N.B. Additional word problems should be composed appropriate for age and ability, e.g. If each producer group receives £xxx for a x% share of the geobar how much money do they receive if 100/1000/10000 etc are sold.
Curriculum Links: Maths 1.1 (a), 1.2 (a), 1.3 (b). 2.3 (1), 2.3 (d), 2.3 (e); Citizenship 1.1 (b). 1.3 (c).
Learning Objective: To calculate the proportion of each Geobar provided by different producer groups.
Learning Outcome: To make accurate calculations using mental mathematics.
Resources Needed: Copies of the back of all types of Geobar, 1 bar of each flavour, scissors, different coloured paper, starter slide.
Starter: Students complete the fraction wall on starter slide.
Main Activity: In pairs students use the list of ingredients and their percentages to work out how much each ingredient has contributed to the 32g bar. Students draw a rectangle representing the Geobar (size to be determined by teacher). Then, using the scissors and different coloured paper students divide the Geobar into appropriately sized pieces representing each ingredient.
Repeat the activity with Fairtrade ingredients and non Fairtrade ingredients.
• Why do students think that some ingredients are Fairtrade and others aren’t, even if they’re the same commodity?
• Proportionately, which producer group benefits the most?
Geobars and Fairtrade certification
Geobars are composite products. They are a mixture of Fairtrade ingredients and non-Fairtrade ingredients. Fairtrade ingredients are represented on the ingredients list in bold, with a star (*) next to them. To be Fairtrade certified producers have to meet certain requirements laid out by the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO) and the Fairtrade Foundation.
Geobars are still Fairtrade marked even though not all ingredients are certified because they match the requirements laid out by the FLO. Although the Fairtrade ingredients only add up to 46.9% of the Geobar (the rule is generally that more than 50% of the total ingredients are sourced from Fairtrade certified producer organisations); raisins are a significant Fairtrade ingredient which represent more than 20% of the weight of the Geobar. Traidcraft are working all the time to ensure that all the ingredients which can be sourced from Fairtrade providers, are.
Plenary: Students report back to the class on three things their partner has learnt from the lesson and one other subject area they think their knowledge will benefit.
Extension: Research the criteria laid out by the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO) and explore how each producer group featured in the resource meets their requirements.