Bugs on the Menu… Future Foods has been designed for Years 5-6 high-ability students.   Entomologist, Dr Shasta Henry, from the University of Adelaide, will lead an exciting, interactive presentation followed by a Q&A session (40 mins).   The theme will be: Did you know that insects are the superfood of the future?

Students participate in a global workshop looking at cultural attitudes to insect consumption.  During a short break, students conduct their own scientific taste-testing trial.  In the last workshop, students respond to a series of super-food insect breeding challenges, investigate the impact of introducing a new insect super-species into our environment, and consider why some populations are resistant to the idea of consuming insects in their diets. Lastly, students have the opportunity to develop a newspaper headline and introductory paragraph promoting their own super-species for human consumption.

Program flyer Bugs On Menu

How to book your group

• Book your students into either the morning or afternoon session NOT both.
• Tickets can be booked using the link below (NOTE: one ticket is for a group of up to 25 students)
• Download and complete the attached Student details spreadsheet and email this through to ecolinc@education.vic.gov.au

After your booking is confirmed, please download the parental invitation and student nomination forms and distribute them to the families of the students.

• VCES Student Nomination Form
• VCES Parent Info

The Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES) is an initiative funded by the Victorian Government to extend and engage high-ability students across the state. The series provides opportunities for students from Foundation to Year 12 in Government Schools to participate in enrichment learning experiences that challenge their thinking, build advanced skills, and encourage creativity, problem-solving and collaboration. Delivered by specialist organisations and education providers, VCES programs immerse students in authentic, real-world learning beyond the classroom.

• Year Level: Year 5-6
• Duration: 2 hours

Yes, a kit of resources will be sent to your school

No prior knowledge is required.

In this video conference students will:

• Identify and analyse social and cultural norms that influence food choices, including the acceptability of eating insects.
• Apply scientific knowledge about insects and ecosystems to design features of their invented species.
• Develop an understanding of how language can influence societal perceptions, including stigma and acceptance.
• Use persuasive devices, tone, and audience awareness to craft impactful messages.
• Develop and ask thoughtful, relevant questions to a palaeontologist to deepen their understanding of prehistoric life and fossil evidence.

In this video conference students will:

• Engage in a Q & A session with a qualified, engaging entomologist
• Participate in an Insect Eating World Tour where students are introduced to insect eating cultures and norms touching on geography, food science, entomology, and sociology
• Undertake a Cricket corn chip taste test
• Engage in a super species splicing academy scenario solving
• Participate in a cultural insect word association

Science -Science as a Human Endeavour

• Scientific knowledge, skills and data can be used by individuals and communities to identify problems, consider responses and make decisions (VC2S6H02)

Science – Science Understanding

• Habitats can be described by their physical conditions; changing the physical conditions of a habitat, including by human activity, may affect the growth and survival of organisms (VC2S6U01)

Science – Science Inquiry

• Investigable questions and reasoned predictions can be used in guiding investigations to identify patterns and test relationships (VC2S6I01)
• Scientific ideas, findings, patterns, trends and relationships can be communicated for a specific purpose and audience, using various presentation formats, scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate (VC2S6I06)

Critical and Creative Thinking – Questions and Possibilities

• The importance of setting aside preconceptions; strategies for setting preconceptions aside when generating and evaluating alternative ideas and possibilities (VC2CC6Q02)
• An extended range of strategies to generate new ideas and possibilities including forming a link between different information sources (VC2CC6Q03)

Critical and Creative Thinking – Reasoning

• Ways to consider competing values and the strength of evidence when reasoning (VC2CC6R02)

Critical and Creative Thinking – Metacognition

• Thinking processes suited to different contexts and when and how to use them, including for problem-solving (VC2CC6M02)
• The use of criteria to identify and compare proposed solutions (VC2CC6M03)