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4. Lesson Plan - Global food production 

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4. Lesson Plan - Global food production 

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Approaches to Teaching Nature of Science- Integrating student inquiry

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Approaches to Teaching Nature of Science- Integrating student inquiry

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- This article explained the aim of inquiry to make teaching and learning resemble authentic investigative scientific processes.
- It also mentions the different aspects of inquiry that I think was important to share with the students so that they understand more.
1. Identifying problems
2. Coming up with research questions
3. Designing and conducting investigations/experiments
4. Analysing and Interpreting data
5. Formulating, communicating or defending hypotheses, models and/or explanations
- I would always ask students what ones would we incorporating into the activity {Ie. what ones we will be carrying out during that lesson}

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Developments in Junior Cert. specifications ie. Nature of Science

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Developments in Junior Cert. specifications ie. Nature of Science

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- From reading the article I have learned about the different reasons why NOS is so important in junior cert science
1. Understand science as a process
2. Make informed decisions on socio-scientific issues
3. Appreciate science as element of modern culture
4.  More aware of the norms of scientific community
5. Learn science content in more depth - by doing research, experiments etc.

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- This article spoke about helping students to use evidence to distinguish new ideas from existing ideas and consolidate their understanding.
- For example, getting students to answer questions to compare their predictions and the outcomes to a particular question or experiment.
- It also mentioned that an effective teacher is helping students learn as they explore inquiry problems this is something that I try to incorporate into my lessons on a regular basis.

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Video - TEDx talks by Tom Wilson 'Population growth and food supply-- bottom up or top down?'

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Video - TEDx talks by Tom Wilson 'Population growth and food supply-- bottom up or top down?'

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- I used this video to gain more information that I would use when making my PowerPoints
- He discusses why we are missing out on sustainable food production and possible solutions
- For example:

fairer food distribution, education and healthcare

smaller families

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Population growth and food supply-- bottom up or top down? | Tom Wilson | TEDxTucsonSalon

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Video- 10 ways to increase global food production

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Video- 10 ways to increase global food production

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- The video gives ideas that we could adopt some may be on a larger scale
For example:

Grow aquaculture

Raise sugarcane's production

Develop cold chains in China

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10 Big Ideas to Boost Global Food Availability

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Video- Increasing Global food production 

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Video- Increasing Global food production 

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- This video mentions the effects of increasing global food production to have enough food to feed the 35% population increase by 2050.
- There will be more greenhouse gases emitted and clearing habitats for more houses

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Food by the Numbers: Feeding Our Hungry Planet | National Geographic

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Research Activity with Students ie. Used in the Lesson Plan above 

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Research Activity with Students ie. Used in the Lesson Plan above 

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- I handed out these articles for students to read during the lesson and to answer a few questions
- I also got the students to write down any information that they found interesting or had any questions

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- I showed these posters to the students
- I also had them incorporated into my powerpoint so that we could discuss the different information included on them

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- This a poster that I used as a summary at the end of the topic.
- I asked students to elaborate on each of the concepts as a way to see how much they have learned
- I got another student to see if they have anything to add to the previous students answer. [ie. peer assessment]

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Article- Increase global food production

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Article- Increase global food production

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- I used this website when making powerpoint slides as I found that it had good information in it.

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BRUSSELS - To achieve sustainable development we must transform current agriculture and food systems, including by supporting smallholders and family farmers, reducing pesticide and chemical use, and improving land conservation practices, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today addressing European lawmakers.

"Massive agriculture intensification is contributing to increased deforestation, water scarcity, soil depletion and the level of greenhouse gas emission," Graziano da Silva said. He stressed that while high-input and resource intensive farming systems have substantially increased food production, this has come at a high cost to the environment.

"Today, it is fundamental not only to increase production, but to do it in a way that does not damage the environment. Nourishing people must go hand in hand with nurturing the planet," he said. This is in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, he added.

"We have to move from input intense to knowledge intense production systems," the FAO Director-General said.
The future of food and agriculture
Speaking to members of the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Graziano da Silva highlighted the findings of FAO's report, The future of food and agriculture: trends and challenges.

Among the 15 trends described in the report, are the impacts of climate change, conflicts and migration. The FAO report also foresees 10 challenges for achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture worldwide.

