Linking Food and the Environment (LiFE) is a collaboration of the Science Education and Nutrition education programs at Teachers College Columbia University. Established in 1996 with the vision of promoting scientific habits of mind through thoughtful, inquiry-based activities that integrate the study of food, food systems, and environmental and personal health. The mission of all the LiFE modules is to increase scientific conceptual understandings in life sciences; improve attitudes towards science; improve attitudes toward personal health and nature; and promote behavior changes in relation to personal and ecological health.

In the modules of the LiFE Curriculum Series students embark on an exciting adventure—learning how to use scientific evidence to construct theories food, food systems and health that can lead to choices that promote ecological and personal health.

The impact of humans on the natural world is expected to become greater as human populations grow and as science and technology develop ever more sophisticated ways to change the natural world to suit human wants better. Today’s children, as tomorrow’s adults, need not only solid scientific conceptual understandings, but skills to engage in scientific discussions and to participate in public debate about important issues that involve science and technology. Today’s children will also be called upon during their lifetime to make many important decisions about both the natural environment and their personal health.

abstract from everyday life. In reality, science can be made personally meaningful, and it is in LiFE!

Having driving questions — big questions that that are the focus of the entire module, and smaller questions for each of the units that help students investigate and learn about a piece of the module question — frames the inquiry process in LiFE and allows students to stay focused and engaged while build deep and meaningful conceptual understandings.

We hope LiFE brings enjoyment, growth, and critical understandings to all students who participate in the LiFE lessons.