In Spring of 2013, we sat down as a teaching team to start mapping out our project for the next academic year. This would be our first semester working together, but it was clear from the get go that we had many shared passions that could lead to an authentic project for our students. As ideas evolved, we narrowed our focus on food trucks, an industry that is taking off around the United States, and one that had many clear connections to our core academic content, including math, chemistry, humanities, and Spanish. In an exercise often encouraged at High Tech High, we then began to dream. In the absence of limitations, how far could we run with this? It was in our willingness to dream that the idea of starting a student-run food truck surfaced, and from there, the pieces quickly started falling into place. We could clearly see how using a platform like Kickstarter would engage students in Deeper Learning, defined by the Hewlett Foundation as learning in which students “are mastering core academic content, like reading, writing, math, and science, while learning how to think critically, collaborate, communicate effectively, direct their own learning, and believe in themselves (known as an “academic mindset”)” (2014). The end product, a fully functional, student-run food truck, would be our vehicle for engaging students in these powerful learning experiences.
Mastery of Core Academic Content: Students build their academic foundation in subjects like reading, writing, math, and science. They understand key principles and procedures, recall facts, use the correct language, and draw on their knowledge to complete new tasks. Hewlett Foundation (2014)
Starting and running a successful business would first require the students to gain a solid understanding of the industry. In other words, we needed to do our research. Prior to launching the Reel Delicious Kickstarter campaign, students examined the food truck industry from various perspectives. In the first few weeks of school, students went out into the community to conduct ethnographic field research. In teams of two to three, students observed the day-to-day operations of a food truck and interviewed food truck owners, employees, and customers to get a better sense of what it takes to start and maintain a successful food truck business. They learned to design research and interview questions, to analyze qualitative data, and to draw conclusions from their observations and interactions. Their qualitative data were then used to write ethnographies in English and Spanish, which are now documented on the website www.sdfoodtrucks.org. Their ethnographies highlight important aspects of the industry, from having a “punny” name, such as God Save the Cuisine, to using social media to build a community of supporters.
In chemistry, students analyzed the biochemical basis of the five components of taste and how they interact with smell to create our experience of flavors. Students identified the different molecular structures of esters, carbohydrates, proteins and salts, and also explored what makes a molecule bitter. Students made use of Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science, a massive open online course (MOOC) on the science behind cooking developed by Harvard scientists in collaboration with some the world’s most innovative chefs. Through this course, students explored how contrasting textures and flavors can keep a dish interesting and prevent taste bud fatigue and the chemistry behind spherification. They also learned about the chemical concept of moles through analyzing the ingredients in chocolate chip cookies. Finally students used their newfound understanding of cooking to generate signature dishes for their food truck proposals.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Students think critically, analytically, and creatively. They know how to find, evaluate, and synthesize information to construct arguments. They can design their own solutions to complex problems. Hewlett Foundation (2014)
Collaborative students work well in teams. They communicate and understand multiple points of view and they know how to cooperate to achieve a shared goal. Hewlett Foundation (2014)
In each committee, students had to work closely with one another to accomplish their tasks. Be it within a committee to divvy up responsibilities and set deadlines or between one committee and another, students needed to interact and depend on one another to get the job done. Luis Garcia, an often quiet classmate and member of the cooking committee expressed, “the thing I struggled with most was working with others. I don’t always work well with others; I’d rather be by myself working. I sort of achieved this by putting myself in a group and depending on them more.” In order to accomplish the various tasks at hand, students had to draw on and learn from the strengths of others and trust one another to accomplish their individual responsibilities. The real possibility, that without the help of everyone, we might not meet our goal pushed students to work together and give their best effort. In the end, the collaboration of students and pooling of diverse strengths resulted in the creation of a professional, polished Kickstarter campaign that represented the best work of the entire group.
Students communicate effectively in writing and in oral presentations. They structure information in meaningful ways, listen to and give feedback, and construct messages for particular audiences. Hewlett Foundation (2014)
Successful Kickstarter campaigns rely on the support of the community, and each step of the way students reached out to existing and new networks of supporters. In collaborating with one another and with members of the local community, students had to consider their audience and communicate effectively. Students sought support from two local film festivals, the Latino Film Festival and the Pacific Arts Movement (which organizes the San Diego Asian Film Festival) and attended events hosted by each organization to promote their vision. In addition, students visited local farms to source organic and sustainable ingredients and reached out to local chefs for feedback on their recipe development. The finance and legal teams researched and discussed business strategies with our school’s Chief Financial Officer and lawyers from the community. Students met with politicians and attended a San Diego Planning Commission meeting, where new policies for food truck operators in San Diego were being discussed. Our public relations team sent out hundreds of emails to news organizations around the country, spreading the word about Reel Delicious. Rachel Dunkin, a formerly shy, soft-spoken student, remarked, “I have never been so comfortable with myself than I am this year because of the food truck project. I am a more confident student, a reliable leader and an enthusiastic learner because of this project.” Reaching out to community partners, local professionals, and even contacting family and friends, students practiced their ability to communicate professionally and to overcome uncomfortable or challenging scenarios.
Students develop an ability to direct their own learning. They set goals, monitor their own progress, and reflect on their own strengths and areas for improvement. They learn to see setbacks as opportunities for feedback and growth. Students who learn through self-direction are more adaptive than their peers. Hewlett Foundation (2014)
Over the course of the project, students directed their own learning, setting weekly and daily goals and reporting on their progress to the entire team. Each committee, consisting of four to eight students, was assigned a designated leader. Leaders helped the group to determine a timeline for accomplishing goals and served as a point person to address questions or challenging situations. As students generated their lists, it was clear that they would have to accomplish tasks that they had never done before, and perhaps knew little to nothing about. For example, the finance and legal team were tasked with writing a business plan, which was eventually submitted to the Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) contest for young entrepreneurs. Students reviewed an online curriculum presented by the YEP and received feedback from a small business attorney and business advisor to startups. They wrote multiple drafts, arriving closer to the final product with each version. While tedious at times, the group accepted feedback, made revisions, and wound up winning the YEP contest. Greta Watson, leader of the finance committee, sees this accomplishment as a primary example of directing her own learning. “We did a contest that we didn’t think we were going to win,” she stated, “but we tried our best and pushed through it, and we won.” Would she do it again? Sounds like she doesn’t plan to write another business plan in the near future. However, could she? Undoubtedly.
Students with an academic mindset have a strong belief in themselves. They trust their own abilities and believe their hard work will pay off, so they persist to overcome obstacles. They also learn from and support each other. They see the relevance of their schoolwork to the real world and their own future success. Hewlett Foundation (2014)
On January 23rd, 2014, the last day of our Kickstarter campaign, we reached our funding goal, raising over $35,000 in less than six weeks. What seemed like an incredible reach just three short months ago, had become a reality. “I, as well as every other student on this team,” stated student Rachel Dunkin, “am a major component to making this project a success, and it makes me feel good knowing I can accomplish something so immense.” Through the project, students came to see that their collective hard work could lead them to accomplish something they weren’t sure they could do. Students not only impressed themselves with their own success, but their parents and the rest of the High Tech High community.
What is Deeper Learning?. (2014, March 28). Hewlett Foundation News.
Retrieved April 18, 2014, from
http://www.hewlett.org/programs/education/deeper-learning/what-deeper-learning
To learn more visit http://reeldelicious.org
Tags: