Thinking Food : The critical consumer

Many children are aware of healthy eating messages and guidance, but they fail to apply these in their everyday lives. One area of food technology that equips children with the skills to become more evaluative, discriminating, questioning and ultimately believe that this is something they can change and be responsible for is product evaluation.

This resource pack of activities and guidance for teachers provides a menu of ‘product evaluation’ activities that students can work through independently in food technology, PSHE, science etc, that develop their knowledge about healthy eating and skills in applying this understanding. For example, evaluating information from food labels, evaluating messages from a number of sources about healthy eating, examining what really gets in the way of a healthy diet ‘for me’, examining controversial issues such as food advertising in a balanced way. The activities:

• Address pupils directly
• Are set in a context of their lifestyle – is personal
• Are focused on things that they can change in their lives
• Promote reflection on thought provoking issues
• Actively engage pupils
• Encourage discussion
• Challenge current perceptions
• Enable innovation – leading to pupils to understand and believe "you can do this"

Students will use these activities when they are designing food products in food technology, and choosing healthy options in their everyday lives. OFSTED frequently highlights that the teaching of designing is weaker than making, so this will also help teachers improve their practice.

Download:

Thinking Food - Introduction
Thinking Food - Student Sheets
Thinking Food - Teachers Notes