Food Waste Lesson Plan

This lesson plan, designed for Primary 5-7 students, tackles the important issue of food waste with a specific focus on the role of supermarkets. The learning objectives are twofold: firstly, to encourage students to think about the fate of food once it is discarded, and secondly, to consider and reflect upon the actions supermarkets are taking to reduce food waste. The lesson begins with a brief review of the previous week's topic results, engaging the whole class in a discussion.

The lesson proceeds with a starter activity where pairs of students discuss the most commonly discarded food items in the UK, using picture prompts to aid their conversation. This is followed by a clarification of 'use by' and 'best before' dates, helping students understand the difference and its significance in food waste. The topic is placed in context with the introduction of Food Waste Action Week, emphasizing the timeliness and relevance of the discussion. Students then engage in an interactive 'Supermarket sweep!' activity, where they assess the efforts of different supermarkets in eliminating best before dates on produce, indicating their opinions with thumbs up or down. In pairs, they explore additional measures supermarkets have implemented to minimize food waste and brainstorm their own ideas to contribute to the cause. The lesson concludes with a whole class vote, where students weigh the arguments and cast their votes on whether supermarkets are aiding in the reduction of food waste.