Comparing Cruelty: Lesson 2 Design and Technologies, Yr 9-10
Consuming Cruelty: Analysing Animal Product Consumption and Designing Future Alternatives
Information to Teachers
The suggested activities below have been developed for a Stage 5, Year 9-10 Design and Technologies class and focusses on innovation and creativity. The suggested activities ask students to critically examine the facts and figures used in the Voiceless Animal Cruelty Index (VACI); questioning how animal cruelty can be linked to the consumption of animal products. Students will then consider what countries could be doing better in order to protect animals from cruelty. Students will have the opportunity to design sustainable solutions to current and predicted future environmental problems to protect our world and the animals within it.
The Voiceless Animal Cruelty Index (VACI) tracks the animal welfare performance of 50 countries that were selected among the largest producers of farmed animal products in the world. The interactive Index evaluates and ranks the countries based on the nature, extent, and intensity of cruelty associated with farmed animal production. In addition, it also assesses and ranks the consumption of farmed animals and animal products and evaluates the regulatory frameworks put in place to protect animals within each country.
Time Allocation
50-100 minutes.
Target
Mixed ability class with extension tasks.
Unit Focus
Question – what do you think constitutes animal cruelty, and what do you think countries could be doing better to protect animals from cruelty?
Consider – the different views on this issue and decide for yourself where you stand.
Discuss – with your friends, family, classmates and teachers. Debating complex issues is healthy and helpful.
Voiceless Resources
- The Voiceless Animal Cruelty Index (VACI)
- Video – Animal Protection Around The World: Who Ranks Best and Worst?
- The Voiceless Animal Cruelty Index – The Index Logic
- Glossary (selected words appear in bold)
- Quiz
- Animal Protection Encyclopedia
Download the lesson bundle here.
Find all resources at www.voiceless.org.au.
Other Resources
- Iyengar, Sridhar. Synthetic Biology Might Feed Us: Beyond Meat. Maize, 2019, www.maize.io.
Suggested Learning Activities
Inquiry Questions
- How does consuming animal products relate to animal cruelty?
- How important is it to consider new technologies and solutions in order to combat climate change and improve the lives of animals?
1. PRETEST / STARTER
Students watch the Voiceless Video ‘Animal Protection Around The World: Who Ranks Best and Worst?’
2. EXPLORE
In order for students to have a good understanding of the VACI, it is recommended they spend some time exploring the interactive Index and read the following pages:
Students to use the Index to locate the following:
- Countries consuming the most animal products (choose up to 5)
- Countries consuming the least animal products (choose up to 5)
3. DISCUSS
As a class, hold a discussion on the benefits and consequences of a mass production system such as factory farming. Consider both the ethics and environmental sustainability of such a system.
Notes could be collated on the board in two columns (Pros/Cons).
From this initial discussion, students are then given a design brief and research task which would work well as a summative assessment or homework task.
Read: ‘Synthetic Biology Might Feed Us: Beyond Meat’ by Sridhar Iyengar. This will help students in the following task.
Design Task: Predicting Future Technologies and Solutions
Student Instructions
The world is becoming more aware of the impact that factory farming is having on both animal welfare and our environment. Imagine the world in 2050, 30 years from now.
How does the world look? What is environmentally sustainable and ethical – what isn’t? What real-world problems are people, animals, and the environment facing?
In your research and response to the design brief you must include the following:
- Identify a real-world problem/s faced by the world in 2050 – this must connect in some way to the VACI (Voiceless Animal Cruelty Index)
- Design a solution for this problem (you must consider basic needs and human rights in your concept/s)
- Explain the social, ethical, and environmental sustainability decisions for your design
- Choose ONE of the statements below and explain in 150 words how your design responds to the statement
- Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care, respect and responsibility, and require us to explore and understand environments.
- Designing action for sustainability requires an evaluation of past practices, the assessment of scientific and technological developments, and balanced judgements based on projected future economic, social and environmental impacts.
- Sustainable futures result from actions designed to preserve and/or restore the quality and uniqueness of environments.
(Sustainability outcomes taken from: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/)
4. SHARE
Students to share research/design concepts with one another.
5. REFLECT
Students write a 250-500-word reflection on a class member’s product.
TAKING IT FURTHER
Voiceless would be delighted to receive completed student work to consider for publication on the Voiceless website. If you have student/parental consent or would like to get in contact with us to provide some feedback on this APE, including how it was recieved by your students, please email work or feedback to education@voiceless.org.au.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.