Torch - Spring/Summer 2019

STEM Stories

Students CAN Make a Difference How the Grade 5 community worked together to fight hunger

By Susan Pink

V isitors to the Junior School this past March might have noticed structures in the hallways made of non-perishable foods: a box of crayons with the words “Draw Away Hunger;” an island; a treasure box; a hamburger; a yearbook that spells out “HC Cares;” and a mailbox. Designed with a greater purpose than hallway decoration, these structures would one day become meals for those in need in North Toronto. Inspired by international, non-profit design and build competition Canstruction ® , Grade 5 students used the principles of art and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), along with problem- solving skills, to create these structures made of unopened canned and packaged food items, which were later donated to the North York Harvest Food Bank. This project was initiated by Junior School teachers Rosa Mastri and Helen Carayannis,

team was provided with a bag of food that a family would typically be given at a food bank, which the girls used to make their lunches. Later that day, they walked to the local grocery store to learn more about food pricing. For the second Day 9 in October, the Grade 5 classes visited the North York Harvest Food Bank, where they sorted food and learned about the items that are in the greatest demand for families, which helped the students better understand the needs of their end-user when planning their designs. “When we were at the food bank, I had so much fun sorting the food and you could tell how much [the volunteers] care about people who are hungry,” Grade 5 student Eden Lacey explains. When designing their sculptures, the students used items that families needed most in order to have the greatest impact. understand what using one is like. Each team was given a budget to buy food and used online flyers from local grocery stores to come up with a shopping list of the most nutritious meals possible within their budget. “This really put the cost of food into perspective,” Mastri said. In between Day 9s, the teachers included some of the necessary learning for this project as often as they could. In math, they learned how to measure the cans and food products they would later use in their designs. They also charted how many of each item they would need and were asked to cost out their purchases. The teachers helped the students frame their designs on graph paper, which helped them better understand the scope of their projects. While at the food bank, students participated in a mock senario to

who took advantage of Havergal’s Day 9 experiential learning program to help make a difference as they raised awareness about hunger in the community. With the support of Junior School teachers Paula Carson, Rachel Read, France Gareau and Erica Rodd, Mastri and Carayannis led the school’s Grade 5 students on a year-long journey of discovery, design and philanthropy. The project’s kickoff was September 26, the first Day 9 of the school year. “We introduced the girls to the idea of helping the hungry through creativity and careful calculations,” Carayannis explains. The students were divided into six teams and spent that day learning about food banks, hunger and poverty and what the average family spends on groceries. Next, they brainstormed ideas for their projects and came up with designs. At lunch, each

Grade 5 students use graph paper to outline their design.

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