1 - Meet the People World Trip

In this lesson students act as tour guides for a "Meet the People tour" in the Fairtrade producer country they have been given to research. They try to convince the rest of the class that they should visit their country on a 'round the world' trip.

Curriculum Links
This lesson plan links to Curriculum aims and/or programmes of study in Geography, Citizenship and Computing.

Learning Objective
To collect, record and present information about 5 of Traidcraft’s producer countries and their experience of Fairtrade.

Learning Outcome: To understand the human and physical characteristics of India, South Africa, Chile, Malawi and Bolivia and the difference Fairtrade has made to producers.

Resources Needed
Atlases, library access, internet access to http://meetthepeople.skedaddle.co.uk/ props, paper, art materials, starter Powerpoint slide.

Preparation
Students could be asked to research their country for homework before activity. Class should be arranged into sections for the class to 'visit' each 'country'. Alternatively, use a bigger space such as a hall.

Starter
Show the Starter Powerpoint slide on the IWB and challenge students to guess the connections between each photo and Fairtrade.

1. Elizabeth Mentoor, South Africa. Elizabeth Mentoor uses a water pump to get water from a canal to use in her home. The water pump was paid for with the Fairtrade premium and can be used by members of the community. Elizabeth is not a grape farmer or member of Eksteenskuil Agricultural Cooperative (EAC) but this water pump shows just one of the ways that Fairtrade is supporting the wider community.
2. One of 3 rotavators bought by Agrocel Rice Growers with the Fairtrade premium. Any farmer can use them. 
3. Electricity cables erected to bring the first electricity supply to the village of Chinangwa in Malawi, paid for with the Fairtrade premium on sales of Kasinthula sugar.

Main Activity
Part 1

Introduce students to Traidcraft’s Meet the People tours, which give people the opportunity to visit different countries and meet producers who have benefited from Fairtrade as well as experience different cultures and see new things. If possible explore the website together:http://meetthepeople.skedaddle.co.uk/.

Why would people want to participate in a Meet the People tour? How is it advertised? (e.g. a 'different type of holiday', making a positive impact on countries, 'ethical tourism') Have a look at some example holidays (there is the option to request brochures online which could be examined in groups).

Split the class into groups. Each group is allocated a producer country: South Africa, Chile, Bolivia, Malawi and India. Students read the producer stories from their specific country and then make a list of the benefits of Fairtrade to the producers and to the wider community. Feed back their ideas as a class.

E.g. Benefits to the producers: a regular income which means they can provide for their families, they can send their children to school, build better houses, learn new farming techniques, use new and better machinery, provide work for their children once they are adults, which means they don’t have to leave the area.

Benefits to the wider community: electricity has been brought to Chinangwa village in Malawi, a new medical centre has been built and life saving medicines are available, boreholes have been dug, water pumps installed, school children have new school bags, new jobs have been created.

Part 2 (Could be completed for homework)
Using country factsheets, producer profiles, atlases, school library and the internet, particularly the Meet the People tour website above, students research their country and the producer group using the worksheet.

Part 3
When they have completed the worksheet explain that their group will act as tour guides for the Meet the People Tour in their country and they have to convince the rest of the class that they should visit it on their 'round the world' trip.

The group is allowed to promote the tour in any way they like, such as providing information sheets, brochures, posters or acting out an advert. They must
• use as much of the research they have done as possible
• include a meeting with their producer group and the importance of Fairtrade

The most popular 'country' is voted for at the end of the class's 'Round the World Tour”.

Plenary
Each student makes a 'passport' out of scrap paper and 'stamp' it with one thing they have learnt about each country and about the benefits of Fairtrade. 

Extension
Students write a short description of all the countries they have visited (not their own).