New
New
Year 6

Food and climate change

I can describe ways in which food systems contribute to climate change and investigate possible actions that can be taken to reduce the carbon footprint of food.

New
New
Year 6

Food and climate change

I can describe ways in which food systems contribute to climate change and investigate possible actions that can be taken to reduce the carbon footprint of food.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Farming and food production are major causes of climate change.
  2. All of the stages of the journey of food, from where it is grown or made to our plates, have a carbon footprint.
  3. Different types of food and stages of a food’s journey emit different amounts of greenhouse gases.
  4. There are many different ways to take action to reduce the carbon footprint of food.

Keywords

  • Climate - Climate is an average of weather conditions (e.g. rain, sun, wind) in a place taken over a long period of time (usually 30 years or more)

  • Atmosphere - The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds Earth. It includes the oxygen we need to breathe, so it is essential for life on Earth

  • Emission - An emission is something that is released into the world. An example is the release of carbon dioxide when we breathe out

  • Carbon footprint - A carbon footprint is a measure of the total amount of greenhouses gases that are released as a result of our actions

  • Agriculture - Agriculture is the science and practice of cultivating soil and farming

Common misconception

Difficulties in understanding the science of climate change.

There are many resources about the causes and impacts of climate change available online.

When teaching and learning about climate change, it is important to provide examples of all the positive ways of taking action.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Hunger is an issue that affects people in...
high income countries.
low income countries.
Correct answer: all countries.
Q2.
How can natural disasters cause hunger?
Correct answer: destroy farmland
Correct answer: force shops to close
increase crop yields
Correct answer: block roads used to deliver roads
Q3.
What cause of hunger does this image show?
An image in a quiz
climate change
Correct answer: conflict
a natural disaster
Q4.
What cause of hunger does this image show?
An image in a quiz
a river
Correct answer: a natural disaster
an unequal world
Q5.
Put these statements about the flooding issue in Pakistan.
1 - flash floods ruin the rice crop
2 - very little rice is harvested
3 - no rice to sell
4 - some people suffer from malnutrition or starve
Q6.
Which of these are long term actions to reduce hunger?
sending emergency packages after an earthquake
Correct answer: improving flood defences
Correct answer: tackling climate change
Correct answer: providing drought and disease-resistant seeds to farmers

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the key word with the correct definition.
Correct Answer:emission,something that is released into the world

something that is released into the world

Correct Answer:atmophere,the layer of gases that surrounds Earth

the layer of gases that surrounds Earth

Correct Answer:greenhouse gases,release of gases into Earth's atmosphere that trap heat

release of gases into Earth's atmosphere that trap heat

Q2.
Which gas is released by cows?
hydrogen
Correct answer: methane
helium
Q3.
How can deforestation, shown in the image, cause climate change?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: trees take in carbon dioxide
Correct answer: burning trees releases carbon dioxide
it destroys habitats for animals
Q4.
Which type of food produces more greenhouse gases?
Correct answer: Animal food products
Plant based foods
They produce the same amount
Q5.
What is the percentage of greenhouse caused by food waste?
10%
2%
Correct answer: 6%
60%
Q6.
How can you try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with your food choices?
Correct answer: buy local
Correct answer: grow your own
eat a lot of meat
Q3 "Deforestation" by crustmania is licensed under CC BY 2.0.