Innovating for Sustainable Food

Overview

Lesson 6 of 10 in Biomes and Food Futures. Students investigate how a food-production innovation responds to environmental pressures and evaluate its environmental, social, economic and technological benefits and limitations. They then select a food product and develop a focused, evidence-based research plan.

Learning intentions

• Students will explain how food-production practices transform places and environments over time.
• Students will evaluate a sustainable innovation using environmental, social, economic and technological perspectives.
• Students will formulate a focused inquiry question and identify relevant evidence.
• Students will plan research into a food product and its sustainability.

Success criteria

• I can evaluate a sustainable practice by identifying benefits and limitations.
• I can explain how an innovation may affect people, places and environments.
• I can create a focused inquiry question about a food product.
• I can identify useful evidence and plan how to use it in my research.

Curriculum links

• Geography: explaining how the features and characteristics of places and environments change over time.
• Geography: analysing processes and interactions that transform people, places and environments.
• Geography: assessing approaches to managing and protecting places and environments.
• Science: analysing the impact of human activity on the natural world.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–8 min · Hook: What counts as sustainable? Teacher displays a striking before-and-after image of a dry farm adopting drought-resistant crops, and asks, “Can a technology be sustainable if it increases profits but reduces local employment?” Open with the innovation hook slides. Students complete a think-pair-share, then identify the environmental, social, economic and technological issues raised.

2. 8–18 min · Explicit teaching. Teacher introduces five possible innovations: rotational grazing, precision agriculture, drought-resistant crops, regenerative farming and water-efficient production. Use the innovation teaching slides to define sustainability and model evaluation of one innovation, distinguishing evidence from opinion. Students annotate a four-part evaluation framework and suggest one possible benefit and limitation.

3. 18–35 min · Innovation investigation. Teacher distributes the sustainability innovation worksheet and assigns or allows students to choose an innovation from the choice board on the worksheet. Students read the supplied information and record evidence about environmental, social, economic and technological benefits and limitations. They must explain at least one interaction, such as how reduced water use may affect farm profitability, food security or regional employment.

4. 35–45 min · Evidence and inquiry question. Teacher models turning a broad topic into a focused question, for example, changing “drought-resistant crops” into “To what extent could drought-resistant wheat improve food security in inland New South Wales?” Students select a food product and complete the research-planning section of the research planning worksheet, including a focused inquiry question, two sub-questions, three evidence needs and possible reliable source types.

5. 45–55 min · Peer review and improvement. Teacher displays the peer-review prompts in the planning and peer-review slides and pairs students to test whether each question is specific, researchable and linked to sustainability. Students give feedback using “strength” and “next step” comments, then revise their question and evidence plan.

6. 55–60 min · Plenary and exit check. Teacher asks selected students to share one innovation trade-off and returns to the hook question using the plenary slides. Students complete the final reflection on the reflection and exit section: “My innovation is…”, “One important trade-off is…”, and “The evidence I most need is…”.

Resources

• the Innovating for Sustainable Food slide deck
• the sustainability innovation and research-planning worksheet
• Projector or interactive display
• Short, teacher-selected information cards or extracts for the five innovations
• Choice board listing innovations and suggested food products
• Pens, highlighters and coloured pencils
• Reliable digital or printed source collection
• Timer

Assessment

• Circulate during the investigation to check that students distinguish evidence, benefits, limitations and assumptions.
• Review inquiry questions and evidence plans during peer feedback; conference with students whose questions are too broad or descriptive.
• Collect or photograph the worksheet and use the exit reflection to identify students needing support before the next research lesson.

Differentiation

• Support students with the worksheet’s choice board, word bank, four-part evaluation scaffold, model paragraph and sentence starters such as “This practice may improve… because…” and “A limitation is…”.
• Provide pre-selected, accessible information extracts and read key sections aloud for students with literacy needs or EAL/D learners; allow verbal rehearsal before writing.
• Pair students strategically and provide a partially completed example for students requiring additional executive-function support.
• Extension students compare two innovations using the worksheet’s sustainability matrix, weighing which is more suitable for a specific place and justifying their judgement with evidence.
• Permit typing, speech-to-text, enlarged materials or oral recording where appropriate.

Extension

• Compare rotational grazing with regenerative farming for the same food product, then rank both across the four sustainability dimensions.
• Add a geographical judgement: identify which Australian region would benefit most from the chosen innovation and explain why.
• Draft a provisional thesis responding to the inquiry question.