New
New
Year 6

Changes in the foods we eat

I can describe how food production, processing and distribution has changed over time and identify potential positive and negative impacts of these changes.

New
New
Year 6

Changes in the foods we eat

I can describe how food production, processing and distribution has changed over time and identify potential positive and negative impacts of these changes.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The foods routinely available in the UK have numerous places of origin around the world; many are imported.
  2. Contemporary food production, processing and distribution systems are much more complex than those of the past.
  3. There are potential positive and negative impacts of contemporary food production, processing and distribution systems.

Common misconception

Limited understanding of the difference between unprocessed and processed or ultra-processed foods.

Sort some different foods into categories according to their level of processing.

Keywords

  • Place of origin - The place of origin is the place where something first comes from

  • Imported - Goods that are imported are brought in from another country

  • Greenhouse gas emissions - Greenhouse gas emissions are gases that are released and trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere

  • In season - In season means the time of year when a food is naturally ready for harvesting

  • Processing - Processing means making changes to a food’s natural state. An example is cooking beans in a tomato sauce and preserving them in tins

This lesson has strong links with other subjects such as history, science and DT. As an extension activity, learners could investigate the origins of other food types.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Information books and/or access to the internet

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
The main ingredient of bread is often...
Correct answer: wheat
oats
milk
bananas
Q2.
Which of these foods also contain wheat?
Correct answer: cakes
Correct answer: pasta
Correct answer: crackers
rice
Q3.
Put these stages of food production in order.
1 - Grow crops
2 - Harvest crops
3 - Process
4 - Produce
5 - Package
6 - Distribute
Q4.
In addition to flour what else is needed to make bread?
Correct answer: Yeast
Correct answer: Water
Correct answer: Salt
Cheese
Q5.
Why is bread made in factories?
Correct answer: it can be made in large quantities
Correct answer: it can be made quickly
it smells delicious
Q6.
How many loaves of bread are sold every day in the UK?
1100
11 000
Correct answer: 11 million
11

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the key term with the correct definition.
Correct Answer:place of origin,the place where something first comes from

the place where something first comes from

Correct Answer:in season,the time of year when a food is naturally ready for harvesting

the time of year when a food is naturally ready for harvesting

Correct Answer:imported,goods brought in from another country

goods brought in from another country

Q2.
Match the food to its place of origin.
Correct Answer:chocolate,Central America

Central America

Correct Answer:wheat,West Asia

West Asia

Correct Answer:apples,Central Asia

Central Asia

Q3.
When did humans first start farming?
Correct answer: the Stone Age
the Bronze Age
in Tudor times
Q4.
What types of food processing were used first?
canning
refrigeration
Correct answer: fermentation
Correct answer: pasteurisation
Q5.
What are the positives to food processing?
Correct answer: makes the food last longer
Correct answer: provides vitamins and minerals
makes it more expensive
Q6.
What are the negatives to food processing?
Correct answer: it has fewer nutrients
Correct answer: it has higher levels of sugar and salt
it contains bright colours
it is cheaper