Overview
Have you ever looked in your lunch box and wondered how many different people where involved in growing, transporting, processing and packaging the food you can see? What are all the different jobs? These packages focus on the tasks and activities that are part of the processes to produce food, described as 'Job's in your lunch box'.
Each package is provided in different formats for ease of use and adaptation for class needs.
'Jobs in your lunch box' curriculum packages for primary school students:
- Food storage and handling
- Egg production systems
- Processing food
- Mathematics on the farm
- Salinity research and rehabilition
- The agricultural services industry
Food storage and handling
Lesson overview
Students will investigate the importance of food handling and storage quality controls in the packing and processing of fresh produce.
Australian Curriculum: Science and Technologies
Science Inquiry Skills
- Year 4 - With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based on prior knowledge (ACSIS064)
- Year 5 and 6 - With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific investigation, and predict what the findings of an investigation might be (ACSIS231)
Design and Technologies
- Year 5 and 6 - Investigate the role of food preparation in maintaining good health and the importance of food safety and hygiene (ACTDEK022)]
Resources
- Glitter
- Moisturiser
- Antibacterial hand wash
- Snap lock bags
- Sliced bread
- Digital camera
- Misting bottle
- Assorted fresh vegetables
- Activity worksheets
Tuning in
Mix glitter and moisturiser and ask one student to put it on their hands. They then shake hands with another student and pick up an apple. Students to observe the transfer of ‘glitter germs’ and think about the impact handwashing would have on this interaction.
Whole class introduction
Food can be stored and handled many times between leaving the paddock and landing on your plate. Quality assurance and food safety are very important to the food industry as consumers want to be sure their food is fresh, has been handled in a hygienic manner and is healthy.
Germs are very easily transferred from hands to produce and hygienic handwashing practices are important to assure quality and ensure food is safe to eat. Handwashing is one of the most basic food safety practices and it is important at all the stages of the production system. Handwashing practices reduce the amount of harmful bacteria that are transferred onto your food.
Storage methods are also important to ensure optimal freshness, limit food spoilage and ensure a quality product. Correct storage of food also ensures that the nutrient content of food is maintained. Not all fruits and vegetables need to be stored in the refrigerator as different fruits and vegetables require different storage methods. These methods are followed in shops and by us at home to ensure our food stays fresh for as long as possible.
Egg production systems
Lesson overview
Students will investigate the difference between free range, barn laid and cage eggs and look into the reasons why there is consumer demand for each product.
Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences
Economics and Business
- Year 5 - Influences on consumer choices and methods that can be used to help make informed personal consumer and financial choices (ACHEK003)
- Year 6 - The reasons businesses exist and the different ways they provide goods and services (ACHEK011)
Resources
- Sample egg cartons from free range, barn laid and cage egg producers
- One egg from each carton
- Three way Venn diagram worksheet
- Images from each system to promote discussion
Tuning in
What’s the Difference? Create a diagram that shows your understanding of what free range, barn laid and caged egg farming systems are.
Crack one of each egg into a saucer and ask children to observe any differences. Pose the question and discuss ‘are all eggs the same’?
Whole class introduction
There may be slight nutritional differences between different sorts of eggs, but essentially to a consumer, an egg is an egg. Or is it?
There is a growing demand from Australian consumers for ethically produced food and the egg industry is an example of how our social conscience can affect our purchasing decisions and create new opportunities for farmers.
Australian eggs are produced in one of three commercial egg farming systems and sold as free range, barn laid and cage eggs.
Current statistics indicate that cage eggs are still the product of choice for many people but the market share from free range producers is growing rapidly.
Processing food?
Lesson overview
Students will develop an understanding of the reasons why we process foods. They will evaluate the difference between a range of products and rank them in order of the level of processing. They will identify the reasons why we process foods, the benefits of food processing and outline the basic steps in processing some common food items.
Australian Curriculum: Technologies
Design and Technologies
- Year 5 and 6 - Investigate how and why food and fibre are produced in managed environments (ACTDEK021) Investigate the role of food preparation in maintaining good health and the importance of food safety and hygiene (ACTDEK022)
Economics and Business
- Year 5 - Influences on consumer choices and methods that can be used to help make informed personal consumer and financial choices (ACHEK003)
- Year 6 - The reasons businesses exist and the different ways they provide goods and services (ACHEK011)
Resources
- Category cards
- Lunch box items
- Flow chart template
- Healthy food pyramid
Tuning In
Each child is given one category card from the pack and must find the group of foods that they belong to. Discuss in your group what links your cards. Ask students to help create a definition of unprocessed, minimally processed and highly processed foods.
