Food around the World - Cross-Curricular Lesson Plan - Grade 4

Lesson Overview

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This lesson was designed for young adventurers that are looking to explore the world through culinary masterpieces, flavors, spices, and anything that tingles your taste buds. Food is so much more than just nutition. Through food young students learn to appreaciate the stories, tradtions and community significance of feasts and food.

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In this lesson we will travel from Nepal to Yemen, South Africa and even all the way to the Pacific in the Marshall Islands to meet kids from around the world and discover what food they eat and the beautiful traditions around it.
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This lesson covers several subjects including: 

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- Social Studies
- Geography and Design
- Technology

Lesson plans are crafted by learning designers and elementary school teachers.
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Happy Learning! 
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Curriculum Alignment & Lesson Objectives

United Kingdom

• Curriculum Area: Design and Technology, Geography (Key Stage 2)
• Alignment: Aligns with the curriculum's focus on cooking and nutrition, providing students with knowledge of food origins and the significance of international cuisines.

United States

• Curriculum Area: Social Studies, Science (Grades 3-5)
• Alignment: Meets standards by exploring the cultural and geographic diversity of food, including its role in societies and contributions to health and wellness.

Canada

• Curriculum Area: Health and Physical Education, Social Studies
• Alignment: Complements goals for healthy living and understanding cultural diversity through food traditions and practices.

New Zealand

• Curriculum Area: Health and Physical Education, Social Sciences
• Alignment: Supports learning objectives on well-being and cultural identity through the exploration of traditional foods and their nutritional values.

Australia

• Curriculum Area: Design and Technologies, Humanities and Social Sciences
• Alignment: Addresses the curriculum's emphasis on food and fibre and the role of food in cultural practices and community health.

Touchable Earth is a non-profit that was awarded the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations Create Award for promoting global citizenship education. All of our content: lesson plans, activities and printables are designed in collaboration with learning designers, elementary teachers and global education experts.

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Introductory Activities: 

Let's get started with a little game of manners around the world! 
*check at the end of the article for the answers

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In Japan - slurping noodles is considered: 
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• appreciation for the flavour
• disrespect
• needing more broth
• being too full

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In some cultures starting to eat before ____ is considered 

• oldest person
• youngest person
• guest of honor
• host

In many Middle Eastern countries, it's customary to use your _______ to eat, not utensils.
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• fork
• chopsticks
• spoon
• right hand

In France, it's generally considered polite to _______ your bread while you eat.
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• save it for desert
• leave it on the plate untouched
• crumble it into your soup
• cut into small pieces

In some parts of Latin America, clinking your glasses _______ is believed to bring bad luck.
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• loudly
• softly
• with your pinky extended
• not at all

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Do you want to make this lesson interactive and send your students around the world? Get started for free here.

Children Around the World: 
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Teachers can access original videos from over 25 communities from around the world through Touchable Earth.

Let's get started on this world exploration with Sofia who will show us a typical lunch at her school in Guatemala.
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Next, Bongewee will show us what lunchtime is like in her school in South Africa. What do you do before eating lunch? 
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Heading in a place up north, we will meet Dominica who wants to introduce us to a yummy treat from Russia.

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Hopping over to the Marshall Islands for a yummy pacific style feast. Isai and his friends wanted to share a meal and introduce you to some unique flavor combinations... yum yum! 

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At last, we will head over to the mountains of Nepal where Aman has invited us to have some food with his friends.
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Which dish is your favorite from the above? 
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Let's keep discovering with some more activities...

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Activities

Whether you are looking for activities to engage your students in the classroom or at home, we got a range of interactive lessons, videos, activities and project suggestions to engage with young learners.
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Discussion prompts:
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• Select a particular food tradition you learned about. How does it reflect the importance of community within that culture? (e.g., Sharing meals, passing down recipes through generations, collaborating in preparation)
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• Reflect on your own family's traditions surrounding meals. Do you have a special dish you share together? How does it contribute to your family's bond?
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• Imagine creating a "global feast" featuring dishes from various cultures. Which foods would you include and why? Consider the flavors, ingredients, and cultural significance of each dish.

Blended Activities/Projects Ideas:
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• Food Tradition Interviews: Students become cultural investigators! They'll interview a family or community member about their favorite traditional meal, uncovering the stories and customs associated with it. Presentations or creative projects can be used to share their discoveries.
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• Food Diary: For one week, students become food explorers! They'll keep a diary documenting their adventures with new international dishes. The diary should include details like flavors, ingredients, and personal reflections on each culinary experience.
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• Cultural Food Fair: Transform your classroom into a global marketplace! Students will research a culture of their choice and present a traditional dish. This engaging event allows them to share the history and significance of their chosen meal with classmates.

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Solutions
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Answers to the manners around the world activities

• oldest person
• appreciation for the flavor
• right hand
• cruble it into your soup
• not at all
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How many did you get right? 

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