cafeteria mental map
TIME: 35 Minutes
PURPOSE: Cultivate systems thinking as it relates to school food, helps students understand
how food gets to them and who is involved.
MATERIALS:
• Sticky notes
• Markers for paper
• Whiteboard or chalkboard
• Writing utensils for board
SPECIAL NOTE:
This activity works best with two facilitiators, but is not necessary.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Give each participant a pen and a pad of post-its, or other sticky notes
2. Ask participants to write down answers to the following questions, with only one answer
per sticky note:
• Envision you are in a school cafeteria. You have just sat down at a table after having
gotten your food. A lot of steps went into making that food. What are the steps? List as
many as you can, one step per sticky note.
3. Once they have written out the steps, have them stick all their steps onto the board.
4. Have two people come up and group similar steps.
5. Have a second facilitator prepared to engage the rest of the participants in some discussion
or activity while the other facilitator is supporting the two who are grouping steps
6. Ask if these steps are separate or are they related? Talk about how the different steps might
be related and how.
7. Ask the two participants who are doing the grouping to give the groupings a title that sums
up the step described, and to read the notes that they have placed in each grouping.
8. Bring the big group back together and ask the two who did the groupings to describe what
they came up with to the big group.
9. Ask the group if they agree with the groupings. If they don’t agree with something quickly
redefine things so it makes sense to the whole group.
10. Remove extra sticky notes from the board so only the group titles for each step remain.
11. Ask the group:
a. Did we consider the entire food system? (How far back do the steps we came up with go?)
b. What steps did we miss? (In getting food to their plates in the cafeteria)
c. Guide them if needed by asking: What steps do not accomplish themselves - is everyone
working to make those steps happen included on the board?
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