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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

Video

Farms and people’s connections to them: producer video

This is a video about the operation of the Outback Pride project and the value of the Australian native food produced in conjunction with Aboriginal peoples. To a visual background of the nursery at Reedy Creek in South Australia and some of 25 Aboriginal communities involved in the project in SA and Northern Territory, ...

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 ...

Video

Investigating food and fibres: producer video

This is a video about biodynamic grape growing and wine production at Cape Jaffa Winery in South Australia. It is narrated by co-owner and winemaker Anna Hooper, who describes the wine regions in which the vineyard is located, its soil types, and the main wines grown. She goes on to illustrate the winery's commitment to ...

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 ...

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 ...

Online

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 ...

Online

Creating an Indigenous plant-use garden: plant list

For thousands of years, First Nations peoples across Australia have been growing and cultivating plants. Plants are grown for many different purposes, including food, tools, medicine, shelter, clothing, hunting, carrying, water craft, ceremony and land management. Everything they needed to survive is provided by the bush. ...

Online

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

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 ...

Video

Carey Bros Queensland

This is a video about the operation of the Carey Brothers meat production business. Introduced by Greg Carey, the video shows beef cattle at the company's abattoir as he lists the numbers of cattle, lambs and pigs processed in a typical week and the numbers of staff employed at the plant. He praises the resilience of the ...

Video

Biomes that produce our food, industrial materials and fibre: producer video

This is a video about the mixed farming operations of Boonderoo Pastoral Company in South Australia. The farm is introduced by owner Lachie Seears who describes its size, family history and how region's Mediterranean climate allows him to diversify across a range of valuable commodities including Angus cattle, cross-breed ...

Text

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.

Text

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 ...

Interactive

Kitchen gardens – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on kitchen gardens using the five-step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and ...

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 ...

Video

Exploring the production and marketing of seafood: producer video

This is a video about how wild-caught lobsters are processed for export and barramundi are farmed in two South Australian businesses. The first part is presented by Andrew Laurie, the owner of Sky Seafoods, who shows the work of the lobster fishermen who supply him and how the lobsters are processed. He describes how sustainability ...

Video

Out and about on farms: producer video

This is a video about the Willalooka Pastoral Company in South Australia and its annual cycle of cattle and sheep production. Narrated by owner Thyne McGregor, it shows the scale of the company's operations as he describes how its 10,000 ha size came about and how its five staff are deployed. He emphasises the importance ...

Video

Investigating key Australian approaches to producing cotton, timber and wool: producer video

This is a video about short wool sheep breeds and how their wool is used at the MiniJumbuck factory at Narracorte South Australia to make quilts, underlays and pillows. Sheep are seen on farms as merino sheep producer Thyne McGregor and Southdown breeder Dee Nolan discuss the strengths of each type of wool and how each ...

Video

Exploring farms that produce our meat and wool:producer video

This is a video about Mayura Station in South Australia and the full-blood Wagyu beef it produces. It is introduced by owner Scott deBruin who explains the origin of Wagyu cattle in Japan; points to the characteristic marbling of its meat preferred by Asian customers; and outlines the importance of high energy grain feed ...

Video

Grandvewe - Cheese Farm - cheese also comes from sheep!! Tasmania

This is a video about farmer and cheesemaker Diane Rae and how she and her children established a sheep dairy agribusiness. It shows scenes of Grandvewe farm and cheesery as she speaks of how they learnt to be sheep farmers; researched dairy sheep overseas; and changed production systems as a result of experience. She tells ...