LOOK WHAT YOU’RE EATING!

Module

Nature and Environment

Unit

Genetically Modified Food

Programme Outline

What is genetically modified food? Is it safe to eat? Are there any potential health hazards? Look What You’re Eating! is a semi-documentary programme that attempts to answer these questions.

Attracted by a promotion of GM food outside a GM Restaurant, Martin and Mable have their first taste of GM food. Mr Parker, the owner of the restaurant, explains to them what GM food is, why it is invented and what advantages it has. Although they find the food tasty, Martin and Mable are puzzled about its popularity. So they interview people on the streets to find out whether people will buy or eat GM food. After the interviews, they meet a protest group that draws people’s attention to the disadvantages of GM food.

Having learnt about both the advantages and disadvantages of GM food, Martin and Mable realize the importance of GM labelling. They discuss with Mr Parker the issue of labelling of food with GM ingredients and find out what kinds of policies that other countries have adopted.

In between the programme, there are questions that test students’ understanding of genetically modified food.

Communicative Functions

  1. Justify one’s behaviour and point of view in simple situations
  2. Seek information and respond to enquiries
  3. Use of passive voice to refer to events that happened in the past, present and future

Language Development Strategies

  1. Develop thinking skills
  2. Distinguish different points of view and arguments

Suggested activities

  1. Motivate the class by asking them to guess what GM food is. Is it a kind of scientific food? Is it a kind of chemical food? Teachers then explain to them that GM food is food that has its genes changed in the laboratory. Teachers can point out that GM food is now very common and can be found in Soya beans, chocolate, tomatoes, etc.
  1. Teachers give out Copymaster 1 to students before viewing the programme. Ask students to read through the Information Sheet on GM food carefully. Teachers can highlight to students the key words in each question so that students can focus on the main ideas in the programme more easily. There is a part in the programme that recapitulates both the advantages and disadvantages of GM food. Teachers can pause this part or repeat its viewing to enable students to fill in the information sheet.

Answers:

1. genes; 2. i) increase, ii) improve; 3. i) taste, nutritions, ii) safe, laboratory

4. i) incorrect ii) allergy iii) environment

  1. In Part 2 of Copymaster 2, students need to think of their own viewpoints on GM food. Teachers can go through with students the four titles and ask them to discuss whether each title is for or against GM food. Teachers can ask students to look for key words in each title that express the writer’s opinion. In writing their own title, teachers should remind students that titles are usually short, precise that state the writer’s viewpoint directly. (If students find this part difficult, they can do it as a group project.)
  1. In Part 3 of Copymaster 3, students need to identify reasons that are for or against GM labelling. Teachers can ask students to read for key words that express the writer’s opinion. In the last part where students need to express their own viewpoint on the policy of GM labelling in Hong Kong, students can do a research on GM food and GM labelling in Hong Kong supermarkets.

Copymaster 1

Look What You’re Eating!

Part 1

You have entered a poster design competition on GM food. On the poster, you have to express your opinion on whether GM food should be sold to the public or not.

In collecting information on GM food, your teacher has given you an information sheet and a video entitled, Look What You’re Eating! Watch the video and fill in the missing blanks in the following information sheet.

Information Sheet on GM Food

  1. What is genetically modified food?

Genetically modified food is food that has its ______changed in the laboratory by scientists.

  1. Why was GM food invented?

i)To ______food supply

ii)To ______the quality of food

  1. What are the reasons that support GM food?

i)The food will ______better and have more ______.

ii)It’s absolutely ______. All GM food is tested in the ______.

  1. What are the reasons against GM food?

i)______genes might be inserted in the food.

ii) GM food can cause food ______.

iii)It’s unnatural and is a threat to the ______.

Copymaster 2

Look What You’re Eating!

Part 2 Design your Poster

Before designing your poster, ask yourself the following questions:

Are you for or against GM food? Do you think that GM food should be sold to the public?

Think of a title that expresses your opinion on GM food. Study the following titles and decide which titles are for and which titles are against GM food.

1)No GM Food! Who cares for our heath?

2)GM food: A Great Discovery for our Future

3)GM food: A Health Hazard

4)Why should we ban GM food?

Now, think of your own title for your poster. Why do you choose this title? Does the title express your opinion on GM food?

My title for the poster is

I choose this title because

Copymaster 3

Look What You’re Eating!

Part 3 GM Labelling

Should GM food be labelled? What are the reasons for or against GM labelling? Study the following reasons and write them in the table that follows.

Difficult to know what ingredients are made of

Protect our consumer rights

Need to know what food we are eating

Not necessary because all GM food is safe

Reasons for Food Labelling
1)______
2)______
Reasons against Food Labelling
1)______
2)______

Do you think that GM Food should be labelled in Hong Kong? What are your reasons for or against GM labelling?

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