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The Pesticide Problem at Home

School: Harborside Academy

City/State: Kenosha, WI

Grade(s): 11

Format(s): Booklet

Subject(s): English Language Arts, Health and Wellness

Type(s): Informative/Explanatory

Writing Assignment Description

During a "Food for All" expedition, students studied how the choices we make about food affect our health, the environment, and the welfare of animals. Students also learned about how food insecurity affects people, and why there are hungry people in the United States, a country with so much food that much of it goes to waste every day.

For a culminating project, students were asked to give back to the community with what they learned about those topics. Their assignment: to create a library of resources for a local community action agency to help people learn more about the issues affecting what they eat as well as some affordable, accessible ways to eat more healthfully and sustainably. Each student created a booklet in which they:

  • Presented information about a food-related problem
  • Offered a solution to that problem that is affordable, accessible, and attainable
  • Demonstrated how to implement that solution

Students wrote all of the content based on their own web-based research into topics they chose, and use a variety of web-based design programs, like Canva and LucidPress, to design their booklets. Finished booklets were donated to the Racine-Kenosha Community Action Agency for people in the community to use as a resource for years to come.

How This Writing Can Be Useful

  • Excellent example of how technology can be used to create an attractive writing product
  • Includes source citations
  • An exciting model for high school students as it illustrates a unique way to present information
  • Illustrates informative writing with an authentic purpose

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