BC at the Table

About the program.

BC at the Table is designed to teach students in grades 7-12 about BC’s food system, including how we produce, process, distribute, and acquire local food. The program provides teachers with videos and accompanying guides to facilitate discussion after watching each video.

Through visual media and discussion, students explore the key steps that four different foods go through to reach our plates. These foods were selected for the significant role they play in BC’s economy and their importance as foundational foods for a healthy diet, as outlined in Canada’s food guide.

BC at the Table provides teachers with a video playlist and digital teacher guides for 4 commodity groups. The videos and teacher guides cover information on how we produce, process, distribute and acquire produce, grains, dairy, and salmon.

Learning outcomes.

BC at the Table promotes inquiry-based learning and is designed to link with the curriculum for Applied Design, Skills & Technology, Home Economics, Culinary Arts, Physical and Health Education, Science (especially Environmental Science) and Social Studies (especially Human Geography, Physical Geography and Urban Studies).

After completing the program it is expected that students will:

• Define food systems and describe key steps, including inputs and outputs
• Learn about BC’s food system and how we produce, process, distribute and acquire the following foods:
  • Produce (with a focus on greenhouse tomatoes and vegetables)
  • Grains (with a focus on wheat)
  • Dairy (with a focus on milk and cheese)
  • Salmon (both wild and farmed)
• Understand how foods produced in BC support our economy, strengthen communities, and protect the environment

How to teach the program?

To teach the program and access digital materials, teachers are required to participate in a self-paced online professional development workshop. The workshop and all program materials are free of charge and can be rewatched or downloaded at any time.

About the workshop.

Participation in the workshop will provide teachers with:

• Food literacy and how to deliver effective, age-appropriate nutrition education for your students
• How to support your students with eating competence and strategies to help your students develop positive feelings about food and eating
• The BC at the Table program materials and how to help students develop an understanding of BC food system
• Lesson plans and experiential activities available for your classroom
• Links to Canada’s Food Guide and BC Curriculum

How to take a workshop.

1. New! Learn at your own pace. Take our one-hour professional development workshop at a time and pace that suits your schedule!
2. In-person workshops are available for Pro-D days, by request only.
3. Organise a Zoom workshop with your colleagues, by request only. Minimum group size is ten teachers.

Once you have completed one of these workshop options, you will have access to the BC at the Table resources through the BC Dairy Education Hub!