Chocolate money

Europeans love chocolate - we eat over half the world's supply! The bad news is that we are eating more cocoa than can be produced and soon chocolate may become a rare and precious commodity as farmers struggle to meet demand. In this activity students apply their knowledge of pollination to discuss why cocoa yields on a plantation are decreasing. They then find out who funds scientific research by taking roles in a funding meeting - can they work out a deal where all parties will benefit?

Learning objectives

Ecosystem: why insect pollination is important in producing our food
Science in society: understand who funds scientific research

Blueprint curriculum link

Unit: Interdependence
Concept: Abiotic & biotic: Abiotic and biotic factors affect the population of an organism
Skills: Speak: Present
Learning stage: Analyse

Activity contents

Teachers guide
PowerPoint file

The activity is delivered as a zip file. After you checkout, you will be sent an email with the link to download it.

Weblinks

The cocoa crisis

News story on why chocolate supplies are running low.

Cocoa pollination research project

Background reading for teachers. The real research project that the one in the activity was based on.

Chocolate in the Ivory Coast

You can use this video to show the students how cocoa is harvested. The section 3:02-3:44 is suitable. If you have time, your students may enjoy watching the rest of the video which shows cocoa farmers tasting chocolate for the first time.

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Ideal at the end of topic on reproduction

My class were intrigued by this activity, they enjoyed the opportunity to take on different roles and worked well in different groups throughout the lesson. It fitted in well with our topic, was a nice activity to do at the end of term while introducing important ethical and commercial considerations.

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Mammoths extinct

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Short description Scientists have presented two claims: climate change or human hunters. In this lesson students apply their knowledge of...

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Chocolate money

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Mammoths extinct