2 - Alfred Butao's Village Shop
In this lesson the children role play being part of a village shop and create word problems for each other to solve.
Curriculum Links
This lesson plan links to Curriculum aims and programmes of study in Maths and English, and to non-statutory programmes of study in PSHE and Citizenship.
Learning Objective
To use multiplication and addition.
Learning Outcome
Children have used addition and subtraction to understand how Alfred sells crops.
Resources Needed:
Commodities to sell (real if possible), area(s) to be used for role play; access to the internet.
Preparation
Provide commodities for the 'shop' including salt, soap, cooking items, biscuits, sweets and soft drinks which are appropriately priced. Set up role play area(s).
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Starter
Read Alfred’s story with the class. Why has he opened a shop in the village? How was he able to afford it? Emphasise the importance of Fairtrade for Alfred and his family.
• Because he now receives a fair price for his sugar cane he has been able to save money and invest it in opening a shop without needing to take out a loan.
• Farming Fairtrade sugar has also meant that he has been able to build a better roof for his house.
• He is able to provide his family with a healthy, balanced diet.
• He is able to send his oldest son to school.
Main Activity
Split the class into groups. Some go to the role playing area(s) and take it in turns to buy and sell items from Alfred’s shop. Other groups are given relevant word problems involving prices and commodities sold in the shop.
E.g. If I wanted to buy 2 packets of biscuits, a bar of soap and a packet of sweets how much would I pay?
Groups switch around after an allotted period of time. Pupils then write word problems for each other.
Plenary
How much do we pay for sugar in the UK? If possible show the class a bag of sugar and elicit some ideas. Who gets the money we pay for the sugar? (the supermarket). Ask the class whether they think sugar farmers in Malawi get paid more or less than the supermarkets. Who makes more money from the sugar, supermarkets or the farmers? Is this fair?
Explain that Fairtrade strives to tackle this inequality by ensuring that as well as being paid fairly for their sugar, an extra proportion of the money we pay for sugar in the UK goes back to the sugar farmers to share out between themselves. This is called the Fairtrade premium. Through this, farmers such as Alfred are able to continue to support their families and invest savings into developing new business.
In pairs pupils role play a meeting between a sugar farmer and a supermarket owner where the farmer tries to convince the supermarket owner to sell Fairtrade sugar.
As an extension exercise, some students may wish to write a day in the life of Alfred Butao.