FOOD STUDIES

Unit 1: Food origins

Students focus on food from historical and cultural perspectives. Students investigate the origins and roles of food through time and across the world. Students explore how humanity has historically sourced its food, examining the general progression from hunter-gatherer to rural-based agriculture, to today’s urban living and global trade in food. They look at Australian indigenous food prior to European settlement and how food patterns have changed.

Outcome 1: Identify and explain major factors in the development of a globalised food supply, and demonstrate adaptations of selected food from earlier cuisines through practical activities.

Outcome 2: Describe patterns of change in Australia’s food industries and cultures, and use foods indigenous to Australia and those introduced through migration in the preparation of food products.

Unit 2: Food makers

Students investigate food systems in contemporary Australia including commercial food production industries and at food production in small-scale domestic settings, as both a comparison and complement to commercial production. Students gain insight into the significance of food industries to the Australian economy and investigate the capacity of industry to provide safe, high-quality food that meets the needs of consumers. Students use practical skills and knowledge to produce foods and consider a range of evaluation measures.

Outcome 1: Describe Australia’s major food industries, analyse relationships between food suppliers and consumers, discuss measures in place to ensure a safe food supply and design a brief and a food product that demonstrates the application of commercial principles.

Outcome 2: Compare and evaluate similar foods prepared in different settings, explain the influences on effective food provision and preparation in the home, and design and create a food product that illustrates potential adaptation in a commercial context.

Unit 3: Food in daily life

Students explore the science of food: our physical need for it and how it nourishes and sometimes harms our bodies and also investigate the functional properties of food and the changes that occur during food preparation. Students focuses on influences on food choice: how communities, families and individuals change their eating patterns over time and how our food values and behaviours develop.

Outcome 1: Explain the processes of eating and digesting food and absorption of macronutrients, explain causes and effects of food allergies, food intolerances and food contamination, analyse food selection models, and apply principles of nutrition and food science in the creation of food products.

Outcome 2: Explain and analyse factors affecting food access and choice, analyse the influences that shape an individual’s food values, beliefs and behaviours, and apply practical skills to create a range of healthy meals for children and families.

Unit 4: Food issues, challenges and futures

Students focus on issues about the environment, ethics, farming practices, food wastage, and the use and management of water and land. They focuses on development of food knowledge, skills and habits to make discerning food choices. Students will navigate contemporary food fads, trends and diets. They will practise and improve their food selection skills by analysing the marketing terms used on food packaging.

Outcome 1: Explain a range of food systems issues, respond to a selected debate with analysis of problems and proposals for future solutions, apply questions of sustainability and ethics to the selected food issue and develop and create a food repertoire

Outcome 2: Explain a variety of food information contexts, analyse the formation of food beliefs, evaluate a selected food trend, fad or diet and create food products that meet the Australian Dietary Guidelines.