In his address, the FAO Director-General focused on four main issues: climate change; the spread of transboundary pests and diseases; food loss and waste; and the importance of eradicating not only hunger, but all forms of malnutrition in the world.
Addressing climate change
Graziano da Silva underscored that no sector is more sensitive to climate change than agriculture - especially for smallholders and family farmers from developing countries - while at the same time, agriculture and food systems account for around 30 percent of total greenhouse emissions.

"In agriculture, adaptation and mitigation go hand in hand. There is no trade-off between the two," the FAO Director-General said. He pointed to the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time building the resilience and promote the adaptation of farmers to the impacts of climate change.

To this end, FAO supports countries through different initiatives and approaches, including climate-smart agriculture, agroecology and agro-forestry.
Curbing the spread of transboundary pests and diseases
Globalization, trade and climate change, as well as reduced resilience in production systems, have all played a part in dramatically increasingly the spread of transboundary pests and disease in recent years. These constitute a major threat to the livelihoods of farmers and the food security of millions of people.

For its part, FAO supports countries to implement prevention and surveillance system. "Even in situations of conflict and protracted crises, we promote programmes of (livestock) vaccination, as we are currently doing is South Sudan and Somalia," the Director-General said.
Saving food
Today the world produces enough to feed the global population, but about one third of this food is either lost or wasted, while at the same time there is also a waste of natural resources such as land and water.

FAO currently supports about 50 countries in the area of food losses and waste, including through the SAVE FOOD initiative, a unique partnership - with more than 850 members from industry, associations, research institutes and non-governmental organizations - that addresses these issues "across the entire value chain from field to fork," Graziano da Silva told the European parliamentarians.
The role of parliamentarians in combating malnutrition
Citing estimates that indicate that nearly half of the European Union's adult population are overweight, the FAO Director-General noted how malnutrion affects both developed and developing countries.

"The way to combat this is to transform food systems, from production to consumption, and provide healthier diets to people," Graziano da Silva said.

He called on the parliamentarians as lawmakers to ensure that adequate policies, programmes and operational frameworks are anchored in appropriate legislation.

"Parliamentarians not only have the means to place nutrition at the highest level of the political and legislative agenda, they also can guarantee that programmes will have the necessary budgets for implementation," the FAO Director-General said.

He also praised Members of the European Parliament for establishing the "Alliance Fight Against Hunger" which according to Graziano da Silva will play an important role in combating malnutrition in Europe.

-FAO

For more articles concerning international issues, click here.

Comments

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BRUSSELS - To achieve sustainable development we must transform current agriculture and food systems, including by supporting smallholders and family farmers, reducing pesticide and chemical use, and improving land conservation practices, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today addressing European lawmakers.

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-  I showed this video to my second years after they have finished the topic
- It explains that we need to manage our land better by including crops that encourage insect diversity
- Getting urban areas to take more care in ensuring that they are taking part in conserving biodiversity.

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Trees woods & forest gardens - agroforestry arboriculture

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Biodiversity and conservation biology What is Biodiversity? Animation video for youtube channel uk

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- I used this video as a source of information for my PowerPoint slides for this topic as I felt that it was a video that didn't leave anything important out and was really easy to follow.

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Conservation and Restoration Ecology: Crash Course Ecology #12

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- I wanted to explain to students that ensuring animals and plants have an ecosystem can be a way to conserve them
- For example, if cutting down trees in a forest could mean that the birds, insects etc die when that happens which will reduce the biodiversity. Which is something that is important to know.

Link: https://www.hunker.com/12221148/how-to-protect-the-ecosystem

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- I used this website which had lots of different ways that humans can conserve plants and animals diversity
eg. Identify locations of critical wildlife habitat for species at risk and the threats to these areas.

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We can participate in biodiversity conservation by increasing our knowledge of environmental issues, increasing our awareness of the impacts of biodiversity loss, and increasing support for government policies and actions that conserve our valuable ecosystems. We can become educators and role models as stewards of the environment by aiding in the recovery of species at risk and preventing other species from becoming at risk. Habitat stewardship consists of activities that range from enhancing the quality of soil, water, air and other natural resources to monitoring and conserving wildlife species and their habitat by donating the property to a land trust.

