6 - Fairtrade Questions
In this lesson the class carries out a survey to investigate different attitudes towards Fairtrade. They then analyse the results and produce a report showing the results.
Curriculum Links
This lesson plan links to Curriculum aims and/or programmes of study in Citizenship, English, Geography and Maths.
Learning Objective
To investigate public opinions of Fairtrade
Learning Outcome
To research, plan and undertake an enquiry into Fairtrade. To analyse and evaluate the data collected, questioning different values, ideas and viewpoints.
Starter
Explain that students are going to investigate different opinions of Fairtrade. Before they start the class will make some predictions about what people will say. Give each student a piece of red, green and yellow paper. Read out the series of statements below (or write your own) to which students raise green if they agree/think the answer is yes; red if they disagree/the answer is no and yellow if they’re not sure/don’t know the answer. Ask a volunteer to record the answers for the class and display them somewhere.
1. Most people will know what Fairtrade is.
2. Not everyone will be supportive of Fairtrade.
3. More young people than old people buy Fairtrade products.
4. Not many people will know about the ways in which the Fairtrade premium helps communities.
5. Some people will refuse to buy Fairtrade products because they think they are too expensive.
Download documents:
Main Activity
Divide the class into groups to undertake a survey of attitudes to Fairtrade within a specific target group
Target Groups
Primary Schools
11-16 year olds
16 – 19 year olds
Parents
Businesses
Religious groups
Teachers
Older people
A street in the local area
Grandparents
Commuters
Invite students to give you examples of different types of questions they can use.
E.g.
Yes or No questions:
Do you know what Fairtrade is?
Multiple Choice questions:
Tick the answer which best applies.
Fairtrade is...... (a) something to do with giving money to farmers in the developing world
(b) making sure that producers are given a fair price for their goods
(c) nothing to do with me
Open-ended questions which ask for an opinion.
What do you think Fairtrade is?
Each group works together to develop 8 - 10 questions which are appropriate to their target group. They should aim to include both qualitative (open-ended, seeking people’s opinions or experience) questions and quantitative (statistically measurable) data. Students then disseminate the survey.
After surveys have been collected, students analyse the data and produce a report containing graphs and pie charts as well as narrative of the results. What did they find out? Did anything surprise them? As a class, look back at the predictions that were made at the beginning of the task. Was the class correct in their assumptions? When the report has been completed it can be offered to local Fairtrade shops and organisations.
Plenary
Using the information they have collected from the surveys, students focus on one target group which doesn’t know much about Fairtrade. In pairs they think of different things they can do to influence them and convince them to 'go' Fairtrade.
Extension
If your school has a partnership, ask their students to do the survey and compare the results