information.
13 10 5 0
Origin are not shown.
❏ Type of transportation or
distance between
locations is not displayed.
❏ There are no energy
calculations for the
ingredient that was
chosen by the individual.
❏ No sources were
provided.
Reflection on Food
Project
(30 points)
30 29 28 27
❏ Written using complete
and grammatically correct
sentences.
❏ Reflection references all
group members.
❏ Students compare food
that can be purchased
locally to those found at
the grocery store.
❏ Reflection references the
Individual Research
Handout and the Group
Calculation Handout.
❏ Includes changes to the
recipe over time that
were discovered or any
interesting findings
throughout the course of
the project
❏ Includes ways in which
sustainability may be
improved
26 25 23 21
❏ Sentences are complete,
but contains some
grammatical errors.
reference all group
members.
❏ Reflection contains
simple research about
purchasing produce
locally.
❏ Reflection includes
minimal discoveries,
findings, or sustainability
improvement
suggestions.
❏ Reflection references
only one of the following
handouts: Individual
Research Handout OR
Group Calculation
Handout.
20 15 10 5
❏ Incomplete sentences are
used in the reflection.
reference group
members.
❏ Reflections does not
contain research about
purchasing produce
locally.
❏ Individual Research
Handout or Group
Calculation Handout Are
Not referenced in the
reflection.
include discoveries, nor
does it suggest
improvements on
sustainability.
Content
Total
_____/50 points
35

Name________________________________________Date____________Period_________
Final Grade= Content Total + Presentation Total
Final Grade= ______ + ______ = _____ / 70 points = __________%
*Individual students with different grades:
36

Warm-Up 4
Sustainable produce can be grown and processed locally and have a long shelf life.
1) If we were considering factors other than just
transportation, what other factors would you
consider when determining the energy output?
2) Suppose there is an ingredient that takes more
energy to transport it than what we can gain by
eating it. How and why is this a bad thing?
3) What are the long-term effects of growing
inorganic food industrially?
4) Why is it more preferred to maximize
sustainability?
37

Reflective Essay Rubric
Category 0 1 2 3
Use of Numerical
Analysis
No reference to
calculated results.
Student includes results,
but does not interpret or
refer to them.
Student uses results, but
incorrectly interprets or
refers to them.
Refers to results from
calculations and
correctly interprets the
conclusions.
Depth of Analysis &
SelfAwareness
Reflection does not
move beyond
description of the
learning experience.
The reflection attempts
at applying the learning
experience to
understanding self,
others, or community,
but does not
demonstrate depth of
analysis.
Reflection demonstrates
attempts to analyze the
learning experience, but
lacks depth of how the
learning experience
contributed to
understanding of self,
others, procedure,
and/or community.
The reflection moves
beyond simple
description of the
learning experience to
an analysis of how the
experience contributed
to understanding of self,
others, procedure,
and/or community.
Future Impacts &
Implications
Does not identify
implications or
consequences to self or
others; Does not
acknowledge impact of
issue on future.
Identifies implications
and consequences of
issue(s) to self;
Identifies potential
effect on future.
Identifies implications
and consequences of
issue(s) to self and
others; Identifies
concrete examples of
change in the future.
Comprehensively
identifies implications
and consequences of
issue(s) to self and
others, and makes
connections to specific
ways in which the
future will be affected.
Overall Essay Structure There is no introduction
or conclusion. There is
no flow or organization
in the essay.
Introduction states the
main topic. A
conclusion is included.
Introduction states the
main topic and provides
an overview. A
conclusion is included.
Introduction is inviting
and provides an
overview of the paper.
Information is relevant
and presented in a
logical order.
Conclusion is strong.
Writing Mechanics Student makes frequent
language errors,
including grammar,
spelling, and
punctuation. Reflection
cannot be
comprehended.
Writer makes a few
errors in grammar or
spelling that tend to
distract the reader from
the content.
Writer makes only a
couple errors in
grammar or spelling
that do not distract the
reader from the content.
Writer makes no errors
in grammar, spelling, or
punctuation that distract
the reader from the
content.
Comments
40

