Food security and climate change in Australia

Food security and climate change in Australia

Lesson 2 of 3 in this unit

  • Secondary
  • Year 9 - 10
  • Science
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Geography
  • Environmental
  • Climate Change
  • Land Management
  • ...

Lesson summary

In this activity students explore the potential climate change risks to food security around Australia. Students are asked to compare the risks to food production in their state or territory with the risks to another state or territory and to produce a map or infographic that shares the results of their research.

Learning intentions:

Students will...

  • understand the term ‘food security’
  • recognise how potential climate change impacts may pose a risk to food security
  • understand that potential climate change impacts will be different in different parts of Australia
  • understand that the risks to food security from climate change will vary around Australia
  • recognise that threats to food security can have impacts locally and globally.

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Plan
Student Worksheet

Lesson details

Curriculum mapping

Australian curriculum content descriptions:

Year 9 Geography:

  • The challenges to food production, including land and water degradation, shortage of fresh water, competing land uses, and climate change, for Australia and other areas of the world (ACHGK063)
  • The capacity of the world’s environments to sustainably feed the projected future population to achieve food security for Australia and the world (ACHGK064)
  • Present findings, arguments and explanations in a range of appropriate communication forms, selected for their effectiveness and to suit audience and purpose; using relevant geographical terminology, and digital technologies as appropriate (ACHGS070)
  • Reflect on and evaluate the findings of the inquiry to propose individual and collective action in response to a contemporary geographical challenge, taking account of environmental, economic and social considerations; and explain the predicted outcomes and consequences of their proposal (ACHGS071)

Year 10 Science:

  • Global systems, including the carbon cycle, rely on interactions involving the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere (ACSSU189)
  • The values and needs of contemporary society can influence the focus of scientific research (ACSHE230)
  • Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS208)

Year 10 Geography:

  • The human-induced environmental changes that challenge sustainability (ACHGK070)
  • The application of human-environment systems thinking to understanding the causes and likely consequences of the environmental change being investigated (ACHGK073)
  • The application of geographical concepts and methods to the management of the environmental change being investigated (ACHGK074)

Syllabus outcomesGE5-2, GE5-3, GE5-4, GE5-5, GE5-8SC5-11PW, SC5-9WS, SC5-12ES

Time required: 60 mins

Level of teacher scaffolding: Low – oversee activity.

Resources required

Additional info

This is an original Cool.org lesson. Facts and figures in these lessons may have changed since this lesson was published. We always endeavour to update our resources in a timely manner, but if you see an error or issue in our resources please get in touch with us.

lesson saved in resources

Save

Download

Share

More from this unit

See all
See all

Related content

Loading content...
Loading content...
Loading content...
Loading content...