Eco Bites: Cooking for the Planet

Learning Goals & Products

Learning Goals

Students will be able to investigate how seasonal ingredients grow from plants and natural resources in a local farm or garden, using observations from direct user and partner experiences.

Students will be able to identify plant parts people eat in common seasonal foods, using sketches, labels, and sorting evidence from tasting and farm experiences.

Students will be able to explain how seasonality and growing conditions affect ingredient choices for a recipe, using evidence from farm observations and ingredient charts.

Students will be able to describe how heat, mixing, and measurement change ingredients during simple no-cook and low-prep recipes, using test cards and cooking journals.

Students will be able to collaborate with peers and high school culinary arts students to create and revise a seasonal recipe cookbook, using shared decision-making and feedback.

Students will be able to communicate harvest stories and ingredient choices clearly to a community audience, using labeled visuals, short presentations, and recipe demos.

Students will be able to reflect on how their food thinking changed from the kickoff to the final celebration, using journal entries and feedback from peers and partners.

Products

individual

Seasonal Ingredient Research Journal and Recipe Test Card

Each student creates a research journal with ingredient sketches, tasting notes, plant-part labels, harvest observations, and short reflections. They also complete one simple recipe test card that shows how an ingredient was prepared and what they learned from the result.

team

Student-Made Seasonal Recipe Cookbook and Community Demo Display

Teams synthesize their research into a revised seasonal recipe cookbook with annotated visuals, ingredient charts, and a shared problem statement about food choices and natural resources. They present the cookbook through a table display and short demo for families, younger students, and community partners.

Rubric

Competency Progression Rubric Competency-first rubric

Category	Learning Goal	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4
Deeper Learning Competencies	Content Expertise	I can identify common plant parts (roots, stems, leaves, and fruits) and match each sample ingredient to the part that is eaten using my sorting notes from the farm kickoff and tasting experiences.	I can explain how seasonal growing conditions and plant structures (what part grows above or below the ground) connect to natural resources by using evidence from my labeled journal pages and ingredient sketches.	I can compare at least two seasonal ingredients and describe how growing method and harvest timing affect food choices, using specific details from my farm observations, plant-part labels, and tasting notes.	I can use evidence from the farm, tastings, and simple cooking to support a clear claim about how natural resources (soil, water, sunlight, and growing practices) influence ingredient availability and my recipe decisions, and I can revise my cookbook pages to make my explanations more accurate.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Critical Thinking & Problem Solving	I can describe how an ingredient’s growing needs (like soil and water) connect to natural resources, using simple evidence from my farm/garden visit or tasting notes.	I can explain why my team chose certain seasonal ingredients by linking plant growth and harvest conditions to natural resources, and I can point to at least one specific observation or journal entry.	I can investigate how changes in food preparation (for example, heat, mixing, or measurement) affect the ingredient and connect those results back to natural resources and seasonality using evidence from multiple sources.	I can propose and justify a new plan or improvement to my recipe or labeling (or a question for the wonder wall) by analyzing patterns in our observations, explaining how natural resources, growing practices, and food choices work together.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Effective Communication	I can share my first impressions about seasonal foods and explain my ingredient choices using simple observations (what I saw, smelled, tasted) and a labeled sketch in my journal.	I can communicate how a food’s plant part and growing method connect to natural resources by using evidence from my farm/garden notes in my labeled journal pages and short partner discussions.	I can clearly present my ingredient choices and harvest story by linking seasonality and growing conditions to food preparation, using accurate plant-part labels, tasting notes, and recipe test cards as support.	I can engage an audience by explaining how my thinking changed over time (from kickoff to final week) and using multiple pieces of evidence from observations, tastings, and cooking to answer questions with empathy and clarity during demos and presentations.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Collaboration	I can work with my team during farm, tasting, and cooking sessions by sharing materials, taking a fair turn, and completing my part of the project journal pages or recipe cards with help when needed I can follow team directions and contribute an idea or question during class discussions.	I can collaborate with my team to co-create labeled journal pages and recipe test cards by sharing roles (like sketching, labeling plant parts, or recording tasting notes) and using simple evidence from our experiences I can communicate respectfully, listen to peers, and revise my work based on team input.	I can collaborate to plan, divide tasks, and make shared decisions for our seasonal recipe cookbook and displays by connecting our ingredients to natural resources and ESS.3.A ideas (like what plants need to grow and when they are harvested) I can resolve small disagreements by using “try again” strategies and agreeing on next steps, then explain how our team’s choices improved the product.	I can lead collaboration by helping my team organize work, support peers, and ensure the final cookbook, charts, and exhibition displays clearly explain how our food choices connect to natural resources, seasonality, and growing practices using evidence from the farm and tastings I can independently coordinate group decisions, give constructive feedback, and refine our presentation to improve clarity for a community audience.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Self Directed Learning	I can use a checklist and follow step-by-step directions to complete my project journal pages (sketches, labels, and first tasting impressions) and keep my work organized as we move through the unit I can ask for help when I don’t understand how to record evidence from the farm, tasting, or cooking.	I can set a simple learning goal for what I want to figure out about natural resources/seasonality, and I can revise my journal or recipe notes after receiving feedback from my teacher or peers I can explain what evidence I used (like observations from the farm or notes from tastings) to support my updates.	I can independently choose strategies to improve my work—like adding accurate plant-part labels, making stronger tasting notes, or correcting recipe steps—using feedback and reflection prompts I can track how my understanding of natural resources changes from early weeks to later weeks by writing a brief, evidence-based “before and after” reflection.	I can independently monitor my progress toward my goals, seek feedback proactively, and make thoughtful revisions that strengthen the connection between my evidence (farm observations, ingredient handling, and tasting/cooking results) and my explanations I can clearly justify my final choices for the cookbook and presentation by linking them to what natural resources and seasonality require.