FettuccineAlfredo
Made by: Ella Rosi, Hally Sasser, and Leti De Leon

INGREDIENTS
24 oz dry fettuccine pasta
1 cup unsalted butter
¾ pint heavy whipping cream
¾ cup romano cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 dash of garlic salt
1 package chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter into cream over low heat. Add garlic salt. Stir in romano and parmesan cheese over medium heat until melted; this will
thicken the sauce.
3. Add pasta to sauce. Use enough of the pasta so that all of the sauce is used and the pasta is thoroughly coated.
4. To cook the chicken, season the chicken breast lightly with garlic salt.
5. Heat the sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add butter. Swirl the pan so it is lightly covered with the butter.
6. Add the chicken breasts and turn the heat to medium. Cook for just about 1 minute to help them get a little golden on one side (you are not actually
searing or browning them).
7. Flip each chicken breast over.
8. Turn the heat down to low.
9. Cover the pan and cook on low for 10 minutes.
10. After 10 minutes have elapsed, turn off the heat. (If you have an electric stove, remove the pan from the heat.) Reset the timer for 10 minutes and
leave the chicken breasts in the pan. Again, do not lift the lid; do not peek.
11. After the 10 minutes are up, take the lid off, and your chicken is done. Make sure there is no pink in the middle of the chicken breasts. If you want to be
absolutely sure it is cooked, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check (the chicken should be at least 165°F).
12. Slice and add to pasta.
13. Enjoy!
Recipe source:
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-moist-tender-chicken-breasts-every-time-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-36891
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/23431/to-die-for-fettuccine-alfredo/

DISHSIGNIFICANCE
We chose this historic Italian dish to connect and learn more about the Italian culture. Although fettuccine alfredo is
a relatively new dish, created in 1914, the fettuccine pasta is one of the oldest, most commonly used pastas in Italy.
Fettuccine Alfredo was invented and named by a man named Alfredo Di Lelio in Rome, Italy in his restaurant. Two
American actors visited the restaurant, and brought the dish to the United States after finding it delicious. All recipes tend to
be modified over time, and fettuccine alfredo can be made adding various ingredients. The key ingredient to fettuccine
alfredo is in the name, fettuccine pasta. The pasta has a distinct thickness and pairs well with many sauces, including the
rich, creamy sauce that makes fettuccine alfredo. Today, fettuccine is used all over Italy and in Italian dishes made all over
the world.

C
A
L
C
U
L
A
T
I
O
N
S
Origin of Food and Distance
Traveled
Mass Equation for Calories used to
Transport
Garlic Salt
0 calories
Made by Morton in Grand
Saline, TX.
Traveled 333.1 km by truck
241 grams 2.89kcal/1,484g-km * 241g *
333.1km= 232,000.8/1484=
156.3 kcal
Chicken Breast
239 calories
Transported by HEB from
Sanderson Farms.
Traveled 136.8 km by truck
2041.2 grams 2.89kcal/1,484g-km * 2,041.2g *
136.8km= 806,992.5/1484=
543.8 kcal
Romano Cheese
480 calories
Made by Kraft in Northfield,
Illinois. Traveled 1,828.5 km by
truck
235 grams 2.89kcal/1481g-km * 235g *
1,828.5km= 1,241,825.8/1481 =
838.5 kcal
Parmesan Cheese
720 calories
Made by Kraft in Northfield,
Illinois. Traveled 1,828.5 km by
truck
235 grams 2.89kcal/1481g-km * 235g *
1,828.5km=1,241,825.8/1481=
838.5 kcal
Heavy Cream
100 calories
Made by Borden in Dallas, TX
Traveled 317 km by truck
907 grams 2.89kcal/4,184g-km * 907g *
317km= 830,929.91kcal/4,184=
198.6 kcal
Unsalted Butter
60 calories
Made by Borden in Dallas, TX
Traveled 317 km by truck
473.5 grams 2.89kcal/4,184g-km * 473.5g *
317km= 433,787.5kcal/4,184 =
103.7 kcal
Fettuccine Pasta
200 calories
Made by Barilla in Ames, Iowa
traveled 1359.9 km to HEB
by truck
453.6 grams 2.89kcal/1,484g-km * 453.6g *
1,359.9km= 1,782,698.3/1484=
1201.3 kcal

