Food and Geography

Overview

In this seventh lesson of the unit “Exploring Australia and Indonesia”, students investigate how geography shapes local food choices in Indonesia and connect these patterns to Australia. They use simple evidence from class resources to create “food triangles” that show ingredients, climate/landforms, and typical dishes.

Learning intentions

WALT: Examine how geography influences food in both Indonesia and Australia by linking local ingredients and dishes to environmental factors.

Success criteria

• I can identify at least three geography factors (e.g. climate, landforms, water access) that affect food in Indonesia and Australia.
• I can describe how those factors influence ingredients (e.g. what can be grown, caught, or produced).
• I can create a clear food triangle for Indonesia and a food triangle for Australia.
• I can use evidence words from sources (e.g. “because”, “near”, “hot and wet”, “coastal”) to explain my choices.

Curriculum links

• Humanities and Social Sciences: geographical diversity and location of places in the Asia region, and its location in relation to Australia.
• Humanities and Social Sciences: locate, collect and organise information and data from sources in a range of formats.
• Humanities and Social Sciences: present descriptions and explanations, drawing ideas, findings and viewpoints from sources, using relevant terms and conventions.
• (Unit link) Interconnections approach: Australia and countries in Asia through connections visible in food, ingredients and daily life.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (smell/visual prompt). Teacher displays 2–3 food images (e.g. nasi goreng, rendang, satay; and an Australian counterpart like BBQ sausages or damper with seasonal produce). Students do a quick think-pair-share: “What ingredients would be easier to find here, and why?”

2. 5–12 min · Direct teach: Geography → Food. Teacher explains the idea of “geography influences what people can grow, catch, and cook”: climate (hot/wet, dry), land (mountains/lowlands), water (coastal/river), and seasons. Students underline three geography factors they will look for in today’s resources, and choose a “because” sentence stem to use later.

3. 12–22 min · Source investigation (organise information). Teacher gives each student a small pack of teacher-prepared sources: short text extracts and a simple map-based handout showing Indonesia’s major regions (islands, coastal areas) and Australia’s broad climate zones. Students complete a table with three rows for each country: geography factor → likely ingredients → example dish.

4. 22–35 min · Create food triangles (present explanations). Teacher models one food triangle on the board:

• Top point: Geography factor(s) (e.g. “hot and wet/coastal”).
• Bottom left: Ingredients (e.g. rice, seafood, spices).
• Bottom right: Dish example (e.g. satay; nasi goreng; seafood dishes). Students build two triangles on paper (Indonesia and Australia). They must add 2 explanation sentences per triangle using evidence words from their table.

5. 35–42 min · Gallery share (talk through reasoning). Students rotate in pairs (or teacher-led share if keeping group together) to present one triangle each. Audience uses a “Question Starters” card: “What geography factor did you use?” “How does it lead to the ingredients?” “How does that become a dish?”

6. 42–45 min · Exit ticket (quick check). Students answer: “One geography factor that affects food in Indonesia is… because…”. Teacher collects to check understanding before the next lesson.

Resources

• Printed image cards of common dishes and ingredients (Indonesia and Australia)
• Small teacher-prepared source pack: short text extracts and simple map-based handout
• Food triangle templates (two per student) with labelled sections
• Student table (geography factor → ingredients → dish)
• Coloured pencils/markers (for visual learners)
• Sentence stems and word bank (because, near, coastal, hot/wet, dry/seasonal, rice, seafood, spices, vegetables)
• Teacher board/projected model (or large printed triangle example)

Assessment

• Formative during the source investigation: teacher checks student tables for correct links between geography and ingredients.
• Formative during triangle creation: teacher listens for use of explanation language (“because”, “therefore”, “near”).
• Exit ticket to confirm each student can articulate at least one geography-to-food connection with a reason.

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide partially completed food triangles (one corner pre-filled) for students needing structure.
• Offer sentence starters and a narrowed word bank of geography factors and ingredients.
• Use a teacher-led small group check during the 12–22 minute investigation.
• Extension:
• Students add an extra “seasonal” or “landform” factor (e.g. mountains influencing crops, river transport) and include one extra ingredient that could appear because of it.
• Students compare one Indonesian and one Australian dish and explain one similarity and one difference using geography language.
• Learning modalities:
• Visual: triangle diagrams and colour-coding geography/ingredients/dish.
• Verbal: structured talk during gallery share using question starters.
• Kinesthetic: optional sorting activity—students place picture cards into the correct triangle section before writing final answers.
• EAL/SEN:
• Allow responses using visuals first (icons for climate/water) then short sentences.
• Provide extra time for copying and reduce writing load by allowing fewer words if explanation is clear through diagrams.

Success criteria for each lesson (student-facing, repeated)

• I can identify geography factors that affect food in both Indonesia and Australia.
• I can connect those factors to ingredients and dishes.
• I can create two food triangles (one per country).
• I can explain my choices using evidence words from the source pack.