Food Systems and Sustainability Lesson Plan
Learning Objective
Students will understand the concept of food systems and sustainability by creating animated gifs using Brush Ninja to showcase different aspects of a sustainable food system.
Materials
- Computers or tablets with internet access for each student or group
- Access to Brush Ninja
- Paper and pencils for brainstorming ideas
Procedure
Introduction
- Begin by asking students what they know about where their food comes from.
- Discuss the concept of a food system and explain that it includes all the steps involved in producing, processing, distributing, and consuming food.
- Introduce the idea of sustainable food systems, which are designed to minimize negative impacts on the environment while also providing healthy and accessible food for everyone.
Brainstorming
- Have students work individually or in small groups to brainstorm different aspects of a sustainable food system.
- Encourage them to think about topics such as organic farming, locally sourced produce, reducing waste, composting, urban gardening, etc.
- Provide paper and pencils for students to write down their ideas.
Animated Gif Creation using Brush Ninja
- Instruct students to open Brush Ninja on their computers or tablets.
- Demonstrate how to use the tool by creating a simple animated gif related to one aspect of a sustainable food system.
- Show students how to add frames, draw objects using different colors and shapes available in Brush Ninja’s library, and create simple animations by moving objects across frames.
- Allow students time to create their own animated gifs based on their brainstormed ideas.
Presentation and Discussion
- Have each student or group present their animated gif creations to the class.
- As each animation is shown, ask the creator(s) to explain which aspect of a sustainable food system it represents and why they chose that particular idea.
- Facilitate a class discussion about the importance of sustainable food systems and how these ideas can be implemented in everyday life.
Assessment
- Observe students’ engagement and participation during the brainstorming session.
- Evaluate the creativity and understanding displayed in their animated gif creations.
- Assess students’ ability to explain the connection between their animated gifs and sustainable food systems during the presentation and discussion.
Extension
- Encourage students to create additional animated gifs at home using Brush Ninja to explore other aspects of sustainable food systems or related topics, such as biodiversity, renewable energy, or waste reduction.
- Have students research real-world examples of sustainable food systems and write short reports or create presentations showcasing their findings.
- Discuss with students how they can apply the concepts of sustainability to their own eating habits and encourage them to make small changes towards more sustainable choices.
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How to animate with Brush Ninja
This video teaches the basics of using Brush Ninja
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Examples of Brush Ninja in Education
A big shoutout to M. Andrade for coming in (during his prep!) to show my students how to create GIFs on Brush Ninja! Here’s his sweet little example he created with them. @bltsenior
Tweeted by Amber Mouland4th and 5th graders have been exploring how onomatopoeias elevate the stories we read! They used #BrushNinja to animate their favorite onomatopoeia. Way to go, kiddos!
Tweeted by Mrs. Curran🎨 For Digital Learning Day at @Trevvett_Elem, Ms. Lang’s Kindergarteners created animated CVC words using Brush Ninja! 🎨
Tweeted by Jessica Sop4th Grade Ss used #BrushNinja to create their own #GIF . I love the choices they made to create this assignment. I’m so proud of their work & how it expresses their unique interests.
Tweeted by Endeavour TechAn example of how Brush Ninja can be used by students to animate their science vocabulary!
Tweeted by Kathryn Hofmann