REFLECTION
Based on the information found by the calculations, I would not classify this dish as sustainable by
the calories. Our ingredients were not locally bought, and the amount of distance traveled lead to a higher
amount of calories used in transportation than what we receive from eating the dish. The total amount of
calories received from eating the dish is 1,799kcal, and the amount of calories used in the transportation
was 3,880.7kcal.
To make our dish of fettuccine alfredo more sustainable, we could use ingredients that require less
transportation, such as local, organic ingredients. This dish is native to Italy, so it is more sustainable in its
place of origin.
Although the calories are not abundant from the dish, the ingredients to make the dish have a long
shelf life, and are easily accessible at the grocery store.The ingredients in fettuccine alfredo are available
all year round, because it has no fruit or vegetables.

IngredientsMixed Berry Pie
Ingredients
(All Organic) (Most seasonal, but transported from different areas)
Crust:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter, cubed
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Directions
In a large bowl, mix flour and salt, cut in butter until crumbly as you gradually add water and toss it with a fork
Divide dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other. Then form the dough into disks and warp in
plastic which you will store overnight or for an hour
For filling, in a large saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and if desired cinnamon until smooth; add
blueberries
Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool slightly
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently fold blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and lemon juice into blueberry
mixture
Lightly flour a surface and roll out the larger portion of dough to a 1/8 in. thick circle and place into a 9 in. pie
plate. Trim pastry to ½ inch beyond the rim of the plate
Place the filling within the crust; dot with butter
Roll the remaining dough to a 1/8 inch thick circle and cut into ½ wide strips. Arrange over the filling in a
lattice pattern. Trim and seal strips to edge of bottom pastry; flute edge. Bake for 10 minutes
Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees and bake 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
After taking the pie out cool on a wire rack and your ready to serve your Delicious Mixed Berry Pie!

Calculations
Butter:
1 cup
1,600 cal
From San
Antonio Tx,
147.8987 km (by
truck)
2.890 kcal 226.796 g
1
147.8987 km
14148 g-km
96,983.78
4148
= 23.168926
kcal
.677 kcal 300 g 1869.41399 km 379,677.98
4184 g-km 1 1 4148
Flour:
2 ½ cups
1,000 cal
From
Minneapolis,
Mn.
1869.41399
km (by train)
90.7752154
kcal
=
.677 kcal 40 g 1060.56 km 28,719.9648
4148 g-km 1 1 4148
=
6.864
23633
kcal
Cornstarch:
¼ cup
120 cal
From
Memphis,
Tn
1060.56 km
(by train)

Calculations
2.89 kcal 230 g 2053
km
4184 g-km 1 1
= 326 kcal
Blackberries:
62 cal
From Oxhard,
CA
2053 km (by
truck)
2.89 kcal 77 g 2430 km
4184 g-
km
1 1
=
129 kcal +
.677 kcal 77 g 2430 km
4184 g-km 1 1
= 30 kcal
Cinnamon:
0 cal
From Nouato,
CA
2439 km (by
truck/train)
2.89 kcal 908 g 222 km
4148 g-
km
1 1
= 139
kcal +
.677 kcal 908 g 222 km
4148 1 1
= 32 kcal
Sugar:
3,405 cal
From
Sugarland
, TX
222 km
(by
truck/train)

