Strong fit
Systems learning is stronger when students can trace how a familiar item
moves through several linked stages and explain where impacts build up.
How this handout aligns
The source-to-waste map and impact table help students see food as a system rather than a single
purchase or personal choice.
Systems thinking
Cause and effect
Sustainability
Use one familiar kai example first so the system feels concrete.
Strong fit
Students need space to reason about trade-offs, not just identify a
supposedly correct answer.
How this handout aligns
The redesign task asks for justification, which helps kaiako surface whether students understand
access, waste, transport, labour, and environmental impact as interconnected.
Decision making
Justification
Trade-offs
That makes the resource stronger than generic sustainability worksheets.
Aotearoa lens
Food-system teaching in Aotearoa deepens when students learn through
local kai examples, māra kai, and the responsibilities implied by kaitiakitanga and māhinga kai.
How to teach this well
Use local growers, school-garden examples, or regional food stories where possible. This helps
sustainability feel relational and practical rather than abstract.
Kaitiakitanga
Māhinga kai
Local context
That framing keeps the work grounded in Aotearoa rather than imported
eco-language.