ACTIVITY

Life of a Strawberry – Understanding Food Waste

The students watch a short film about the journey of a strawberry, reflect on the problem of food waste, share personal experiences, and write a creative essay from the perspective of a fruit or vegetable.

The intention is to raise awareness about the environmental, social, and economic impacts of food waste and to encourage students to think critically and creatively about how to prevent wasting food.

1

Introduction (10 min) 
Class watches the short film The Life of a Strawberry (5 min). Educator leads a brief discussion (Life of a Strawberry – Understanding Food Waste) with guiding questions:

  • What message does the film want to communicate?
  • Why is wasting food also wasting water, energy, labour, money, and love?
2

Reflection on personal experience (15 min)
Students discuss in pairs and then as a class:

  • Which food is most often wasted at home?
  • Why do we throw them away?
  • What else is wasted when we throw away food?
3

Group brainstorming – how to prevent food waste (15 min)
Groups create a list of practical strategies (Brainstorming) for home and school to reduce waste. They record key ideas on the board.

4

Creative writing task – “My life as food” (40 min)
Students choose a fruit or vegetable (e.g. apple, carrot, tomato). They write a short essay in the first person describing:

  • how they are grown (basic facts),
  • how they travel to people,
  • how they feel when eaten or wasted.
    Encourage imaginative and emotional reflection, combined with factual elements.
5

Sharing and conclusion (10 min)
Volunteers read excerpts of their essays.

 

The key message of the lesson: Food is precious – wasting it means wasting all the resources behind it.

Didactic tips:

  • Variation: Younger students can draw a comic strip instead of writing an essay.
  • Differentiation: Provide sentence starters or a graphic organiser for those who need support.
  • Progression: Students can do a “food audit” at school or home to measure actual waste.
  • Combination: Link with lessons on healthy diets or global hunger.
  • Extension: Publish essays or display them on posters in school to raise awareness.
GreenComp: food waste, sustainability, creative writing
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THEME:
Food & beverage
TIME: 90 minutes
AGE: 10-12 years, 13-15 years

SUBJECTS:

  • Nature sciences
  • Social studies
  • Mother tongue

TOOLS / MATERIALS:

  • Pens/pencils and paper
  • Worksheets for brainstorming (optional)
  • Flipchart or board for group discussion

METHODS:

RESOURCES: