Food and Nutrition Security Teaching Materials Celebrate World Food Day 2020
October 15, 2020
To celebrate World Food Day 2020, the Crawford Fund is launching its first free project-based high school learning materials to excite educators and students to the impact of work around global food and nutrition security and the broad range of career pathways to involvement.
We have no doubt that involving young Australians in international agriculture and agriculture for development has meaningful and beneficial outcomes for food and nutrition security, for the students and for Australian agriculture.
Through our awards, scholarships, volunteering & mentoring opportunities, the Fund has been active for over a decade in NextGen activities, to encourage the next generation in ag for development. This has involved us maintaining close associations with Australian universities and research institutions. We are now very pleased to be adding an outreach to high school educators and students.
We and our partners have noted that there are great materials around agriculture in Australia but there is a dearth of high school teaching materials focused on agriculture for development and global food and nutrition security. We are working to plug that hole within our NextGen project, which is being supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
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 materials are on real-world contemporary food and nutrition security issues with an emphasis on critical and creative thinking and problem solving. The first modules target challenges and opportunities including:
- Climate Change & Food and Nutrition Security;
- Climate Smart Technologies;
- COVID-19 & Food and Nutrition Security; and
- Australia – A Powerhouse of Agricultural Research.
They will support busy educators working within a crowded curriculum by being relevant to a range of key learning areas and subjects within English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities & Social Sciences and Technologies including agriculture, geography, economics, social sciences, and technology to ensure broad use across Years 9-12.
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. Educators are encouraged to share student learning with the Fund and, with permission, we hope to highlight the work in our networks in Australia and internationally.
We also hope to hear from schools so we can offer additional learning opportunities including school visits or live webinars with young people working in global food and nutrition security who can discuss their work and career pathways.
Further details and download:
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.
Further information, contact:
Cathy Reade
Director of Outreach and Manager of the NextGen Program
Mobile: 0413 575 934
Email: [email protected]
