Below is a list of resources which explore the banana and other global trades produced by a number of development education organisations including Oxfam, Christian Aid and NEAD (Norfolk Education and Action for Development).

The Bananas

These colourful and fun street theatre characters want to tell everyone they meet about Fairtrade bananas. The Bananas demonstrate interconnections between producers and consumers along the banana supply chain. Call us to find out more about hiring these characters to brighten up your event or visit Theatre of Adventure for more information about hiring for your events.

Inflatable Bananas 

Big, yellow and eye-catching, these 5 foot high plastic bananas with the Fairtrade Mark on both sides are great for all kinds of activities to promote Fairtrade bananas. The bananas costs £10.00 and are available to buy from the Fairtrade Foundation either directly from their website using the online ordering service, by phone using your credit/debit card on 020 7405 5942 or by sending a cheque (made payable to the Fairtrade Foundation) to Inflatable Bananas, The Fairtrade Foundation, Suite 201, 16 Baldwin’s Gardens, London EC1N 7RJ.

Educational Games And Activities

Oxfam’s Education For Global Citizenship: A Guide For Schools  - Aimed at teachers in all subjects and suitable for all age groups, this free resource highlights the key elements of global citizenship (knowledge, skills, values) and its importance in the education of children growing up in the 21st century. It offers case studies, examples of advice on teaching methods and helpful information about other available resources. The booklet can be either downloaded or ordered direct from Oxfam.

Bonkers Bout Bananas! - An Oxfam activity exploring bananas and fair trade, which traces the journey of a banana from plant to ship in the Caribbean and provides an opportunity to learn from farmers about the difference Fairtrade makes to their lives. This, plus more banana activities can be accessed at the Cool Planet section of the Oxfam site.

If you are a Business Studies or Economics teacher, you may like to visit the Just Business website. This excellent website provides a range of resources (many of which are free and downloadable) to help students and teachers of Business Studies/Economics explore the global and ethical dimensions of these subjects.

Giants Stalk The High Street - Is it fair that Tesco takes £1 of every £8 spent in the UK? Your pupils may have a view. A collection of ideas and resources compiled by Lyndsey Turner to introduce all ages to the growing power of British supermarkets.
Available from the Guardian website.

The Fairtrade Foundation have produced a Fairtrade citizenship pack that includes information about where Fairtrade fits into your School Curriculum, suggestions for a School Fairtrade Campaign, Fairtrade Fortnight Schools' Competition, Fairtrade Questions and Answers and Fairtrade Teaching Resources.
Download from the Fairtrade Foundation. 

Higher and further education tutors and lecturers might find this assignment useful from the Policy Studies department in Dickinson College, USA online. The task for students to complete is: Your consulting group has been hired by the Dominica Banana Marketing Corporation (DBMC). DBMC is concerned about the impact of the December 2001 banana trade agreement between the United States and the EU. As a representative of all banana producers in the Commonwealth of Dominica, DBMC has contracted with you to explain the agreement and to guide DBMC on the best advice to give to Dominica's banana growers. The webpage includes background, relevant questions and links. Available from Dickinson College.

Please visit our Trade Policy site to read details of the new EU banana import regime.
 

Seeing Through The Spin - contains 14 participatory-style lesson plans, case studies and a host of background material to help students deconstruct public relations messages - from companies and their critics. Companies are starting to speak the language of corporate responsibility and sustainable development, and are sponsoring good causes such as schools materials. How are we to know if this is a real change at the heart of capitalism and genuine philanthropy or merely window dressing? Suitable for UK A level, KS4+ school courses and adult/further education. Price £16.50.
Available from Oxfam.

