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Day One we will focus on how food is sourced as well as the treatment of animals and people involved in fast fast food chains. We will cover various individual fast food chains who are aiming to make a difference and propose a class discussion on other changes that could be made.

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Day Two we will focus on the infrastructure of fast food restaurants. As a class, we will explore the various ways of which different restaurants have considered sustainability when constructing individual locations. After reviewing various fast food restaurants, students will be asked to draw and present their own fast food restaurant building which must incorporate some form of sustainable infrastructure (ie solar panels, LED or natural lighting).

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Day Three we will focus on personal health and the social impacts of fast food consumption. Information will include statistics on American obesity rates and other health complications. To contrast these main points, we will look at various fast food menus and discover healthier alternatives that are available.

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Consider the practices of various companies and how they contribute to waste and water/air pollution. Using systems thinking, students will consider and discuss the disadvantages fast food proposes to the environment and how these chains contribute to global climate change. As a class we will then consider the various methods specific companies are implementing to reduce their carbon footprint.

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Animals are often fed hormones to increase production/growth

Assembly Line Work Environments - workers are paid very little and suffer poor working conditions with little benefits

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McDonald's

Sources 37% of their coffee beans sustainably

Set environmental goals for 2020 to increase energy efficiency and serve 100% sustainable beef and whole foods

Chipotle

40% of their beans come from organic farms

100% of their chicken are free of antibiotics

100& of their pork and 85% of their beef is raised naturally

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Have had multiple buildings approved and sponsored by the United States Green Building Council

Have built 30 LEED certified buildings

Some infrastructures even harvest rainwater for irrigation

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Many locations are open 24 hours and require a lot of energy/electricity to stay running. Talk about it in a group discussion!

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Within the past year American Obesity rates have risen in 23 states

2/3 of adults are considered overweight/obese

The United States is considered the 9th most overweight country in the world!

Fast Food has been linked with an increase in depression

Food production often poses risk for water borne illnesses such as E Coli

Risk of diabetes or heart disease

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Many places now offer vegan/vegetarian options and healthy alternatives (apple slices versus fries at McDonald's)

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Much of fast food packaging includes styrofoam and non degradable plastics(to combat this Starbucks uses recycled paper cups)

Fast Food accounts for 40% of all litter

Energy is required to produce ingredients as well as packaging

Large amounts of methane gas is produced by cattle

Distributing trucks and other means of transportation cause pollution contributing to climate change

Water contamination due to hormones and fertilizers used in production

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Have students plan out and draw their own fast food building that incorporates sustainability.

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Have students look at various fast food menus and compare for healthy options.

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Students will be given time to conduct their own research on a single fast food chain using technology such as computers. With poster paper students will then create a poster focusing on the sustainable efforts, made by that company, to reduce any negative environmental impact. After doing a gallery walk exploring each poster, students will then write a short response expressing their own opinion toward the subject of fast food and whether it is sustainable or not.

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For my unit, I will be focusing on how current fast food chains are either practicing or not practicing food sustainability. This fourth grade science lesson will cover the subject of food sustainability and how modern fast food chains have an affect on our global health. In order to have students assess and form their own opinions toward this topic, I will supply information on current fast food practices and statistics for environmental impacts and personal health. My sources explore both the pros and cons offered by fast food chains toward food sustainability.

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I chose this topic because it is relevant to a past work culture that I was heavily invested in. For over two years I worked for Chipotle Mexican grill and was informed of how they, as a company, support food sustainability and local farming businesses. I wanted to research these claims and determine, for myself, the validity of these statements.

We have to consume food in order to live. While we could survive without fossil fuels or other forms of energy we cannot substitute our need for food and water. For this reason I feel that it is important as a society to educate ourselves on where our food comes from and how it affects the environment as well as our personal health. Many argue that healthy, sustainable food is unaffordable which is why I want to research current practices of fast food chains. I also feel that this topic will interest students more since it is relevant to current popular culture.

I think it is important at an early age to start implementing healthy habits such as daily exercise and eating right. While this conversation can start in a physical education classroom it can also extend into science. As educators, we can inform students of information, such as my topic, so that students can make the choice for themselves to participate in sustainability outside of the classroom.

