This series of lessons (which can be taught as PSHE in Scotland and Wales, or DT/ Cooking and Nutrition lessons in England) aims to develop an understanding of the value of food and the impact our waste has on the planet.
This series of lessons (which can be taught as PSHE in Scotland and Wales, or DT/ Cooking and Nutrition lessons in England) aims to develop an
understanding of the value of food and the impact our waste has on the planet. Children will explore practical ways to reduce their own food waste.
We encourage children to continue their conversations at home, where an even bigger difference can be made, and provide optional home activities
for this purpose.
Target age groups -
Key Stage 1 (England)
Years 1-3 (Wales)
P2-4 (Scotland)
Learning Objectives -
• To develop an understanding of the effort and resources that go into producing our food.
• To know that when we throw food away, we are wasting that effort and those resources.
• To know that food waste produces harmful gases.
Lesson Intention -
Children will develop an understanding of the effort and resources that go into producing food and what
happens to food that we waste.
Getting started - 20 mins
The Value of our Food (PowerPoint Slides 2-13)
- Look together at what food waste is and where it ends up. Ensure children understand the term ‘food waste’ (any food that is produced but not eaten, this can include peels and shells but is mostly made up of edible food ~66%) and where the food they throw away goes – the vast majority of discarded food ends up in landfills.
- Establish that when we throw away a piece of food, we are wasting much more than the food itself.
- Hand out the Yellow Fruit Road Sequencing Cards (cut out and muddled up) to each table. Can they work together to sequence the cards?
- (Slides 10-13) Bring the group together, run through the sequence and discuss the huge amount of time, effort, resources and money that goes into just getting a banana to our local shop. Can the children think about the effects on our planet – the deforestation, the pesticides, the food miles etc. It is really sad that many of us then waste the food that we have. Bring in the idea that the food waste itself produces harmful gases that are bad for the environment – they are making our our planet warmer.
- Watch the National Geographic Video (4m 36s) if you have time.
Main Activity - 30 mins
The Power to Change (Slides 15 – 17)
- Set the children a challenge to make others in their school more aware of the impact of food waste.
- Give them some A4 paper or they may wish to make their posters on the computer/tablet.
- Their posters must be eye-catching and tell people to save their food from the bin – giving reasons for this. You may wish to leave Slide 17 visible while they are working and model some ideas on the board.
Encourage children by reminding them that really great work can be sent to Beano and may appear on the Beano website!
Plenary - 10 mins
Sharing our work (Slides 16-19)
- Encourage groups to share what they produced in the timeframe. Lay out the posters on the tables and allow children time to walk around admiring each other’s efforts. Encourage children to reflect on what was most eye-catching and why, which gave a strong message etc. Place posters on display near the school dinner hall if possible.
- Recap the huge environment
Homework - Slide 20
- Give out the Food Waste Diary Sheet. Encourage children to keep a record of the food they personally throw away over the next week, until their next lesson (they may like to stick this near their waste bin at home so that it is easily available). Make it clear that the aim of this is not to point fingers (and they do not need to share it with anyone else) but to help us all become aware of the amount we are wasting so that we can make positive changes.
- Model how to fill this in and encourage children to get their families involved and ask their grown-ups to help – using the tick-boxes and drawing or writing the food they eat. It would be really beneficial for the teaching staff to take part in this too so that their diaries can be shared in the next lesson.
AfL
- Observing, question and answers, contribution to discussions.
- Quality of teamwork and collaboration.
- Final posters can be assessed on their message and impact.
Curriculum Links
ENGLAND – Key Stage 1
PSHE Association Programme of Study Pupils learn
L3 about things they can do to help look after their environment.
English
Spoken Language
Pupils should be taught to:
- Articulate and justify answers, arguments,and opinions.
- Maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments.
- Participate in discussions, presentations, performances.
Year 1 Writing – Composition
Pupils should be taught to:
- Write sentences by saying aloud what they mare going to write about, composing a sentence orally before writing it, sequencing sentences to form short narratives, rereading what they have written to check that it makes sense.
Year 2 Writing – Composition
Pupils should be taught to:
- Consider what they are going to write before beginning, encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence make simple additions, revisions and corrections to their own writing.
SCOTLAND – First Level
Health and Wellbeing
Food and Health
- When preparing and cooking a variety of foods, I am becoming aware of the journeys which foods make from source to consumer, their seasonality, their local availability, and their sustainability. HWB 1-35a
Social Studies
People, Place and Environment
- I can consider ways of looking after my school or community and can encourage others to care for their environment. SOC 1-08a
Technologies
Technological developments in Society and Business
- I can take appropriate action to ensure conservation of materials and resources, considering the impact of my actions on the environment. TCH 1-06a
- I understand how technologies help provide for our needs and wants, and how they can affect the environment in which we live. TCH 1-07
Literacy and English
Writing
- I can present my writing in a way that will make it legible and attractive for my reader, combining words, images, and other features. LIT 1-24a
- By considering the type of text I am creating, I can select ideas and relevant information, organise these in a logical sequence and use words which will be interesting and/or useful for others. LIT 1-26a
- I can convey information, describe events or processes, share my opinions, or persuade my reader in different ways. LIT 1-28a / LIT 1-29
- Listening and Talking - When I engage with others, I know when and how to listen, when to talk, how much to say, when to ask questions and how to respond with respect. LIT 1-02a
WALES – Progression Step 2
Health and Wellbeing: Our decision making impacts on the quality of our lives and the lives of others
Progression Step 2
- I can make decisions based on what I know.
- I can recognise that my decisions can impact on me and others, both now and in the future.
Humanities: Informed, self-aware citizens engage with challenges and opportunities that face humanity, and mare able to take considered and ethical action
Progression step 2
- I can take care of resources and not waste them, and I am conscious of the importance of creating a sustainable future.
Science and Technology: The world around us is full of living things which depend on each other for survival
Progression Step 2
- I can recognise that what I do, and the things I use, can have an impact on my environment and on living things.
Languages, Literacy and Communication: Expressing ourselves through languages is key to communication
Progression Step 2
- I can explain information and share ideas, opinions and feelings using relevant vocabulary.
- I can organise my writing into a logical sequence.