The food we eat
Do you know?
ACTIVITIES
By taking a look at what food means in countries where people are not so fortunate, I hope our students will learn to appreciate the food they sometimes take for granted. Hopefully, some of them will adopt a more responsible attitude as far as avoiding unnecessary waste is concerned. If they learn to appreciate food supplies, there will be a higher chance that they will try to preserve such a precious resource, recycle more regularly and be aware of the difficulty millions of people have to take something to their mouths; I believe empathy is the first step to solidarity.
General Planning
Some other kids might not know how hard it is for fishermen to catch that cod they reject, or how much effort it takes to grow the veggies which at first sight don't look so tasty.
That's why it will be necessary to take a deeper look at the processes involved in food hanling from harvesting till it reaches our plates.
ACTIVITIES
- Activity 1; Watch the following Youtube video "Costera Verdel Santoña", which shows the captures of mackerel by professional fishermen in this coastal town which has been linked to the fishing industry for many generations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG45iQeq5eQ&feature=related
In groups of four people, describe what you saw in the video. Then, find out information about the different ways which are employed by the professional fishermen of Cantabria in order to catch mackerel. Share this information with the rest of the class (first in turns, then there will be a debate).
- Activity 2; Make a list of the different species that professional fishermen catch in Cantabria. Then, make a chart with the names of the most common fish we can find in supermarkets or fish shops. Students will be encouraged to bring their own materials (supermarket brochures, for example) so that they can make the chart with meaningful pictures of the different species.
The following website will provide us with the translation from Spanish into English of fish species:
http://www.pesca2.com/diccionario/listado.cfm?indice=1&letra=97
- Activity 3; Trip to Santoña. Interview local people and visit some of the local industries which are closely related to seafood processing. Try to find out information on how fishermen live, what their salaries are and the way they make a living, the money they get for a kilo of fish as opposed to what we pay at the store, and the difficulties fishermen have to face (bad weather, rough sea, staying away from home for extended periods of time).
These are some of the fish processing industries in Santoña:
- Conservas Juanjo: http://www.conservasjuanjo.net/images_contacte/contactenos.html- Salazones y Conservas Blasan, SL:
- El Capricho, SL:
http://www.elcapricho.es/
- Conservas Rueda:
http://www.conservasrueda.com/
- Conservas La Imperial:
http://conservaslaimperial.es/home.html
In order to get a more accurate description of the characteristics of the fishing industry, we will also visit the Cofradía de Pescadores Nuestra Señora del Puerto, located in c/Muelle s/n 39740 Santoña.
* COMPETENCES RELATED TO COOPERATION:
- Activity 1; Brief study of MILK PROCESSING. The milk we buy and drink is not the same product which comes out of the cow's udder. Thus, there are some processes involved aimed at the preservation of milk for a longer period of time and the elimination of harmful bacteria (pasteurizing), among other reasons. Find out, what UHT stands for (Untra Heat Treatment), and what is its purpose.
Give examples of other products; describe the way they are treated so that they last longer, taste better or look shinier. Find information about colorants, flavourings, preservers, and other chemical artificial products in the food we eat.
- Activity 2; Searching for information. Where does our food come from?
In this case, students will be asked to take a look at the labels of the food which can be found in supermarkets, in order to determine the origin of the food we eat. Thus, we will be able to find a wide variety of sources, ranging from local to international markets.
Students will be able to realize that most of the food we eat does not come from local sources but, instead, from far away -even foreign- lands.
Class discussion: What are the reasons why we buy and consume products which come from far away distances (most of the times not knowing it) if transportation increases their price greatly? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this fact?
- Activity 3; From Raw material to the final Product. Make a poster showing the different stages through which any product of your choice goes. Some examples might be turrón, canned beans, yoghourt, or strawberry jam.
* COMPETENCES RELATED TO "SUSTAINABILITY" (responsible consumption)
- Activity 1; Find out information about basic products which can be found in the market places of different towns in different countries. Identify which fruits and vegetables are sold, and which are the main sources of protein. Point out some of the most significant differences between countries. For example, you may point out the dependence of Japan on seafood and rice. In some other countries like China, the sources of protein are very different from those of the "Western World", not to mention the food they eat in India, South America and many African Countries.
- Activity 2. Nowadays, in order to fulfill the market demands, there is a widespread use of fertilizers, pesticides, and transgenic farming. Reflect upon the pros and cons of such practices. Find out your own information and share it with the rest of the class.
- Activity 3. Written assignments.
1) Describe what you learnt from the trip to Santoña.
2) Explain the way a specific food of your choice is treated until it reaches our tables.
3) Answer the following question: How can we help to minimize food shortages in Third World countries?
Cakes
Healthy or Unhealthy?