1
MIDDLE LEVEL
SCIENCE
AND
OUR FOOD SUPPLY
Investigating
Food Safety from
Farm
to
Table
Teacher’s Guide for Middle Level Classrooms
National
Science
Teachers
Association
SCIENCE
AND
OUR FOOD SUPPLY
Dear Teacher,
What captures the interest of students? Food! A proven motivator, interest in food can be used to
engage students in inquiry-based science. Never before has food science received the public attention
it’s receiving now — from scientists and public health officials to lawmakers and the media.
Taking advantage of this broad public interest, coupled with the richness of advances in food science,
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
formed a partnership to develop teaching and learning materials. FDA is an agency of the U.S.
government authorized by Congress to inspect, test, and set safety standards for all food, except
meat, poultry, and processed eggs. NSTA is the world’s largest professional organization dedicated to
the teaching of science. Its mission is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and
learning for all. Through this partnership, leading FDA food scientists from across the country provided
their expertise in designing challenging laboratory experiments and activities for this program in
collaboration with an expert panel of teachers coordinated by NSTA.
We are pleased to present you with a copy of Science and Our Food Supply. This innovative,
supplemental curriculum introduces students to the fundamentals of microbiology, while at the
same time imparting important public health information. Custom designed for use by middle level
teachers, the emphasis is on an inquiry approach, which is in alignment with current science education
standards. It also provides a science and technology connection for those educators focusing on STEM
in their classrooms.
Science and Our Food Supply suggests many
useful teaching ideas and strategies. FDA and
NSTA have also partnered in the development
and offering of a “Professional Development
Program in Food Science,” designed to better
prepare teachers in the use of the curriculum
materials to maximize the learning opportunities for their students. If you are interested in this
program or other workshops and support opportunities, please visit the program’s website at
www.teachfoodscience.org.
We are confident that you and your students will find Science and Our Food Supply to be a useful
guide to an engaging and relevant learning experience.
Science and Our Food Supply is
classroom-tested. It was developed
in conjunction with an experienced
team of middle level science teachers.