Sustainable shopping

Trolley Talk: A fieldwork activity to investigate local supermarkets and sustainable shopping

The role which supermarkets and shopping practices might play in sustainable living is a relevant, thought provoking and interesting angle for students to study through fieldwork.

In this module, developed by Lisa Bell, students compare contrasting stores or supermarkets in their local area. They investigate the stores or supermarkets themselves, and also examine consumer awareness of sustainable shopping by conducting questionnaires. A follow up activity involves them making a decision about the best location for a Fairtrade Eco-store in the area.

The study has been written so that it can be used at both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. The resources are flexible to allow individual schools to adapt them to suit the needs of their students and their local environment/available study sites. The resource can also be adapted so that students complete the fieldwork individually in their own local area as a homework task. There are strong cross curricular links with Citizenship and PSHE, and the investigation involves the use of numeracy skills.