The Roots of Bruce Program incorporates many themes of Ontario Agri-Food Education, Inc, or OAFE. On the OAFE website, https://agscape.ca, you can look up projects and resources to supplement the Ontario curriculum for students in grades 5 and 6. In particular, the Roots of Bruce event can reinforce the following requirements of the Ontario curriculum:
Grade Five:
Science: Life Systems: Human Organ Systems
- describe the basic structure and function of the major organs in the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, excretory and nervous systems;
- formulate questions about and identify the needs of humans, and explore possible answers to these questions and ways of meeting these needs;
- investigate some of these answers and solutions, identifying variables that need to be held constant to ensure a fair test and identifying criteria for assessing solutions;
- use appropriate terminology, including correct science and technology terminology, in describing their investigations, explorations and observations
- describe types of nutrients in foods and their function in maintaining a healthy body;
- identify a balanced diet as one containing carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, fibre, and water, and design a diet that contains all of these;
- interpret nutritional information to make healthy food choices;
- identify types of industries involved in the processing and preserving of foods;
- identify food sources from which people in various societies obtain nutrients;
- demonstrate awareness that some disorders can be affected by diet.
Science: Earth and Space Systems: Weather
- describe ways in which weather conditions affect the activities of humans and animals;
- explain the importance of weather forecasts for people in certain occupations.
Science: Structures and Mechanisms: Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms
- compare the force needed to lift a load manually with the force required to lift the load with a simple machine;
- describe how different mechanisms are designed for a specific purpose or function;
- recognize the advantages and disadvantages of using various mechanisms with respect to the amount of energy they require to move or lift a given load.
Health and Physical Education: Healthy Living
- Explain the purpose and function of calories and the major food nutrients;
- identify critical content information on food labels;
- explain how changes in our bodies sometimes affect our eating habits.
Grade Six:
Science: Life Systems: Diversity of Living Things
- describe specific characteristics or adaptations that enable each group of vertebrates to live in its particular habitat and explain the importance of maintaining that habitat for the survival of the species.
Mathematics: Data Management and Probability
- evaluate data and make conclusions from the analysis of data; (overall expectation)
- compare experimental probability results with theoretical results. (overall expectation)
Health and Physical Education: Healthy Living
- determine the influence of various factors on personal food choices, body image, and self esteem;
- analyze personal eating habits in a variety of situations;
- describe the benefits of healthy eating for active living.
Social Studies: Canada and World Connections: Canada and Its Trading Partners
- identify products which Canada imports and exports;
- identify the countries to which Canada exports goods;
- identify the countries from which Canada imports goods;
- identify Canada’s connections to the United States through trade, culture, technology;
- describe how sharing of goods and culture between Canada and other countries can influence the lifestyles of Canadians.
(This partial list has been taken from the OAFE Update Number 43, from Fall 2002.)