Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Introductory discussion

15 minutes

Group role play / discussion

15 minutes

Class role play / discussion

10 minutes

Second group role play / discussion

5 minutes

Second class discussion (time permitting)

5 minutes

Student reflection

1. Talk to students about the relationship between Earth Hour and food production. First, read Earth Hour’s statement:

The Earth Hour theme was selected because agriculture is the industry most under threat from climate change in Australia. Our country is very vulnerable to climate change impacts. Carbon pollution threatens the livelihoods of farmers more than almost any other group of people in Australia.

Farmers are among the most trusted messengers in Australia. Recent research has shown that most Australians can relate to farmers. They are seen as trustworthy reporters on the practical effects of climate change, without any ‘vested interest’ in supporting a particular point of view. Because of the trust we have in our farmers, it is important that their voices are heard calling for solutions to the climate change problem we are facing as a nation.

Key terms to define and discuss include:

Agriculture
Industry
Climate change
Vulnerable
Carbon pollution
Livelihoods
El Niño
La Niña

2. Group role play / discussion

Students will consider issues surrounding food production from the perspectives of a farmer, food company owner, restaurateur, chef, shopper and café customer.

Divide the class into six groups.
Give each group one worksheet (double-sided) and assign them ONE of the profiles on the sheet.
Optional: assign one spokesperson and one scribe per group (or allow groups to vote for their own)
Each profile requires students to think using one of Edward De Bono’s Thinking Hats. The table below shows each profile and the Thinking Hat to be used by students as they adopt that profile. Explain this table to the class.

PROFILE	THINKING HAT	FOCUS / WAY OF THINKING
Farmer	Blue	Processes and control
Food company owner	White	Facts and figures
Restaurateur	Red	Intuition and emotion
Chef	Green	Creativity and alternatives
Grocery shopper	Black	Negatives and caution
Café customer	Yellow	Positives and benefits

Allow 15 minutes of reading, discussion and note-making time in groups. Each group notes its answers and ideas on their worksheet.

Reconvene the class and have each group share their answers and ideas for 20 minutes. Each group member may speak, or there may be one spokesperson per group. Facilitate a discussion based on the ideas and viewpoints presented. Encourage debate and rebuttal between groups, but emphasise the importance of finding solutions and compromises. As a class, think about specific scenarios that will keep discussion flowing. e.g. restaurateur wants to sell an appealing dessert. Possible discussion points: chef wants to make pecan pie, local farmer wants to sell macadamias, restaurateur wants the most affordable produce, customer is happy with pecan or macadamia pie.

3. From the same perspective as in Part 2, students will consider the impact of climate change on food production and how that affects them.

Separate again into the six groups for 10 minutes.
On the worksheet, one or more group members write down the group’s ideas about how climate change directly impacts food production – specifically in relation to their profile. e.g. drought = fewer crops produced = fewer choices for shoppers.
If time permits, reconvene the class and have the groups share their ideas.

4. Allow 5 minutes of reflection time after the second class discussion. Students may reflect in random pairs or write a journal-style entry in their books.

Differentiated activities

Extension activity: Based on the ideas raised in the profile groups, students complete a written empathy task in the form of a letter, article or interview. In this piece of writing, students should focus on the impact of climate change on food production.

Provisions for Learning Support: The role play activity is accessible for students of all abilities.

Homework

Students research one of the profiles used in class (theirs or another one) and present their findings in the form of a poster featuring both graphics and text.

Earth Hour - Empathy Activity

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