Participating in Biodiversity Conservation

Identify locations of critical wildlife habitat for species at risk and the threats to these areas. Where possible, eliminate threats and maintain natural areas. Leave critical wildlife habitat undisturbed, especially nesting and denning sites. Promote wildlife use by setting up bird and bat houses.

Eradicate and control introduced weeds on your property. Keep vehicles on main roads to reduce the spread of weeds and disturbance to wildlife.

Monitor and assess your pets' impact on biodiversity. Some domestic animals, especially cats, are predators of wild animals and can devastate local population of native species. Cats have been estimated to kill tens of millions of birds each year in North America.

Leave native plants undisturbed, and landscape using native trees and vegetation. Native plants are well adapted to local conditions and provide a low maintenance, drought resistant garden and can prevent local flooding. Attract "good" insects by planting pollen and nectar plants.

Maintain wetlands by conserving water and reducing irrigation. Avoid draining water bodies on your property.

Construct fences to protect riparian areas and other sensitive habitats from trampling and other disturbances.

Manage livestock grazing to maintain good quality range conditions. Leave some areas ungrazed to determine range characteristics to manage for.

Maintain old standing dead trees and mature forest stands. Large dead trees provide nest cavities for many species and the mature forest will be replaced by old growth over time.

Consider donating property to land trusts, or placing a conservation covenant on your property. This process allows you to protect your land and benefit from potential tax breaks. Under Environment and Climate Change Canada's Ecological Gifts program, a gift of land provides the greatest tax benefit of any charitable gift.

Use natural products and methods for pest control such as BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) for caterpillar infestation; use pesticides that have minimal residual effects such as pyrethrins, insecticidal soaps, and dormant oil sprays; use a high-pressure water stream from a hose to control aphids; use barriers and collars around plants to keep pests away.

Learn as much as you can about nature and share your knowledge with others. Visit ecological interpretation centres, natural history museums, and native fish hatcheries to study local ecosystems. Volunteer at an organization that focuses on conservation or restoration of habitat.

Encourage and support local government initiatives that protect habitat and decrease threats to biodiversity.

Use environmentally friendly products. Dispose of hazardous material safely. Chemicals that enter the sewer system can contaminate freshwater and ocean ecosystems.

Recycle, reuse and reduce. Recycling decreases pollution by decreasing energy, electricity, and water consumption and the need for landfills.

Drive less, walk, ride or carpool more. Learn about low emission vehicle research and availability.

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Biodiversity - What Can We Do? | The Nature Trust of British Columbia

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We can participate in biodiversity conservation by increasing our knowledge of environmental issues, increasing our awareness of the impacts of biodiversity loss, and increasing support for government policies and actions that conserve our valuable ecosystems. We can become educators and role models as stewards of the environment by aiding in the recovery of species at risk and preventing other species from becoming at risk.

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- I used this video as a recap video where students were given the opportunity to watch it when completed the topic
- I asked students to write down any information that they learn from the video
- At least three pieces of information

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Article- The humans benefits from natures technology

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Article- The humans benefits from natures technology

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- This was a website that was very easy to understand and read
- Which is why i got the students to have a look at this for homework to do some extra reading

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At the New South Wales, Australia factory of Interface, the world's largest carpet tile manufacturer, Janine Benyus and her colleagues are studying the "ecosystem services" of the surrounding forest to understand how a re-imagined Interface facility will produce similar benefits for its environment. Imagine if a factory could slow floodwater, build fertile soils, and make its surrounding community more lush and livable. Here's a look at some of the key eco-services that support the conditions for life on Earth-and can provide inspiration for Interface's factory design:

Food and fiber: Ecosystems produce food products derived from plants, animals, and microbes, as well as other materials, such as wood, hemp, and silk.

Storm protection: The presence of ecosystems like coral reefs and wetlands can greatly reduce the amount of damage caused by coastal storms. At Interface, the factory design could include constructed wetlands to mitigate flooding.

Fuel: Wood, dung and other biological materials provide energy.

Climate regulation: Ecosystems affect local and global temperature through land cover and sequestering or emitting greenhouse gases.

Pollination: Ecosystems support pollinators, which sustain plant life. Green roofs at an Interface factory could restore native pollinator communities.

