1. Palm oil and deforestation
Michelle Minton
Learning objective: To investigate the causes and impacts of palm oil production
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2. Starter: What’s the link?
A bar of soap
A tub of margarine
An area of cleared rainforest
A palm oil plantation
Teacher note: Students consider the link between the objects and locations described and record their answers.
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3. What is palm oil?
Palm oil is a vegetable oil made from the fruit of the oil palm tree. These trees grow in tropical areas, and tropical rainforests are often destroyed to make space for them. Once the palm oil is processed and sold it can make trans- national corporations (TNCs) and governments a lot of money.
Over the next week record all the products/food in your house that include palm oil in their ingredients. These are likely to include shampoo, soaps, washing liquid, make-up, cakes, biscuits, margarine and much more.
As well as food and household products, palm oil can be used as a biofuel (an energy resource made from plants). Nearly half of the palm oil imported into the EU is used as a biofuel.
There is an ongoing debate about the sustainability of using palm oil as a fuel in comparison to fossil fuels — what do you think about it?
Teacher note: Students/teacher reads the introduction to palm oil and ‘go for five’ facts about palm oil on a mini-whiteboard.
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4. Create an issue tree
On each branch of the tree, add different impacts of deforestation for palm oil production.
Challenge: Can you categorise local and global impacts using 2 colours?
On the trunk of the tree add the issue — Deforestation for palm oil production
On each root of the tree add a different cause of deforestation for palm oil production.
Challenge: Complete independent research to include specific facts and figures.
Teacher note: Provide students with the issue tree worksheet/ask students to draw their own tree outline (including roots). Students should use the palm oil article to complete each activity on the slide in turn.
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5. Extension
Add apples to your tree to explain how palm oil can be made more sustainable or include ideas for alternatives to using palm oil.
Teacher note: Students should use the article and independent research to add solutions to the negative impacts of palm oil and suggest alternatives to large scale deforestation for palm oil.
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6. Plenary To what extent do you agree with the statement:
Biodiesel made from palm oil is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
To a large extent, I agree
To a small extent, I agree
To a small extent, I disagree
To a large extent, I disagree
Teacher note: Students should imagine this geography continuum cross the classroom and position themselves to illustrate how much they agree/disagree with the statement. Question students to justify their position and allow the opportunity for students to debate/change their position. The vocabulary used (‘to what extent’) aims to emulate that used in extended exam questions.
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