Lesson Plan A
Where does our food come from?
Activity for Year Level: Years 2/3
Duration of activity: 40 minutes
1) SOSE Essential Learnings by the end of Year 3
2) The Australian Curriculum for Mathematics, Science
and English
Broad Core Learning Outcomes from:
Essential Learning based on
1) SOSE Essential Learnings by the end of Year 3
Place and Space
• Resources and environments can be used, conserved and protected by valuing and
applying sustainable practices.
Political and Economic Systems
• Australians are connected to other people and places by shared interests, including
travel, exchanging goods and services, and environmental issues.
• People and resources are involved in the production and consumption of familiar goods
and services.
2) The Australian Curriculum for Mathematics, Science and English
Please refer to Table 1 - Lesson Plan A with the Australian Curriculum (page 14-15 of this
document).
Specific Learning Outcome:
Knowledge
• Students have an increased awareness and understanding of the concept of ‘food
miles’ – how and why foods are transported across the world, the resources involved in
the production of food, and the environmental impacts that can result from this.
• Students learn the environmental and health benefits of eating locally, in addition to
sustainable food practices that help conserve and protect the earth’s resources and
environment.
Skills acquired
• Students learn the practical skills to choose foods with lower ‘food miles’ at the
supermarket by improving their skills in label reading (i.e. how to identify the countries
of origin of packaged food products).
Behaviour change
• Students are able to encourage their families to adopt food sustainability practices at
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home by choosing foods with lower ’food miles’ and eating foods produced close to
where they live.
Introduction to the topic:
The aim of this activity is to teach students where foods are produced, and consider the
environmental issues associated with transporting foods over long distances.
Students will learn about the concept of ‘food miles’ – the distance a food travels from where it
is produced to where it reaches the consumer. Foods that travel a long distance and have
many ‘food miles’ consume a much larger amount of fuel, and thus release more carbon
dioxide and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. An increase in these gases contributes
significantly to global warming and climate change – the steady rise in the earth’s temperature.
Students are therefore encouraged to purchase items locally made within Australia
(particularly from South East Queensland (SEQ)) to reduce their ’food miles’ and, as a result,
their impact on the environment and global warming.
List of Resources:
White board
30 packaged, healthy food items labelled with ‘Product of –’, ‘Made in –’ or ‘Imported
from –’ (these items can be brought from home and could include foods such as
canned tomatoes, corn or other canned vegetables, canned fruit, rice or other grains, or
grain products, such as couscous, noodles or pasta)
Laminated large world map – available from Hema Maps for approx. $29.95AUD.
http://www.hemamaps.com.au/
Laminated map of Australia or map of eastern side of Australia (template provided)
Laminated colour paper cut-outs of fresh, packaged and tinned fruits and vegetables
from Australia and around the world – country of origin labelled (template provided)
Laminated paper cut outs of planes, boats, trains and trucks (template provided)
Pens, whiteboard markers, Blu-Tack and sticky tape
Wool to mark approximate transport routes from other countries to Australia – attached
to map prior to start of activity. Refer to Table 1 to complete
Cost of kit: approx. $35AUD (2010)
Classroom Organisation:
Students are seated at their desks, with individual students selected to come to the front of the
class to participate in the activity as required.
Activity Outline:
Introduction
Ask students: Where do we get our food from?
Answers: Supermarkets, local shops, farmers’ markets, petrol stations, backyard.
Ask students: Where did it come from before you bought it from the shop?
Answers: It was grown or produced on farms or in factories in Australia and all around the
world!
Ask students: What do you consider when purchasing food? What affects your decision?
Answers: Price, taste, packaging, quality, amount, etc.
Explain: Foods with a lot of ‘food miles’ are bad for the environment because this means they
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have come from very far away, and the further a food has to travel to reach us, the more fuel it
has to use. When we burn fuel, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into
the atmosphere, which causes climate change and global warming – the steady rise in the
earth’s temperature.
Main Body
1. Each student receives a packaged food item and is asked to identify what country the
food comes from by reading the label. Students should look for the words ‘Product of –’,
‘Made in –’ and ‘Imported from –’.
2. Generate class discussion about where their food comes from. Ask students to swap
items with their neighbour once they have figured out where it comes from to practice
reading different labels and find out other countries foods are imported from.
3. While the children are reading their labels, write the list of countries where the food
items come from on the white board, leaving a space next to each country to record the
food items.
4. Go through each country on the white board, asking which students have food items
from this country (e.g. ‘Who had items from Australia?’), writing down the food items
that correspond to each country.
5. Explain to students that some items travel a short way, from within Australia, Taiwan or
New Zealand, whereas others have travelled from very far away, from Europe or
America.
6. Identify these places on the world map, so students visually understand the concept of
food items travelling from close and far away.
7. Select individual students to give a picture of a fruit or vegetable to and ask them to
classify these foods as being from either Australia or from another country (food origin
is labelled on the back of the food item).
Alternative method: after placing different coloured hula-hoops on the floor around the
classroom to represent the different countries of origin, ‘label’ selected individual
students as the fruit or vegetable pictures they are holding. Ask students to place
themselves in the hula-hoop that corresponds with their country of origin.
8. Students then take turns to stick their picture to the world map, correlating to where it
was originally produced. The transport routes have already been marked in wool on the
map (refer to Figure 1.) A summary table (Table 1) of the fruit and vegetables used in
this activity and their ‘food miles’ is included for your quick reference.