15.839 kcal 181 g 8295 km 23,780,595
4184 g- km 1 1 4184
Calculations
Argentina
Blueberries
229 cal. per liter
By truck
Raspberries
60 cal. per 6 oz.
Mexico(8295 km)
By plane
Strawberries
San Diego(1458)
By plane
145 cal. per 16 oz.
2890 kcal 68 g 1458 km 286,526,160
4184 g- km 1 1 4184
2890 kcal 120 g 2092 km 725,505,600
4184 g- km 1 1 4,184
= 5,683
kcal
=68,481.39
kcal.
= 173,400
kcal

Origin and Extra Facts
All of the ingredients we used were chosen because they were organic. Pie is a
key dessert in the southern areas of the United States. Our group agreed on
the flavor all of us loved which was Mixed Berry pie and wanted the joy of
learning how to make it.
Reaching back to the ancient Egyptian times, pie has been made and traveled
through many cultures such as the romans and then to the English who gave it
to America as they were the first to settle. Over much The famous dessert has
been adapted to America and gained the title of “The most traditional
American dessert.” In addition 90 percent declared pie as one of the main
pleasures of life according to The American Pie Council. Selling
Approximately 186 million pies every year, 700 million dollars is made from
the Pie economy.

Reflection
After creating our delicious Mixed berry pie, much was revealed on how sustainable food can be and where and
when to buy the ingredients. Factors such as how many calories it takes to transport and how much the food
gives us to consume are very important things to think about as you choose your ingredients. Kendall collected
the butter, flour, and cornstarch. Maddy collected the sugar, cinnamon, blackberries and Cade bought the
blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Each one of us then calculated the amount of calories taken to
transport and compared it to actual food consumption of energy, the results surprised us. All of the ingredients
we used in our recipe were organic, except the few instances where the berries were transported by plane from
different countries. Besides the berries, everything was either locally grown in places like Sugarland, Texas or
California. Organic and Inorganic are very different categories each showing the quality of food and how fresh
and sustainable the product is. Organic is the definition for a great reliable food source, as it is produced in the
best of conditions. The calculations we made revealed the actual amount of energy and how the work used
compared to the amount of calories consumed. Greater consuming calories to Transportation is what we strived
for, but sadly our goal was not accomplished. Transportation took 248,341.098 calories in total and food
calories had a total of 6621, this later results in many environmental problems and health issues as we are using
more to travel.

Handout Descriptions
Day 1: Introduction and Launch
● Day 1 WarmUp: Students are introduced to this project through a competitive
engagement. Their task was to come up with as many meals as possible from a variety of
regions around the world. This was initially done individually, then students worked in
groups to combine answers and try to think of the most meals. These groups ended up
being the groups that they would work in for the remainder of the project. The goal of
this warmup was to get students thinking about the variety of foods in relation to
different cultures around the world.
● Poll Everywhere Questions: The polls aim to bring forth the idea of sustainability by way
of organic and inorganic produce. Students vote on the origin and mode of transportation
for both organic and inorganic corn, then vote on which type of corn is more sustainable
to them. After a fruitful discussion about what sustainability entailed, the class then made
a collective definition of sustainability that the students referred to throughout the course
of the project.
● Group Recipe Handout: In this handout, students determine their recipe, and the group
allocates each ingredient to a certain member. Each student is held responsible for
researching information about his or her ingredients. They then determine a grocery store
in which they will obtain information about each ingredient, such as place of origin,
number of calories, and mode of transportation.
● Group Contract: Students come to a mutual agreement to take responsibility for their
portion of the recipe; they sign a written contract promising to make an equal amount of
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contribution throughout the project. Each member is designated a significant role to
ensure that everything gets done in an efficient and accurate manner. Also, students
determine what actions to take in the event of a roadblock, such as a student absence or
lost/misplaced documentation.
Day 2: Mathematical Practices
● WarmUp: This warmup introduces the main idea behind dimensional analysis. Students
start by doing 1step conversion problems to understand unit conversion on a surface
level.
● Dimensional Analysis Handout: Students take notes on how to perform dimensional
analysis, why it works, and the notes also explain that unit conversion are only made
between measurements of the same type (ie. distance, time, energy, etc.)
● Energy from Transportation: This document gives data regarding the amount of energy
consumed from transporting food by air, road, water, and railroad.
Day 3 & 4: Work Days
● Content Rubric: Students are given a rubric to make sure all important aspects of their
final product are addressed. They are aware ahead of time of what exactly needs to be
included. Examples are also shown to the students in order to get a tangible idea of what
grade they can expect from their products. We decided to include check boxes for on the
48

