Statistics Lesson: Reducing NYC Food Emissions

In this lesson, students investigate and analyze data about how food travels to New York City supermarkets and how much of it is wasted, using statistical tools to characterize and compare climate impacts. Students then choose and justify a climate action strategy for a NYC supermarket, using statistics to guide decision-making.

Inquire: Students discuss feelings around food waste, explore where food comes from, and consider how living in a large city affects food distribution and sustainability.

Investigate: Students take the role of supermarket managers to calculate statistics (mean, weighted average, median, mode, range, interquartile range) from data, create and interpret scatter plots, lines of best fit, box plots, and histograms, and compare the environmental costs of different food items.

Inspire: Students calculate and synthesize statistical findings to choose and justify a climate action strategy for the supermarket that reduces greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and/or food waste while preserving customer loyalty and profits.