Whole class introduction
Most of the foods we eat have been processed in some way. Many different techniques are used to provide us with benefits such as minimising food health risks (e.g. food poisoning), preserving of large quantities, seasonal crops, increasing shelf life, increased variety and the manipulation or addition of certain vitamins and minerals important for good health. Some highly processed foods are considered detrimental to health and wellbeing but eaten in moderation, processed foods can provide an amazing range of flavours for us to enjoy.
Mathematics on the farm
Lesson overview
Farmers, farm managers and farm financial advisers use sophisticated mathematics on a daily basis when running their farming business. Students will apply mathematical skills to solve a variety of questions with an agribusiness focus.
Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences; Mathematics
Economics and Business
- Year 5 and 6 - Apply economics and business knowledge and skills in familiar situations (ACHES015)
Numbers and Algebra
- Year 5 - Use efficient mental and written strategies and apply appropriate digital technologies to solve problems (ACMNA291)
- Year 6 - Select and apply efficient mental and written strategies and appropriate digital technologies to solve problems involving all four operations with whole numbers (ACMNA123)
Resources
- Calculator
- Ipad
- Dictionary
Tuning in
Discuss - Do you think that maths is an important skill for farmers? Brainstorm the jobs and decisions that farmers make that require mathematical skills.
Whole class introduction
The business of farming does not involve only the physical planting and harvesting of a crop. Farmers undertake many roles and being a good business manager is important to ensure a successful enterprise. Mathematical skill and knowledge is used daily in farming enterprises.
Salinity research and rehabilitation
Lesson overview
Salt affects millions of hectares of farm land in Australia. Students will research the adverse effects that salt has on plants.
Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences
Science Inquiry Skills
- Year 4 - With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based on prior knowledge (ACSIS064)
- Year 5 and 6 - With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific investigation, and predict what the findings of an investigation might be (ACSIS231)
Biological sciences
- Year 5 - Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043) The growth and survival of living things are affected by the physical conditions of their environment (ACSSU094)
Resources
- Wheat seeds (if you have easy access to seeds, this activity can be extended to test salt tolerance of different crops e.g. barley, canola, oats)
- Plastic cups
- Potting mix
- Salt
- Water bottles
Tuning in
View the photographs on the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia's website: Dryland Salinity in Western Australia
Give students four sticky notes. Ask them to view each image and write a word or comment in response to each photo. Discuss.
Whole class introduction
Dryland salinity is one of the greatest environmental threats facing Western Australia's agricultural land, water, biodiversity and infrastructure. Dryland salinity (non-irrigated land) is defined as salinity at or near the soil surface causing a reduction in plant growth, reduced water quality and damage to infrastructure.
Australian soils have always contained salt which was kept at bay by our highly adapted native species that used the water in the soil profile efficiently and kept the watertable low.
As the native vegetation was removed in the development of agricultural lands and replaced with short rooted crops and pasture, the excess water infiltrates the soil profile and collects as groundwater which over time has risen bringing the build-up of natural salts to the soil surface.
Salinity is usually first noticed when plants grow poorly and yields of farm crops and pastures are reduced by more than 25–30%. In severe cases, bare patches, known as salt scalds, develop with salt obvious on the surface. Where groundwater seepage is apparent, saline areas are referred to as saline seeps or seepage scalds (DAFWA, 2015).
More than two million hectares of broadacre farmland in Australia were estimated to be affected by dryland salinity, with more than half in Western Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2002).
The agricultural services industry
Lesson overview
Students will identify the network of people and activities involved in the agribusiness industry.
Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences
Economics and Business
- Year 6 - The reasons businesses exist and the different ways they provide goods and services (ACHEK011)
Resources
- Ipad for research
- Supply chain cards – Apple industry
- Case study - Nigel Andrews – A career in transport logistics
- Worksheet 1 - Brainstorming chart
- What’s on your plate cards?
Tuning In
Australian Agriculture - The greatest story never told
A video on the farming industry, its size and supply chain. Published by the Australian Year of the Farmer 2012 (Accessed 30 August 2015).
Whole class introduction
Australian farmers are supported by a large, innovative agricultural services industry. There are employment opportunities at every stage of the agricultural supply chain which, when including the food and fibre industries, employs over 1.6 million Australians. This is set to get bigger.
With the increasing world population and global demand for Australian products, farmers will need to grow more food and fibre, and will continue to provide lots of jobs and business opportunities to many different people in our community.