Students can also use this knowledge to compare and contrast information in order to create their own opinion on which fast food chain is the most or least sustainable. Students often ask when educational content will be applied to their day to day life experience. With this topic it’s not only relevant to a familiar activity (consuming fast food), it can also affect a student’s future decisions.

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By the end of my lesson students should be able to critically assess fast food restaurants and form an opinion of why or why not fast food in America is sustainable. Students will have an understanding of food sustainability and what we can do as consumers to help our community pursue more environmentally stable options. Using their knowledge of food sustainability, students will be able to make suggestions on how fast food industries could improve their practices.

Concept 2. Science and Technology in Society PO 2. Describe benefits (e.g., easy communications, rapid transportation) and risks (e.g., pollution, destruction of natural resources) related to the use of technology.

Concept 3. Organisms and Environments PO 4. Describe ways in which resources can be conserved (e.g., by reducing, reusing, recycling, finding substitutes).

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Earth911. (2018). 7 Fast Food Chains Going Green. Retrieved from: https://earth911.com/business-policy/fast-food-green/

This source briefly describes the steps specific fast food chains are taking in order to become more sustainable and “green”. Much of this information ranges from changes in packaging as well as locally sourcing food products. This article also describes the reality of many Americans who may struggle to otherwise support sustainable food options or are just in need of a quick bite to eat.

AgWeb Powered by Farm Journal. (2018). Fast Food Giant Shares Its Take On Sustainability. Retrieved from: https://www.agweb.com/article/fast-food-giant-shares-its-take-on-sustainability-naa-rhonda-brooks/

This article takes direct quotes from Townsend Bailey, the director of US supply chain sustainability for McDonalds, in order to express the companies efforts to practice sustainability. Many of these statements include future goals and solutions to meet these goals. This source demonstrates that McDonalds has acknowledges the concern that many people share regarding their practices.

The Journal of the American Institute of Architects. (2009). Fast Food Chains Serve Up Sustainable Restaurants. Retrieved from: https://www.architectmagazine.com/retail-projects/a-new-order.aspx

This source describes the steps toward sustainability, outside of food production, taken by specific fast food chains. Most of these include changes made to the infrastructure in order to reduce inefficient energy costs.

Triple Pundit. (2009). Greening the Fast Food Industry. Retrieved from: https://www.triplepundit.com/2009/07/greening-the-fast-food-industry/

This article proposes the irony that fast food companies, one of America’s most unhealthy habits, is making an attempt to “go green”. It acknowledges companies, like McDonald's, efforts to raise the standard for clean technology and environmentally conscious infrastructure. After reviewing some of the positive changes, the author criticises whether or not McDonald's is considering the health of their customer.

One Green Planet Organization. (2014). 10 Ways Fast Food is Destroying the World. Retrieved from: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/10-ways-fast-food-is-destroying-the-world/

This brief article describes the downsides of fast food toward our personal health, animals, and the environment. This source evaluates fast food practices from production and sourcing to when it is digested by the consumer.

Phys Organization. (2016). How Cutting Down on Junk Food Could Help Save the Environment. Retrieved from: https://phys.org/news/2016-10-junk-food-environment.html

This source uses statistics to gage the environmental impacts fast food has on the world. The author suggests some healthier and more sustainable alternatives to fast food that provide variety to the typical day to day diet. It is suggested that we should hold food producers responsible and encourage action by not participating in the consumption of their product until it meets sustainable standards.

Shutte, S. (n.d.). SugarCreek: Brandworthy Food Solutions. Retrieved from https://hub.sugarcreek.com/blog/fast-food-sustainability-pioneer

Trending: Fast Food, Supermarket Giants Commit to Slashing Single-Use Plastics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/waste_not/sustainable_brands/trending_fast_food_supermarket_giants_commit_slashing_si

Eco-Friendly Fast Food - What It Is and How It Stacks Up Against Its Mainstream Counterpart. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/060210p12.shtml

Cheeseman, G. C. (2015, February 07). Can the Fast Food Industry Ever Be Sustainable? Retrieved from https://www.triplepundit.com/2010/08/can-the-fast-food-industry-ever-be-sustainable/