Topic 7: Food for Thought...

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Is food grown in supermarkets? (We’ll give you a chance to grow it in your class!). We think that it’s important that we remain connected to where our food comes from, and to the impact that our food choices can have on the environment. Our diets can make a difference to climate change and drive land-use changes - this topic will help students consider their own diets and the impacts they have while encouraging them to shift to more sustainable alternatives.

Core objective:

  • Year 1-2: Students begin to understand how local and imported food are different, and begin connecting themselves to the local food system around them, here in New Zealand.
  • Year 3-5, 6-8: Land-use change has reduced tree cover in Aotearoa significantly - this is damaging the environment and driving climate change. Trees help prevent climate change and give us life.

Mātauranga Māori: n/a

Call-to-Action: Eat at least one vegan/vegetarian meal(s) with your whānau this week!


Checkout Owain's antarctic swim in
water as cold as 1-2 degrees!

Year 1 and 2 - Level 1

Major links 

Science

  • Planet Earth and Beyond: Earth Systems, Interacting Systems
  • Material World: Properties and Changes of matter, Chemistry and Society
  • Nature of Science: Understanding about Sciences, Participating and contributing
  • Living World: Life processes

English

  • Speaking, Writing and Presenting: Purpose and Audience, Structure, Language features.

Minor Links

Mathematics

  • Numbers and Algebra: Number strategies to know

Year 3 - 5 Level 2 and 3 

Major links 

Science

  • Planet Earth and Beyond: Earth Systems, Interacting Systems
  • Material World: Properties and Changes of matter, Chemistry and Society
  • Living World: Life processes

Health & Physical Education

  • Healthy Communities and Environment: People and the environment, Societal attitudes and values

English

  • Speaking, Writing and Presenting: Purpose and Audience, Structure, Language features, Ideas.

Minor Links

Mathematics

  • Numbers and Algebra: Patterns and relationships

Year 6-8 Level 3 and 4

Major links 

Science

  • Planet Earth and Beyond: Earth Systems, Interacting Systems
  • Material World: Properties and Changes of matter, Chemistry and Society
  • Living World: Life processes

Health & Physical Education

  • Healthy Communities and Environment: People and the environment, Societal attitudes and values

English

  • Speaking, Writing and Presenting: Purpose and Audience, Structure, Language features, Ideas.

Minor Links

Mathematics

  • Numbers and Algebra: Patterns and relationships

Years 1 - 2

Core Objective:

Students experience first-hand how much fun growing your own food can be!

Lesson summary:

To give context to where food comes from, students will explore Antarctica in order to gather all their survival rations for an expedition in the snow. Once the imagination portion of class has passed, it’s time for real, live FOOD! The class will plant their own seeds, to see germination for themselves, meanwhile learning about local food systems and the wondrous availability of Farmers markets here in Aotearoa.

Topic Call-to-Action:

Eat at least one vegan/vegetarian meal(s) with your whānau this week!


Remember - feel free to give us direct feedback by commenting directly on the lesson plans themselves!

Did you find alternative resources or an alternative use for this lesson plan in your classroom? Share it here!

Year 1 - 2 Resource
Extra Resources

Extra Resources:

  • An EXPANDED Survival in Antarctica Lesson. Choose to add or modify from the presented plan (60 Minutes)
  • How much Food do we waste? (Years 6-8, 30 Minutes)
  • Do the Rot Thing! Compost Activities (10-60 Minutes)  
  • Visualise Food Plates (10 Minutes)
  • I Can Compost (15 Minutes)

Years 3 - 5

Core Objective:

Enjoy the positive impacts of reconnecting oneself with food and the land.

Lesson summary:

This week, students will return to Antarctica to compare the food rations of an expedition, and local options here in Aotearoa. For the main lesson, the class will get their hands involved through planting seeds themselves! and defining key terminology of food systems. To finish the lesson, groups will brainstorm methods to localize food choices and serve the local environment.

Topic Call-to-Action:

Eat at least one vegan/vegetarian meal(s) with your whānau this week!


Remember - feel free to give us direct feedback by commenting directly on the lesson plans themselves!

Did you find alternative resources or an alternative use for this lesson plan in your classroom? Share it here!

Year 3 - 5 Resource
Extra Resources

Extra Resources:

  • An EXPANDED Survival in Antarctica Lesson. Choose to add or modify from the presented plan (60 Minutes)
  • How much Food do we waste? (Years 6-8, 30 Minutes)
  • Do the Rot Thing! Compost Activities (10-60 Minutes)  
  • Visualise Food Plates (10 Minutes)
  • I Can Compost (15 Minutes)

Years 6 - 8

Core Objective:

Find excitement and connection with food systems.  

Lesson summary:

To give context to where food comes from, students will explore Antarctica in order to gather all their survival rations for an expedition in the snow. Once the imagination portion of class has passed, it’s time for real, live FOOD! The class will plant their own seeds, to see germination for themselves, meanwhile learning about local food systems and the wondrous availability of Farmers markets here in Aotearoa.

Topic Call-to-Action:

Eat at least one vegan/vegetarian meal(s) with your whānau this week!


Remember - feel free to give us direct feedback by commenting directly on the lesson plans themselves!

Did you find alternative resources or an alternative use for this lesson plan in your classroom? Share it here!

Year 6 - 8 Resource
Extra Resources

Extra Resources:

  • An EXPANDED Survival in Antarctica Lesson. Choose to add or modify from the presented plan (60 Minutes)
  • How much Food do we waste? (Years 6-8, 30 Minutes)
  • Do the Rot Thing! Compost Activities (10-60 Minutes)  
  • Visualise Food Plates (10 Minutes)
  • I Can Compost (15 Minutes)

Impact Metric

310.0
vegetarian meals eaten by
14
Classrooms

Topic 8: Wicked Waste

Online and nationwide thanks to
Antarctic expedition made possible thanks to
Inspired in collaboration with

Checkout Our Collective Impact