Water regulation: Land cover plays a key role in the magnitude of flooding. At the Interface factory, swapping concrete for more permeable pavement could reduce runoff.

Disease regulation: Ecosystem changes affect the abundance of pathogens and disease-carrying organisms like mosquitoes. Warmer temperatures push malaria cases to higher elevations, for instance.

Erosion control: Vegetative cover helps with soil retention and the prevention of landslides.

Cultural diversity: Ecosystems affect the unique cultural behaviors of the humans within them. Maybe one day Interface employees will want to bird-watch in the surrounding wetlands on their lunch breaks, Benyus says.

Social relations: Societal norms depend on surroundings. Fishing villages have different social customs than nomadic herders, for instance.

Source: Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: A Framework for Assesment

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'Ecosystem Services'-The Human Benefits of Nature's Technology

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At the New South Wales, Australia factory of Interface, the world's largest carpet tile manufacturer, Janine Benyus and her colleagues are studying the "ecosystem services" of the surrounding forest to understand how a re-imagined Interface facility will produce similar benefits for its environment. Imagine if a factory could slow floodwater, build fertile soils, and make...

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Article- Benefits of Ecosystems to Humans

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Article- Benefits of Ecosystems to Humans

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- I used this article as a place to find extra information on the following topics

Production of Ecosystems Goods

Generation and Maintenance of Biodiversity

Climate and Life

Reducing the severity of Floods and Droughts

Soil services

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- To accompany the lesson plan

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- I used this website for articles that might be useful. It gave examples of websites that could be reliable.
- For example, sceincenews.org was one that I found really helpful as it had articles on issues in language that students understood.
- It also gave steps needed to do when doing research.
- It also reminded me to ensure that information Im giving to my students is unbias.

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Science Collaborative Planning Document - interactive

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- Includes articles, videos, posters/images

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SE4034 ASSIGNMENT - Science Learning Outcomes in Focus 

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SE4034 ASSIGNMENT - Science Learning Outcomes in Focus 

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Journal article- Svalbard Global Seed Vault

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Journal article- Svalbard Global Seed Vault

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- I used this article as one of the articles that students read and I had selected sections of it that were important. The article was very informative as it looked at the Seed vault in more detail

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Journal article- Lessons in Conservation

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Journal article- Lessons in Conservation

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- I used this website when doing out my Powerpoint.
- There were a lot of information that I found very interesting and helpful.

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The official journal of the Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners (NCEP).

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- This was a resource I used for extra information when doing up notes for class.
- I showed it to the students as visual representation of content.
- So that they could hear extra information and some already mentioned.

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Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again. | Khan Academy

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Cookies are small files placed on your device that collect information when you use Khan Academy. Strictly necessary cookies are used to make our site work and are required. Other types of cookies are used to improve your experience, to analyze how Khan Academy is used, and to market our service. You can allow these other cookies by checking the boxes below. You can learn more in our cookie policy

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Research- Contribute to Global Food Production

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Research- Contribute to Global Food Production

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- I gave this out to my 2nd Year class when they were conducting research about Global food production. They had a series of questions that they had find and they also had o find three pieces of information that they found most interesting.

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Skip to content

The Seed Vault safeguards duplicates of 1,301,397 seed samples from almost every country globally, with room for millions more. Its purpose is to back up genebank collections to secure the foundation of our future food supply.

Can't travel to the Arctic to see the Seed Vault? No worries. You can now 'visit' the Seed Vault virtually via Svalbard Global Seed Vault Virtual Tour.
Take a virtual tour of the Seed Vault

Why do we need a global seed vault?

Worldwide, more than 1,700 genebanks hold collections of food crops for safekeeping, yet many of these are vulnerable, exposed not only to natural catastrophes and war, but also to avoidable disasters, such as lack of funding or poor management. Something as mundane as a poorly functioning freezer can ruin an entire collection. And the loss of a crop variety is as irreversible as the extinction of a dinosaur, animal or any form of life. The Seed Vault stores duplicates (backups) of seed samples from the world's crop collections as a safeguard against such catastrophic loss.
Why crop diversity matters

How does it work?

