Design and technologies / Year 7 and 8 / Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

Analyse how food and fibre are produced when designing managed environments and how these can become more sustainable (ACTDEK032)

Elaborations
  • comparing land and water management methods in contemporary Australian food and fibre production with traditional Aboriginal systems and countries of Asia, for example minimum-tillage cropping, water-efficient irrigation
  • investigating the management of plant and animal growth through natural means and with the use of chemical products like herbicides and medicines when producing food and fibre products
  • recognising the need to increase food production using cost efficient, ethical and sustainable production techniques
  • describing physical and chemical characteristics of soil and their effects on plant growth when producing food and fibre products
  • investigating different animal feeding strategies such as grazing and supplementary feeding, and their effects on product quality, for example meat tenderness, wool fibre diameter (micron), milk fat and protein content when producing food and fibre products
  • recognising the importance of food and fibre production to Australia’s food security and economy including exports and imports to and from Asia when critiquing and exploring food and fibre production
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Farming systems,  Human settlements,  Food miles,  Fibres (Materials),  Farms

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The Conversation: agriculture

This resource consists of a multitude of news articles and analytical pieces under the topic of agriculture. Eight articles address the many challenges of world food security, five explore the impact of predicted water and phosphorus shortages on crop yields and one article analyses the broader impact of organic farming ...

Video

Weston Farm - organic farm (Tasmania)

This is a video about horticulturalist and farmer Richard Weston and his success in growing high quality organic food and flowers. It shows scenes of Weston Farm as he speaks of his commitment to quality niche products, the importance of diversification in small-scale farming, and the value of overseas research. He goes ...

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NFF: Farm facts 2012

This is a multilayered web page produced by the National Farmers' Federation, which includes links to a 34-page pdf and a Prezi providing a summary of agricultural production in Australia in 2012. These include information about Australian farmers and farms, as well as an overview of farming sectors such as wool, cotton, ...

Video

ACMF: Farm visit

This resource is a web page providing information about commercial chicken meat farming in Australia. It explains that meat chickens are not raised in cages but are kept in large barns, and provides a link to further information on the different farming systems used in growing meat chickens. The resource features a film ...

Video

Food security researcher

This is a short clip in which a dietician, Kate, describes a food security research project she is working on and includes details about what food security is, the skills employed by researchers and what she enjoys about her project topic. Kate provides encouragement for undertaking work experience to find out more about ...

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Cotton Australia: posters

This page provides links to 5 posters that can downloaded as PDFs. The posters include: field to fashion process, sustainable cotton farms and a map showing where cotton is grown. Variations of the posters are available for primary and secondary students. The web page also provides a link to order free hard copies if required.

Online

Meet the food system

This unit of work consists of two parts, supported by lesson plans, slides and handouts and teachers guides. The first part examines the food system as a complex network that is deeply connected to health, society, and the environment. The second part explores key milestones in the history of agriculture, with a focus on ...

Online

How do you like your eggs?

This is a teacher resource containing a sequence of inquiry relating to egg production systems used by egg farmers in Australia. It contains material to assist planning, implementing and assessing a research task about the egg production systems and the management techniques used to produce eggs, the claims associated with ...

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Balloon car challenge

In this practical activity, students design and build a balloon-powered car and race it to better understand the ideas related to rocket propulsion. The resource includes a step-by-step teacher guide and student worksheets.

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Cotton Australia fact sheets

This library provides a series of one to two page fact sheets on a range of topics related to the Australian cotton industry including: an overview of the industry, history of the cotton industry in Australia and in the world; economics of Australian cotton; biotechnology; climate challenges and cotton; properties of cotton ...

Online

Creating a food garden: site assessment and mapping

This learning activity is part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a food garden. The order of these learning activities are: vision, site assessment, installing a no dig garden bed, planting and harvesting. OUTCOMES of the learning activity are for children to understand more about the ...

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Creating a beneficial garden: planting

Planting flowers with food crops increases biodiversity, and is known as beneficial planting. Beneficial planting not only makes our garden beds look more attractive to us, it also makes gardens look more attractive to pollinators and predators, which in turn, help to fertilise and protect crops from pest invertebrates. ...

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Creating a bee hotel: construction

As we clear land for urban development, and for broadacre farming, we remove the spaces where bees nest and find their food. With no food, and nowhere to produce their young, native bee populations are under threat of local extinction. In this activity, we will look at providing nesting spaces for native bees which mimic ...

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Soil – more than just dirt!

Explore different soil textures and discover their various properties. Through simple soil testing, children will learn to appreciate the true value soils have in helping plants grow. The learning outcomes of this activity are for children to: - understand how soil texture influences the amount of water and air it holds - ...

Online

Understanding weeds: investigation

In this activity you will be looking for weeds in your local park, backyard and surrounds. Build your knowledge and weed investigation skills as you explore your local environment and examine the presence of weeds. Using online resources, field guides and expert local knowledge, you will be looking at and identifying weeds ...

Online

Creating an Indigenous plant-use garden: planting

The outcomes of this learning activity are for children to: follow instructions and a planting plan; understand the steps involved in planting out and maintaining a successful Indigenous plant-use garden enjoy being active and productive outdoors and build their social and teamwork skills; physically be involved in the ...

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Creating an Indigenous plant-use garden: vision

Planning for an Indigenous plant-use garden is a good way to develop a connection with and respect for First Nations people's perspectives. Use this learning activity to explore exciting ideas, create goals and understand more about successful Indigenous plant-use garden projects. Outcomes of this learning activity are ...

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Creating an Indigenous plant-use garden: harvesting

The satisfaction of eating straight from the garden is one of life’s best learning experiences, however we need to be respectful and mindful to only harvest what we need to allow the plant to continue to thrive for generations to come. This activity involves the assessment and mapping of local environments to create a successful ...

Online

The Farm Game

This is a resource about the relationship between consumers and producers in the market. It is presented as a teacher guide and includes learning outcomes, a description, setting the scene information and a work task. The work task involves an investigation of different types of farmers and primary producers and a whole ...

Video

Rugby Farms – Horticulture and changes in farming practice

This is a video about farmer and business man Matt Hood and how he, his father and brother operate Rugby Farm, a vegetable production agribusiness. It shows scenes of the business past and present as he tells of the many generations who have worked the farm, the 12,000 acres of vegetables grown each year, and the exciting ...