What is Fairtrade?

We have all had a brilliant day today and have learnt lots of information about Fairtrade. We started off the day by looking at a story written by Lauren Child

This book is the story of where chocolate is from and introduced the term Fairtrade to the children. The children started off by drawing their own chocolate trees  (Lola thought that it grew on trees)

 Then the children had to write something that they learnt about chocolate underneath. The children understood Fairtrade as:

"To help others who don't have what we have" and also "giving fair money to the farmers and not the factories". 

In the afternoon we had a visitor from DEED, she spoke to us all about where Bananas come from.

We spoke about how if a country is along the equator then it is hot, this is where bananas will grow. 

As a class we then talked through how a banana gets to this country. 

Starting as a banana flower

Grown in 'hands' of bananas

Then being shipped to this country. Next we worked in our literacy groups to produce as many bananas as possible. However.... there was only one pair of scissors, one yellow pencil and one brown pencil per group! The bananas were inspected by the factory owner (Mrs Moger) and the workers given money for their efforts. The children loved this challenge, one group made 100 ceclis.

I wonder if the children can retell you at home how a banana gets to our country and why is it important that we have Fairtrade products?