Use chocolate as an example of food from another country to address PoS 3e: “recognise how places are linked to other places in the world.” Show the children pictures of chocolate from palm to sweet shop (http:images.google.co.ukimages on “cacao palm” will get you started).
Find on a map two or three countries where the cacao palm grows and, through discussion, develop the concept of “near” and “far” (PoS 2c).
A chocolate project could help pupils develop their ideas about fair trade (PoS 1e, 6i). A good place to start is the Dubble Bar website www.dubble.co.uk but it is important to ask pupils to consider different points of view.
Chocolate could be used to illustrate a range of themes but it lends itself particularly well to a consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of transnational companies. The International Cocoa Organisation www.icco.org gives a wealth of statistics that could be presented as graphs and maps.
The Chocolate Information Centre www.chocolateinfo.comindex.jsp provides good background for independent research. Bournville could be used as an example of a planned settlement in an urban geography module, see www.bvt.org.uksellymanorbournville.html
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