Senior Secondary Materials: Development for a Better Future

October 15, 2020

To celebrate World Food Day, 16 October 2020, the Crawford Fund is launching “Development for a Better Future” – free quality high school teaching materials focused on agriculture for development and global food and nutrition security.

There are materials for Senior Secondary, as well as for Years 9-10.

Behind our range of NextGen activities is our resolve that involving young Australians in international agriculture and agriculture for development has meaningful and beneficial outcomes for food and nutrition security, for the students personally and professionally and for Australian agriculture. We hope the new teaching materials will encourage the next generation in their studies, careers and volunteering in ag for development, another part of our NextGen project which is again being supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in 2020-21.

While there are great materials around agriculture in Australia, we found a dearth of high school teaching materials focused on agriculture for development and global food and nutrition security so are working to plug that hole within our NextGen project.

With education consultant, Heather MacDonald of Education Partnerships, and reference to a range of education and ag research partners, we have produced “Development for a Better Future” – project-based learning materials that link to the Australian curriculum’s priorities of Sustainability and Asia & Australia’s Engagement with Asia. The resources align to the Australian National Curriculum in Geography and Science.

The materials immerse senior secondary students in ‘real-world’ contemporary opportunities and challenges in international food and nutrition security. These use scenarios and examples to provide authentic and engaging learning and activate students to contribute to a better future for our world.

We hope these new resources will excite educators and students about the impact of work around global food and nutrition security and highlight for students that career pathways for future work in food and nutrition security can arise through a variety of study options.

Through video and articles, Senior Secondary students will access materials encouraging engaged learning and inspire them to contribute to a better future for our world. Students work to deliver a product or service to:

• Contribute to the projected outcomes of “One Health”
• Compare and contrast farming in Australia and countries in the Asia Pacific to formulate a plan for Australia to work with farmers in this region to meet the Sustainable Development Goals
• Support climate-smart agriculture in the Asia Pacific
• Suggest food and nutrition security measures to mitigate the effects of a Global Pandemic (Covid-19)

Like subsequent materials we have planned, the first materials, including detailed Educator Guides, are available FREE and we hope to see the fruit of some of the students’ work throughout the years to come.

You can register and download the Senior Secondary Educator Guide and materials. It may be possible for us to offer additional learning opportunities by engaging with you to arrange school visits or live webinars by young ag researchers to discuss their work and career pathways in food and nutrition security, or provision of further materials we have planned.

As part of the modules offered, students are encouraged to share their ideas with the Crawford Fund as we’d like, with permission, to highlight the work in our networks in Australia and internationally.

Your feedback is also welcome and encouraged.

Testimonials

This is an excellent resource. Climate change is an effective entry point to the study of food security and will appeal to teachers. It is well targeted in terms of Years 9 and 10 Geography, especially Year 9. The T&L plan is detailed and well-resourced. The PPT is engaging and well-structured. Congratulations to all those involved.
Dr Grant Kleeman, one of Australia’s leading geography educators and the Immediate Past Chair, Australian Geography Teachers’ Association.

These resources provide a wonderful opportunity for teachers and students to immerse themselves in the topic of global food and nutrition security. With rapidly changing climatic conditions, amongst other factors placing a strain on equitable human development, the increased awareness created by teachers integrating these resources into their teaching regimes will only yield positive results. The materials are easy to use, linked to the curriculum and facilitate inquiry-based teaching and learning. I commend everyone who has contributed to making this a success.
Shenal Basnayake, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Science Teachers Association

This is a very comprehensive resource, with very detailed educator guides. There is a great deal of depth to get teachers involved and it provide excellent insights that will be very engaging to students. Well Done.
Luciano Mesiti, CEO, Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) and past president of the NSW Agriculture Teachers Association.

For further information, contact:
Cathy Reade
Director of Outreach and Manager of NextGen Programs
Mobile: 0413 575 934
Email: [email protected]