Food Security Focus

Overview

This lesson plan for Year 12 Science students aligns with the Australian Curriculum (ACARA), Biological Sciences – Unit 4: Biodiversity and the Interconnectedness of Life. Specifically, it addresses the curriculum content descriptor: The use of evidence-based decision-making in sustainable agricultural practices to improve food security (ACSES105). The lesson runs for 80 minutes and incorporates hands-on learning, critical thinking, and active discussion. It blends independent tasks, interactive group activities, and meaningful analysis of the Australian context.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Define food security and understand its components: availability, access, utilisation, and stability.
2. Explore the challenges to food security in Australia, including environmental, economic, and social factors.
3. Analyse sustainable farming and technological solutions, contextualised in Australia.
4. Propose evidence-based strategies at the individual, local, and governmental level to improve food security.

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Materials Required

• Projector/interactive whiteboard
• Printed worksheets (to be distributed during the class)
• Poster paper and markers for group brainstorming
• Access to Australian agricultural statistics (pre-prepared as part of the worksheet)
• "Food Security in Australia" hypothetical scenario handout

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Engage (10 minutes) – Setting the Scene

• Begin with a thought-provoking question: "How would life in Australia change if supermarkets were empty for a week?"
• Show a brief slideshow featuring:
  • A map of arable land in Australia
  • Images of drought-affected farmlands and statistics on food imports
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander methods of food sustainability
• Facilitate a short discussion with questions:
  • What is food security?
  • Why might Australia, as a developed nation, struggle with it?

Teacher tip: Encourage students to think critically and connect the topic to their local community.

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2. Explain (15 minutes) – Deep Dive into Food Security

• Provide a mini-lesson (~10 minutes) on the components of food security:

  1. Availability: Sufficient quantity of food.
  2. Access: Economic and physical ability to obtain food.
  3. Utilisation: Safe and nutritious food for health and well-being.
  4. Stability: Consistent access over time.

• Discuss specific challenges to Australia's food security:

  • Climate change effects (e.g., drought and flooding).
  • Soil degradation and water scarcity.
  • Trade dependencies and economic disparities.
  • Urbanisation reducing agricultural land.

• Briefly mention sustainable farming practices used in Indigenous communities to connect historical context to solutions.

Supporting materials: Distribute worksheets with visual representations of food security factors.

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3. Explore (30 minutes) – Group Activity: Solving a Food Security Crisis

Task: Students will break into groups of 5-6 and solve a hypothetical food security scenario designed for the Australian context. Each scenario presents different factors impacting food production or access (e.g., prolonged drought in Queensland, new legislation impacting water rights, a crop pest outbreak in Victoria).

Steps:

1. Groups will analyse their assigned scenario and identify food security barriers (availability, access, utilisation, and/or stability).
2. They will brainstorm sustainable solutions using evidence-based approaches, including:
   • Technological innovations (e.g., vertical farming, precision agriculture).
   • Policy adjustments (e.g., subsidies for sustainable practices, food waste management laws).
   • Contributions from Aboriginal land management practices.
3. Groups will record their key findings on poster paper for class sharing.

Teacher tip: Circulate during group work, prompting deeper thinking by asking follow-up questions. E.g., "How might this solution affect ecosystems in the long term?"

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4. Explain and Reflect (15 minutes) – Class Presentations & Discussion

• Each group will briefly present their scenario and proposed solutions (2-3 minutes per group). Encourage peer feedback with a focus on strengths and areas for improvement. Use these points to address any widespread misconceptions or biases, ensuring all students understand diverse pathways to improving food security.

Teacher tip: Highlight where creative solutions align with real-world practices or challenges, anchoring student ideas in current Australian science and policy.

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5. Extend (10 minutes) – Individual Reflection and Extension Task

• Hand out an Exit Card Worksheet with the following prompts:

  1. Summarise one solution Australia could implement to improve food security.
  2. Provide one question you still have about food security.
  3. Suggest one action students can take to make a difference (e.g., reducing food waste, advocating for local sourcing).

• Encourage students who finish early to research a recent example of environmental change or policy impacting food security in Australia for a future discussion.

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Homework/Extension

• Complete a research task exploring a specific technological or policy initiative aimed at improving food security in Australia. Students must evaluate its strengths and limitations, including implications for future generations.

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Assessment

• Formative feedback during group discussions and scenario solutions.
• Exit card responses to gauge understanding and remaining gaps.

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Teacher Notes

• This lesson plan integrates technology, collaboration, and high-order thinking, ensuring that students are actively engaged while meeting the Year 12 Australian Science Curriculum objectives. The focus on context-specific examples not only personalises the topic for students but also fosters a strong connection to real-world challenges they may encounter as future citizens.