 What's It All About?
Students can learn about various cultures by studying the traditions of foreign countries, and the entire school can get involved. This activity will enable students to research different countries and find out more about their food, agriculture, history, cultural traditions and regional diversity. This is a great activity that can be as complex or as simple as you want it to be. How far you travel is up to you!
How do we start?
Students, with the help of their teacher, should pick a country to study. Once each grade chooses a country, the students can break up into several groups. Teachers can assign or have the groups pick topics to study. To learn about food and nutrition, each grade can choose a menu that highlights that particular country's food traditions. For instance, a class studying Spain can choose to serve empanadas or frijoles negros. Involve the foodservice staff to work with the students to prepare lunch for the school according to the international theme. The students can decorate the cafeteria with travel posters, pictures, flags; cut out foreign phrases and words, such a "hello" and "thank-you;" play music; and learn traditional dances.
What else?
 Potential sponsors may be travel agencies, local chefs or representatives from each country who can teach the children firsthand about their country's rich cultural traditions. Local artists can display unique artifacts from each country. Local chefs can cook with the students or have a tasting activity with a variety of traditional foods.
And more...
Teachers can incorporate this activity into several subject areas.
- Art teachers can have the students make traditional art objects, such as painting Chilean masks or building Egyptian pyramids (like the Food Guide Pyramid).
- Science teachers can help create the link between agriculture and nutrition by teaching about the food cycle.
- English teachers can have the students write Japanese haiku or Irish limericks.
- Social studies classes can teach about foods grown in different regions of the world, such as rice from Thailand and kiwi from New Zealand.
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