Milking It - an online resource from Oxfam for young people aged 13-16 - This global citizenship resource lifts the lid on the complex world of international trade and shows how unfair trade rules and practices are souring the lives of dairy farmers in very different countries. Milking It is linked to the National Curriculum of England, Scotland and Wales. The resource is based on the lives of real farmers in Jamaica and Wales. With up-to-date facts about international organisations and how they influence the lives of ordinary people, the interactive features encourage students to engage with the issues and take action. It also has two online games, two interactive photo stories, and a writing activity. Suitable for use in Citizenship, PSE, Geography, Modern Studies, Business Studies and Economics.
Available from Oxfam

 
The Chocolate Game - Based around the cocoa trade, it offers teachers the chance to explore interdependence, trade and development through a familiar commodity. Pupils take on the role of families in Ghana, Brazil, and UK involved with the production of chocolate. As the game develops, events occur which explore the links between rich and poor. Suitable for ages11-18 priced £5.50.
Available from Oxfam.

 
Cost Of Coffee - This pack investigates the global trade in coffee, focusing in particular on the crisis facing coffee farmers. The activities look at the causes and consequences of the catastrophic fall in coffee prices. The issue of corporate social responsibility and the role of fair trade are also explored in the context of the response of the big coffee companies to the crisis. Suitable for ages 16+ priced £8.25
Available from Oxfam.

The Coffee Chain Game - A game that puts players in the position of people involved in the coffee trade. It aims to help players understand how a trading system affects the lives of coffee growers in Uganda, buyers, and supermarkets in Britain. The 12 pp. booklet include background information, the Coffee Quiz, the Coffee Chain Game, and an action page. Suitable for ages 14+. Priced £4.50.
Available from Oxfam.

Bananas and Cocoa Beans: A Basketful of Fair Trade Activities - This pack is for anyone who has ever been shopping! It investigates our links with people across the globe through trade in food and drink products. The pack is divided into four parts, each of which can stand alone, be used in sequence, or be used to build a new dimension into existing schemes of work. It starts by raising awareness of our global links, and then goes on to look at the negative impact these links can have. Fair trade is introduced as a positive alternative, and ways in which we can all take action for positive change follow on from this. Each part includes teacher information, pupil activities and photocopiable materials – and has been designed for minimum teacher preparation and maximum pupil participation. Suitable for KS2 priced £5.00.
Available from Oxfam.

Growing Bananas - Grow bananas from scrap paper and discover how difficult life can be for banana growers in the Caribbean – and how Fairtrade can give them a better deal. A whole class trading game with background information including photos of the production process. Suitable for KS 2-3 priced £5.00
Available from Oxfam  or can be downloaded from risc.

The Trading Game
This Christian Aid game looks at trade among 6 countries where the distribution of resources is unequal. It involves plenty of action and aims to improve understanding of the basic issues which determine relationships between nations. A multiplicity of issues can be explored in a debriefing session or at a later stage. Suitable for ages 14+. Priced £3.50
Available from Global Dimensions.

Make Your School Fairtrade Friendly
The resource pack produced by the Co-operative Group contains everything a primary school needs to know to promote and support Fairtrade in the school environment.
Available FREE from The Co-operative Group

Fair Trade School Handbook
A small but useful guide to help you become a Fairtrade School. It provides information and ideas about how to take action and how to support and raise awareness about Fairtrade.
Priced £4 +p&p
Available from hannahd@leedsdec.org.uk

Videos And Multimedia

The Real Cost of Your Bananas

Click here to view this photostory by Action Aid which highlights the real cost of the bananas we buy in the supermarket. A case study from Costa Rica (May 07) 

Pura Vida
This film takes a journey to the banana and pineapple plantations of Costa Rica to reveal the devastating effect the chemical cocktail used to grow the fruit is having on the workers, the neighbouring communities and the environment - and just so we can buy cheap fruit at our local supermarket.  To order this film please contact Jan Nimmo directly at jan@greengold.org.uk or visit www.greengold.org.uk for more information.  

