One of our missions here at George the Farmer is to connect all kids to the farms that provide the yummy food on their plate, cotton t-shirt on their back, and the woolly socks on their feet.
Did you know George the Farmer offers FREE curriculum-aligned resources to guide teachers to incorporate agriculture into their classrooms – from wool and wheat, to sustainable forest management and chickpeas for Foundation to year 4 levels.
Why is this important?
Well, in a 2012 Australian Council of Educational Research study we discovered that 45% of Aussie year 6 kids didn't connect everyday lunchbox items such as a banana, piece of cheese, and some bread as originating from a farm. Say what?! And... unfortunately, there was more.
How can children make healthy food choices if they don't know where their food comes from? How will agriculture be sustainable in the future if consumers don't understand the industry?
Some of the other findings included:
- 27% thought yoghurt came from a plant,
- 75% believed cotton came from an animal
Kids Love Learning about Food and Fibre
Everybody eats, and everybody wears clothes! Whether your students are vegan or eat meat at home, everybody is supported by a farming enterprise, somewhere! Learning about how their food is grown connects them to what they eat and why. This is something that connects us all – no matter the religion, politics, or background of a diverse classroom.
Farms are Fascinating
And we've made it easy to learn about them with our educational resources, including teaching guides and videos. With engaging music, bright, colourful backgrounds, and easy-to-understand language, this is learning while having fun.
Get Kids Thinking Outside the Box!
Why not learn while doing? The George the Farmer team has a bunch of different techniques to really engage students of all levels. Why not learn about oats while baking Anzac bickies, or learn about wheat while making pizza? Strategies like these, plus a whole lot more, are available for free on the George the Farmer website.
Children engaging in an measuring activity of the Southern Rock Lobster after watching A Dive Down Under With George the Farmer on YouTube.