rubric, so that the students can check off each requirement as they work. This ensures that
they fully complete everything, so that they know what grade to expect.
● Presentation Rubric: This rubric includes everything that needs to be addressed when
presenting their final products to the class. We designed the presentation rubric such that
each student explains their process from start to finish, including interesting findings and
making connections to sustainability in terms of energy conservation.
● Reflection Rubric: Here, students are asked to write a brief summary/reflection about
their findings throughout the project.
Day 5: Presentations
● Day 4 WarmUp: This warmup aims to bring the project full circle and make
connections to their recipes and sustainability. They are asked questions that get them
thinking about the costbenefit relationship between inorganic and organic foods and
energy conservation/waste.
● Sustainability Ranking: During other students’ presentations, the rest of the class looks at
a variety of factors of each group’s recipe in order to rank each recipe on a scale of
sustainability. On the other side of this handout, students use their class definition of
sustainability to compare the most sustainable recipe to the least sustainable recipe,
explaining their reasoning.
Day 6: Essay Introduction and Stations (Future Implementation)
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● Essay Rubric: This rubric gives students an idea of what is expected of them when
writing an essay that reflects upon their findings throughout the course of the project.
Reflection
Throughout the designing and implementing of this project, there were many things that
were worth learning from for designing projects later on in our teaching careers. If we were to
implement this project again in the future, there would be some revisions to be made to some of
the artifacts in order to ensure clarity. The first revision would be made on The Day 2 WarmUp.
A considerable number of students were confused about the wording in the first question. The
fact that there were 2 minutes left was irrelevant, and was only meant to depict a real game
scenario. Some students looked at the problem as a rate of change in distance rather than a
conversion of distance. This part of the question should be removed to prevent further confusion.
One major revision however would be to the Reflection portion of the rubric. The majority of
students had to ask for clarification on what was expected in their reflection. To be more clear as
to what is to be included, we should have included check boxes that required students to include
any changes to the recipe over time that they discovered, any interesting findings throughout the
course of the project, or ways in which the sustainability of their recipes could be improved. This
could be through the use of more organic ingredients, local ingredients, or ingredients that are
transported by a more energy efficient mode of transportation. These revisions to the rubric
would minimize confusion and give more clarity when students write their reflections. A clear
50

reflection would have increased the overall quality of the project and made for a greater learning
experience.
If we were allocated more time for this project, one major component that would have
been added as an extension would be to have the students come up with their own class prompt
and write a reflective essay after watching presentations. The essay prompt will be composed by
having the students consider their findings during the project, and by considering questions about
the types of things that they are still curious about in terms of sustainability, produce, and energy
consumption. The essay could include ideas about any actions to take in the future from an
individual or a community to increase sustainability or reduce energy consumption. A potential
essay rubric has been included. Before having the students write their essays, we would have
devoted class time to have the students visit various stations to help them prepare for their
essays. These stations would have included interpreting calculations, applying the learning
experience, future actions, writing mechanics, and prompt interpretation. This extension could
have also transitioned into a worthwhile investigation of carbon dioxide emissions and air
pollution.
Creating this project was a very challenging yet fun experience that allowed us to learn
about the project development process, and it helped us gain insight about how students learn
and benefit from projectbased instruction.
51

References
Pollan, M. (2006). The omnivore's dilemma: a natural history of four meals. Penguin.
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