Key question
How much packaging do we use?
Outline
The children will carry out an investigation to find out how much packaging their favourite food has. They will discuss alternatives for using packaging.
Preparation
Possible foods:
- Crisps: individual packs, large bags and multipacks
- Biscuits: individual packs, large packs and multipacks
- Fruits: packaged and unpackaged
Learning outcomes
On completing these activities all children will be able to:
- estimate the amount of packaging in items they buy; and
- discuss choices relating to foods they buy.
Resources
- Range of foods
- Rulers
- 1cm acetate grids – if possible
- ‘packaging, packaging, packaging’ worksheet (Investigation 07)
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Learning activities
1. The children unwrap the foods, measure the packaging and work out the dimensions of the wrapping noting them on the ‘packaging, packaging, packaging’ worksheet (Investigation 07).
2. Children work out which items have the most packaging.
3. Children make posters encouraging their classmates to make purchases that involve less packaging.
4. Children assign a score to the packaging from 1 (light) to 5 (heavy).