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Kids, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Societal Change Word Count 506

The film “Kid’s Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Societal Change” depicts a young fifth grader, Cole and his friend’s goal to contact KFC and other food corporations in March 2011. These young students asked if KFC could change their packing because their current methods involved mills connected to the destruction of important wetland forest along the mid-Atlantic coast, which was right in their backyards. A group of elementary school students traveled to Kentucky to ask the organization to switch to using recycled paper in their packaging because of the plant and animals under threat. The goal of these kids were to save the trees and animals in this area they conducted research in North Carolina and successfully got McDonald’s to change to bags made of recycled material. This trip to KFC and success at McDonald’s was only made possible by letters Coles sent. The letter Cole sent to Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and PR Yum! Brands in Louisville, Kentucky. These kids did not understand the massive size of KFC or much of the politics that revolve with this issue as many of them did admire KFC. Although as a college student I did not originally think it was the best way to approach this issue, these children could recognize defeat and when to approach a different issue instead of wasting their time and resources. I think this is an important thing adults fighting for the environment could learn at times as these kids continued their battle for protection for the environment in an alternate approach.

Why Not Change the World? (5th Grader Edition) Introduction (5 minutes) Example Steps to Making A Change (10 minutes) Making change & what do you want to change? Watch KFC & Cole (10 minutes) Why does it matter? (10 minutes) Where Are They Now & Where Will You Go? (5 minutes) Conclusion (5 minutes)
 * Teacher/educator will introduce themselves & their background including where they are from and education
 * Goal: Students will learn that they can create a difference in the world and there are various ways to make this change.
 * Establish a problem, suggest a solution, implementation/logistics, and take action
 * Letter writing (20 minutes)
 * Students will write a letter (with optional pictures) to some regarding an issue they are passionate about
 * Discuss success/failure of these kid’s trip to KFC
 * Propose the question: What can you learn from this story moving forward?
 * In the film Dirt! There is a clip of the humming bird that tries to prevent a wildfire. Recreating this type of cartoon but with the message of collective action makes a difference would be shown to the students.
 * Cole Rasenberger is now a Youth Activist who was able to speak in a panel.
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 * Let the kids talk about what they would like to do with the newly acquired skills
 * Wrap up the lessons with the skills these students learned and an inspiring quote.
 * Learning outcomes: learning how to write a letter, steps to making a change, understating potential for change, understanding where their voice can take them