Activity 4

Paddock to Plate

Engage your upper primary students, in an exploration of native bush tucker plants and the paddock to plate journey. This design and technology lesson plan is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of how bush tucker plants and local produce contribute to sustainable farming practices. By incorporating traditional bush tucker food and seasonal foods, students will gain insights into the significance of local food sources and their journey from the farm to the table.

Our Paddock to Plate lesson focuses on the significance of traditional Indigenous knowledge, historical perspectives on food production, and the modern food supply chain. Through interactive activities, such as creating food maps and engaging with local markets, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the food journey from paddock to plate and the role of sustainable practices in supporting a healthy and active lifestyle.

Join us in this educational journey to discover the rich heritage of bush tucker plants, understand the paddock to plate process, and promote sustainable food practices in your classroom.

Upper Primary Design and Technology Lesson Plan: Learning Objectives

Level 1

Develop a basic understanding of the paddock to plate journey in Australia.

Level 2

Describe the journey of local produce, from sourcing to the consumer.

Level 3

Explain the paddock to plate journey of produce to the Australian consumer, with reference to sustainable farming practices.

Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education Links

Technologies context: Food and fibre production; Food specialisations

• Describe the ways of producing food and fibre (AC9TDE4K03)
• Explain how and why food and fibre are produced in managed environments (AC9TDE6K03)

Teacher Material Needed

• Laptops
• Image tagging software such as ThingLink
• Internet access

Understanding the Seasonal Cycle and Paddock to Plate Journey

1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people traditionally valued the changing of seasons to determine food sources and manage harvests. Seasonal calendar knowledge differs from group to group and on location and does not directly reflect the European 4-season calendar recognised in Australia today. As a class explore and discuss the seasonal calendar for bush tucker plants used by the traditional owners of the land you learn on. Invite Elders or members of your local Land council into your classroom to support the learning. This site may help you: CSIRO - Indigenous Seasonal Calendars
2. Extend this with a discussion on the significance of local produce in supporting local farmers across history. Compare students’ ideas and thoughts about local food production as a source of income through time.
3. As a class, create a flowchart on the board to represent the paddock to plate journey, showing where each stakeholder benefits (producer, supermarket, consumer).
4. Organise a visit to your local supermarket or farmers’ market and provide students with digital cameras to photograph a variety of local produce – native plants, fruits, vegetables, meat, fibre (non-packaged or processed goods). Ensure students have the necessary permissions to participate in the field trip.

Learning Activity 1: Creating a Foodmap of Local Produce

1. When you return from the field trip, instruct students groups to upload their photos of local produce and use an image tagging software such as ThingLink to create interactive food maps. This will help students visually document and understand the journey of local food from paddock to plate.
2. 2. Supported by additional research where necessary, students should include the following information for each image:
   1. It’s origin
   2. Farming practices
   3. Suppliers
   4. Journey to the store
   5. Any other relevant information about the local foods they have chosen, such as the role of bush tucker plants and indigenous plants in sustainable farming practices.
3. Encourage students to explore creative presentation techniques to create their food map, incorporating text, images, links and other interactive elements. You may choose to do this as a class and create a digital global map!

Lesson Wrap Up: Reflecting on the Paddock to Plate Journey

1. Encourage students to explore the interactive food map, particularly the parts that their groups were not responsible for. This will provide a broader view of the paddock to plate journey and highlight the diversity of local produce and bush tucker plants featured in the project.
2. Use the Think-Pair-Share model to encourage students to reflect on what they have learned about local produce and the paddock to plate journey from this activity.