Bonita: Ugly Bananas
When workers decided to organise and strike to gain the most basic rights, Jan Nimmo found herself witnessing a violent attack on the peaceful occupation of a Bonita banana plantation, which is documented in this video. To view more of Glasgow-based artist Jan Nimmo’s work and to read more about the experiences of banana workers please visit www.greengold.org.uk. To order this film please visit the website or alternately contact Jan Nimmo at jan@greengold.org.uk
Running time 22 mins. Available in DVD or VHS. English/Spanish Cacomistle productions (2004) 

Fields Of Gold?
Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall presents this film. Two women win a competition to travel over 5000 miles to meet banana farmers in the Carribean Island of St Vincent and Grenadines where they discover first hand what is involved in growing the UK’s favourite fruit. They meet the people who grow the bananas that end up in our shopping baskets, and find out whether buying Fairtrade bananas can really make a difference. Join them on their journey of discovery.
 Available to watch free online at the Community Channel.

Windward Islands – A Case Study
Bananas are the main source of income for the Windward Islands. This CD contains powerpoint presentations about the industry, with questions and activities cross-referenced to the National Curriculum and a presentation on Fairtrade.
(KS2) Farming & Countryside Education (FACE) Free (+p&p)
Available from FACE or Banana Link.

Our Place: The Harveys In St Lucia
A 20 minute DVD featuring a day in the life of the Harvey family, their impressions of living in St Lucia and their opinion on how things might change as the island develops (5-12) – Television Junction - £17.63.
Available from Television Junction.

Hello St Lucia! Hello England!
A 30 minute DVD which links classrooms in England and in St Lucia. Its main focus is on the questions asked by pupils and the answers provided by pupils in St Lucia. There is a brief update on the Harvey family. The final section features the questions about life in England posed by St Lucian pupils. There are glimpses into St Lucian classrooms, homes, markets and shops.(7-12) – Suffolk LEA - £10.00
Available from Suffolk LEA - email marie.campbell@cyp.suffolkcc.gov.uk

Others:

Maps

Caribbean Map - £4.95
Latin American Map (size A2) - £3.50
Africa Map - £7.00
All available from Oxfam.
St Lucia Map
colourful and easy to read, the map shows all the features which primary pupils will need for their St Lucia Locality study. (5-12) – GA 2003. Price £8.99
Available from Geography Association.

Stories And Poems

 
A Caribbean Dozen: Poems From Caribbean Poets
Though many of the thirteen poets represented in this collection no longer live in the Caribbean, their words still evoke the vibrancy and culture of Trinidad Guyana, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. Colour illustrated by Cathie Felstead, these evocative poems cannot fail to bring pleasure and delight. Edited by John Agard and Grace Nichols (4-11) Walker Books - £8.99 paperback
Available from Oxfam. 

Cooking

Download lots of fabulous and tasty Fairtrade banana recipes from the Fairtrade Foundation .

 
St. Lucia - A Case Study

St. Lucia is an excellent locality / case study to choose for the following reasons:

• it offers strong contrasts with the home locality in terms of climate, environment, economic activity and lifestyle.
• the island has strong links with Britain because of the colonial past, language, the banana trade and pupils of Caribbean descent living in Britain
• St Lucia is a banana exporting country, which means many of the resources in this list are relevant for your lessons
• a good range of resources are available

Photopack/CDROM

Global Dimension: The Banana Pack
This teacher's pack from Banana Link answers questions such as how do bananas end up in the UK?  And how long is a first class banana according to the EU?

Go Bananas!
A new edition of the popular photopack produced by Oxfam about the journey of a banana from the Caribbean to the UK, illustrated by a sequence of colour photographs. There is a range of activities suitable for the whole-class, small group, and independent work using photographs, maps, and a wealth of up-to-date information on banana production. The pack gives detailed insight into the many people, stages and processes that foodstuff grown overseas pass through before they reach our supermarket shelves Suitable for KS2. Priced 14.00 - Includes 18 colour photocards, 20page booklet, maps, worksheets.
Available from Oxfam.

Focus On St Lucia
Background information on the area, photographs, activities on landscape, climate, tourism and crops, and maps for primary geography study. For KS2 (5-12) GA 2004. Price £38.50
Available from Geography Association.

St Lucia
Geography topics for primary lessons on three main themes: The Sea, Fruit and Nut Case Studies, and St Lucia Online. (5-12) GA 2004. Price £20.99
Available from Geography Association.

Recommended Websites For Further Resources…..