Lesson summary
Students will explore what causes low crop yields and the flow on effects of these occurrences on Australia’s future on food chains, people working in food systems and consumers. They will consider the role that regenerative agriculture could play in improving crop yields and ensuring food security.
Learning intentions:
Students will...
- recognise that low crop yields are a threat to sustainable food production and food security
- understand the factors that can cause low crop yields and recognise how low crop yields affect the food chain
- explore how regenerative farming practices can help to increase crops.
Success criteria:
Students can...
- describe the short and long-term effects of low crop yields on every facet of the food chain
- demonstrate the potential for regenerative agriculture to alleviate some of these pressures.
Lesson guides and printables
Lesson details
Skills
This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:
- collaboration
- communication
- problem-solving
Curriculum Mapping
Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content descriptions - Geography Year 9
Students learn to:
- challenges to sustainable food production and food security in Australia and appropriate management strategies (AC9HG9K04)
- the environmental, economic and technological factors that impact agricultural productivity, in Australia and a country in Asia (AC9HG9K03)
General capabilities: Literacy
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability.
Relevant parts of Year 9 Geography achievement standards:
Students analyse the interconnections between people and places and environments. Students analyse strategies to address a geographical phenomenon or challenge using environmental, social or economic criteria.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
Resources Required
- article - Identifying the Causes of Low Farm Yield
- devices with internet access for students
- device to share a video with the class
- online flow chart tool, e.g. monday.com
- Student Worksheet - one per student
Additional Info
Level of teacher scaffolding: Low - teacher will need to set up a flow chart for the class (e.g. see here), facilitate basic discussions and keep students on task.
Special thanks to:
This lesson has been developed with the support of the Macdoch Foundation.
This lesson includes video content of the brilliant new feature documentary from WildBear Entertainment, New Town Films and Regen Studios - go to Rachel’s Farm to see the entire film.
Cool.org's curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
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