9. Explain that ‘food miles’ are the distance between where the food was produced and
where it is eaten.
10. Remind children that eating fruit and vegetables keeps us healthy, but choosing foods
with fewer ‘food miles’ are better for the environment – this means buying foods that are
made as close to home as possible, so from Queensland or Australia.
11. Ask students ‘How would you get food from China to Australia?’ to generate class
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discussion on the different transport methods we use. Answers include planes, ships,
trucks and trains. Refer to Table 2 for additional information on emissions produced by
mode of transport.
12. Pick a student from the class to stick the transport pictures onto the appropriate
transport paths on the map (indicated by wool. See Figure 2 for how the completed
activity should look). Some foods are likely to require more than one transport type.
13. Using the labelled ‘food miles’ transport paths (indicated by wool on map),
demonstrate and discuss the varieties of distances between where food was grown
and where it is eaten (in our case SE Qld). Reiterate the concept of ‘food miles’ by
asking students questions about which foods they think would have the most ‘food
miles’ and which would have the least, and, therefore, out of those two items, which
items would be best and which would be the worst for the environment.
14. Write these foods on the board in order from the most to the least ‘food miles’.
Conclusion
Ask students: How can we reduce our impact of ‘food miles’ on the environment?
Answers: Buy more food that is produced locally or closer to home, start a veggie patch at
home, buy from local farmers’ markets, buy foods with minimal packaging and try asking local
shop keepers where their foods come from – if not from Australia, ask why?
Discussion of any issues/questions
Table 1: Food miles for selected fruits and vegetables in kit
Food
Location
Location
Distance
Method of Transport
Produced
Consumed
Travelled
(km)
Coconut
Samoa
South East
3,900
Ship, Truck
Queensland
Orange
USA
South East
11,500
Ship, Plane, Truck
Queensland
Grapefruit
Israel
South East
12,500
Plane, Truck
Queensland
Banana
Queensland
South East
100
Truck
Queensland
Kiwi Fruit
France
South East
16,500
Plane, Truck
Queensland
Carrot
Victoria
South East
1,300
Train, Truck
Queensland
Corn
Queensland
South East
50
Truck
Queensland
Frozen Beans
Belgium
South East
16,300
Plane, Truck
Queensland
Frozen Mixed
China
South East
8,300
Plane, Ship, Truck
Vegetables
Queensland
Bok Choy
New South
South East
700
Truck, Train
Wales
Queensland
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Additional information for discussion at point 11 during Activity A
Table 2: Emissions by mode of transport – grams of CO2 produced per
kilometre travelled
Transport method
Description
CO2 produced (g)
Plane
Long haul
570 – 1,500
Truck
Large truck
60 – 100
Ship
Cargo
10 – 40
Train
By rail
< 60
Figure 1 – Activity A: World map close up
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Figure 2 – Activity A: Completed
Templates for Activity A:
Food pictures, labels, maps and transport methods
Print out foods and transport pictures in colour and cut out.
Stick labels to back of food pictures.
Laminate foods and transport pictures and cut out ready to use.
Print and laminate Australia and Queensland maps
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Table 1: Lesson Plan A with the Australian Curriculum
Australian
Curriculum
Justification
Map Activity
The Map Activity introduces students to the concept of food miles and the implications of food choice
on the environment
For Year 2
For Year 3
Science as a Human Endeavour
Science as a Human Endeavour
Use and influence of science
• People use science in their daily lives,
including when caring for their
environment and living things
(ACSHE035)
Use and influence of science
• Science knowledge helps people to
understand the effect of their actions
(ACSHE051)
Science Inquiry Skills
Science Inquiry Skills
Science
Processing and analysing data and
information
• Use a range of methods to sort
information, including drawings and
provided tables (ACSIS040)
Communicating
• Represent and communicate
observations and ideas in a variety of
ways such as oral and written language,
drawing and role play (ACSIS042)
Mathematics
English
Processing and analysing data and
information
•
Use a range of methods including tables
and simple column graphs to represent
data and to identify patterns and
trends(ACSIS057)
Measurement and Geometry
Communicating
• Represent and communicate ideas and
findings in a variety of ways such as
diagrams, physical representations and
simple reports (ACSIS060)
Measurement and Geometry
Location and transformation
• Interpret simple maps of familiar locations
and identify the relative positions of key
features (ACMMG044)
Location and transformation
• Create and interpret simple grid maps to
show position and pathways
(ACMMG065)
Literacy
Literacy
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The Map Activity allows students
in years 2 and 3 to visually
understand the concept of food
miles and its implications on the
environment. The activity also
demonstrates that actions
(purchasing food with high food
miles) have effects
(environmentally).
Students are required to report
their findings via class discussion.
They are required to identify the
relationship between where a food
is produced and where it is
consumed, and the implications of
that relationship.
The Map Activity allows students
in years 2 and 3 to identify
countries on a world map and to
trace them back to Australia. This
will allow the students to
conceptualise the numbers
presented as the distance
between the 2 points.
The Map Activity encourages
students to communicate their
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Interacting with others
• Listen for specific purposes and
information, including instructions, and
extend students’ own and others' ideas in
discussions (ACELY1666)
Interacting with others
• Listen to and contribute to conversations
and discussions to share information and
ideas and negotiate in collaborative
situations (ACELY1676)
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ideas and beliefs about the origins
of food. It also calls upon students
to communicate and articulate
their thoughts and answers when
prompted to.
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