The Seed Vault is the ultimate insurance policy for the world's food supply, securing millions of seeds representing every important crop variety available in the world today and offering options for future generations to overcome the challenges of climate change and population growth.

A temperature of −18°C is required for optimal storage of the seeds. Permafrost and thick rock ensure that the seed samples will remain frozen even without power. The seeds are sealed in custom-made three-ply foil packages, which are sealed inside boxes and stored on shelves inside the Seed Vault. The low temperature and moisture levels inside the Seed Vault ensure low metabolic activity, keeping the seeds viable for long periods of time.
Find out what other projects the Crop Trust is involved in

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is owned by Norway and managed in partnership between the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the regional genebank NordGen and the Crop Trust.
Visit the Seed Vault's homepage

Why Svalbard?

The Seed Vault is in an ideal location for long-term seed storage for several reasons.

The storage

The Seed Vault has the capacity to store 4.5 million varieties of crops. Each packet of seeds consists of an average of 500 seeds, so a maximum of 2.5 billion seeds may be stored in the Seed Vault.

As of May 2024, the Seed Vault holds more than 1.3 million seed varieties originating from almost every country in the world. These range from unique varieties of major African and Asian food staples such as maize, rice, wheat, cowpea and sorghum to European and South American varieties of eggplant, lettuce, barley and potato. The Seed Vault already holds the most diverse collection of food crop seeds in the world.

The Seed Vault's objective is to safeguard as much of the world's unique crop genetic material as possible while also avoiding unnecessary duplication. It will take some years to assemble because some genebanks need to multiply the stock of seed first, and other seeds need to be regenerated before they can be shipped to Svalbard.

For a complete overview of the samples stored in the Seed Vault,
Visit NordGen's public online database

4.5M

Variety capacity

1,301,397

Samples in the Seed Vault

-18ºC

Temperature required

History

2023

The Seed Vault marked its 15th anniversary in February 2023 and received nearly 20,000 seed samples from 20 genebank depositors, including collections from first-time depositors from Albania, Croatia, North Macedonia, and Benin. A new virtual tour was launched.

2021

Thanks to an update to the Seed Portal, newly deposited seeds could be placed in the same box as the previous year's deposit for the first time. This will save space for future shipments from the same depositors.

2020

The Cherokee Nation became the first Indigenous group from North America to deposit when it safeguarded the seeds of nine heirloom food crops that predate European colonization.

World leaders met at the Seed Vault in February for a Seed Summit to discuss "Genetic diversity for more resilient food systems". Meanwhile, the number of seed varieties stored in the Seed Vault surpassed one million out of a total capacity of 4.5 million.

Who can take the seeds out?

The seed boxes are stored under "black-box conditions," meaning the depositors are the only ones who can withdraw their own seeds. When seeds are deposited in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, their legal ownership is not transferred. This means that a depositor who chooses to store seeds in the Seed Vault is still the owner of the seeds and the only one who can withdraw them from the Seed Vault.
See where the Crop Trust is active around the world

What is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault?

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault provides insurance against both incremental and catastrophic loss of crop diversity held in traditional genebanks around the world. The Seed Vault offers long-term protection for one of the most important natural resources onearth.

What groups are involved in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault?

The Seed Vault is owned and administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food on behalf of the Kingdom of Norway and is established as a service to the world community. The Global Crop Diversity Trust provides support for the ongoing operations of the Seed Vault, as well as funding for the preparation and shipment of seeds from developing countries to the facility. The Nordic Genetic Resources Center (NordGen) operates the facility and maintains a public online databaseof samples stored in the seed vault. An International Advisory Council oversees the management and operations of the Seed Vault.

Why Svalbard?

Svalbard was chosen for several reasons. Its cold climate and permafrost make the area a perfect location for underground cold storage. The surrounding sandstone is stable for building and is low in radiation. In terms of security, Svalbard scores high marks compared to the locations of many other genebanks in the world. The infrastructure is good, with daily flights and a reliable source of energy from local coal supplies. The vault is located an extraordinary 120 meters (393.7 feet) into the rock, ensuring that the vault rooms will remain naturally frozen even in the event of failure of the mechanical cooling system and rising external air temperatures due to climate change.

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The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is our insurance against the loss of crop diversity and is the world's largest backup facility for seeds.