Where our food comes from

• Key idea: The food we eat comes from plants and animals. – e.g. Identifying different sources and production methods of food (UC2.4). 
• Key idea: Different weather conditions can affect people’s daily lives – e.g. identifying the effects of extreme weather on the availability of food items (UC5.3).

Emergent learning:

There are two key ideas here: Firstly, the food we eat comes from plants and animals. Second, different weather conditions affect people’s daily lives through the food that we eat. It is important that we involve children in the preparation of food, and that we talk with them about the choices that we make, and about the economic and health reasons for these choices. WE can also talk about where ingredients come from and about transportation costs.  Our recommended story book this week includes child-friendly recipe ideas for different foods and we can encourage the children to prepare some simple dishes on their own which will also support them in learning more about the ingredients and where they come from.

Activity recommendation:

Much can be done on this theme on visits to a supermarket or grocers and taking photos and note of what is displayed at different times of the year.  Large global wall or floor maps can be used to sort picture cards of foods (cut with the children from magazines or advertisements).   In most cultures around the world there are harvest celebrations at different times of the year and local and World news report regularly on thew quality of harvests. If our children are to grow up to value nature, then it is important that we should take advantage of these opportunities to talk to them about the importance and our dependency upon harvests from an early age.

We have also found that food production and cookery activities often offer particular appeal to children who are demonstrating an interest in ‘Rotations’ in their play – they love to stir…

Other Book recommendations: