Post on 27-Dec-2015
Our Initial Plan for our ProjectWe decided to run a food miles project with our Year 4/5/6 class, challenging the pupils to investigate the possibility of making a pizza using only local, Fairtrade or low cost toppings.
Our planned schedule was:
• Initial ‘Diamond Ranking’ self assessment.• Pupils to complete Enquiry Planning Form.
• Split the class into groups and allow them time to choose their toppings, begin their research and complete a Food Miles map.• Acquire ingredients and make the pizza.• Pupils to hold a debate supporting their pizza.• Final ‘Diamond Ranking’ self assessment.
Initial Diamond RankingPupils were put into pairs and handed a diamond ranking activity sheet. They had nine statements about what makes a good pizza which they had to discuss and place in order of importance. No lead up work was done to this activity as we wanted to gauge their initial views on the subject although the pupils were given time to generate their own definitions of the statements.
The choices were:
Cost
Taste
Variety of Toppings
Appearance
Fairtrade
Food Miles
Ease
Local Produce
* 1 Free choice item
Enquiry Planning Form
Each group had to complete an Enquiry Planning Form at the start of the project outlining: • What concepts, skills, knowledge and
attitudes they wanted to develop.
• Key Questions they wanted to investigate
• Identified learning experiences to achieve these targets.• Suggested assessment opportunities.
Pupil Led ResearchThe groups began the process of starting their own research. The local group started searching for local producers and suppliers and began sending out emails. The Fairtrade group got straight onto the Fairtrade company website and tried to search for their toppings. The low cost group used price comparison websites to search for the cheapest toppings that were on offer.
Fairtrade GroupAfter selecting their four toppings (2 protein, 2 fruit and vegetables) they discovered that 3 out of 4 of their choices were not actually available as Fairtrade. The struggle to find viable toppings for their pizza began. The range of protein related toppings was little to none. They could source their original choice of pineapple but the only vegetables available to them were green beans.
With all of this frustration and seemingly closed doors blocking their paths taking place before their research into what Fairtrade was, opinions on Fairtrade were initially pretty low within the group.
Local Produce Group
The local source group were very efficient at searching for local suppliers and sent off a raft of emails to a variety of companies.
Dear Local Pizza Group
Mushrooms and onions can be sourced locally in the spring and summer months when they are in season. Mushrooms cost £1.53 per kilo and are from Bridgend in the summer months and Lincolnshire in the winter months. Onions cost £0.57 and can be sourced from the same places at the same times.
Best wishesW. R. Bishop & Co.
Dear Local Pizza Group
Hi
Our price for cooked ham is £11.00 per kilo.
Our meat comes from local produce.
Kind regards
Alan John – Family Butchers
A selection of emails
Local Produce – Food MilesThe local produce group then began to input their information into a spreadsheet. They then used Google maps to investigate how many miles it was from the course of origin to our school.
The most successful source in terms of food miles was the local butchers in Brynna, the next village over from our school.
The total cost of all four toppings came to £30.10 per kg.
Low Cost GroupThe low cost group used a price comparison website and settled on three superstores; ASDA, TESCO and Sainsburys. They selected their toppings and searched for the lowest priced variety in each store. In cases of there being a tie between two stores for the lowest price, a vote was held to see which was the preferred option. In both circumstances TESCO won.
The total cost of the four lowest toppings came to £5.82. The pupils then began the process of researching the chosen products to see if they could identify their origins. Having studied the ingredients they quickly realised that this may not be as simple as they would have expected.
The DebateEach group created a PowerPoint presentation outlining their research and reasons for why their chosen group was the most worthy. They then debated their reasons in front of a panel of eight Year 3 and 4 pupils.
What follows is a selection of closing statements from the three groups.