11 minute read
How does food comfort us and connect us to our family and our community?” by Carrie Holloway
C3 Framework Indicators
Staging the Compelling Question D2.Civ.6.K-2. Describe how communities work to accomplish common tasks, establish responsibilities, and fulfill roles of authority.
D2.Geo.2.K-2. Use maps, graphs, photographs, and other representations to describe places and the relationships and interactions that shape them
D2.Geo.7.K-2. Explain why and how people, goods, and ideas move from place to place
D2.Geo.9.K-2. Describe the connections between the physical environment of a place and the economic activities found there.
D2.Geo.12.K-2. Identify ways that a catastrophic disaster may affect people living in a place.
This inquiry introduces the concept of refugees and migrants to primary-aged elementary students and helps them understand that they most likely have refugees or migrants in their family history. A second goal is to help young children see the importance of food in providing comfort and connection to family and community.
Supporting Question 1 Supporting Question 2 Supporting Question 3 Supporting Question 4
Who are refugees and migrants? Do I have refugees and migrants in my family? What special foods or food traditions do I have in my family? How is Über Den Tellerand (Beyond Your Plate) using food to help refugees in Berlin?
Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task
The teacher will read the book, Refugees and Migrants by Roberts and Kai to the students.
Featured Sources
Source A: Refugees and Migrants (Roberts and Kai)
Source B: What is a Refugee? (Gravel)
Source C: “Kids, Refugees, Questions: ‘What’s it like to have no home?’“ (The Guardian)
Summative Performance Task
Taking Informed Action Students will discuss concepts of family history and then research their own family history
Featured Sources
Source A: Family Tree and World Map Instructions (Handout 1)
Source B: My Family Tree and World Map (Handout 2)
Source C: National Geographic Kids Guide to Genealogy (Resler) Reading various books will help students understand that the food they eat is often related to where they live and what grows well in that part of the world.
Featured Sources
Source A: A Family Food Tradition (Handout 3)
Source B: This Is How we do It: One day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World (Lamothe)
Source C: Children Just Like Me: A New Celebration of Children Around the World (DK) Students will explore Über den Tellerrand, an organization that supports refugees and facilitates intercultural exchange in Germany and beyond.
Featured Sources
Source A: “Über den Tellerrand”
Source B: “Refugees Are Teaching Berliners How to Cook the Food of their Homeland“ (Nair)
Argument: Students choose a family recipe to share, and write about why this recipe is special to them/their family. The recipes can be collected, copied, and shared so that the whole class has a recipe book.
Extension: Students will create a poster sharing what food or food tradition from their home or community they would take with them if they went to a new place.
Understand: With teacher’s help, research another organization that is helping refugees locally.
Assess: Examine what this organization is doing.
Act: Do extra chores at home to raise money for the organization.
COMPELLING QUESTION
How does food comfort us and connect us to our family and our community?
INQUIRY OVERVIEW
This series of lessons introduces the concept of refugees and migrants to primary-aged elementary students and helps them understand that they most likely have refugees or migrants in their family history. A second goal is to help young children see the importance of food in providing comfort and connection to family and community. In working with young children it’s important to connect big issues to their own lives, and to not overwhelm them with too much “scary” information.
Important consideration: In order to treat the topic of the family tree with sensitivity, it’s important to communicate ahead of time with parents in case there are considerations such as adoption that make the topic difficult for some families. Please see the letter to parents and guardians, entitled “Family Tree and World Map Instructions” (Handout 1).
TEACHER BACKGROUND
Young students may hear about migrants and refugees in the news. In some communities they will have firsthand knowledge of people from other countries in their community and school. Many young children don’t realize that unless they are Native American, they all have relatives from other places around the world.
Young students and their families have favorite foods that they eat at holidays or family traditions, such as special meals for the first day of school or birthdays. Some families will have recipes that have been passed down for generations. These food traditions are part of the family and community’s culture. Food traditions provide comfort and serve as connections between family members as well as the wider community. In the case of migrants, foods remind them of their homeland, while also helping them make connections in their new country.
To gain background knowledge, you may want to read articles about food and culture such as this article in Freely Magazine, “What Food Tells us about Culture.”
Germany is a country that has many refugees and migrants and is working to integrate these people. Through my trip to Germany with Transatlantic Outreach program in July 2019, I learned about a program in Berlin called Über Den Tellerrand (Beyond Your Plate). This organization, a community kitchen, allows Syrian refugees to share recipes from their homeland and make connections with fellow Berliners. You can learn about their mission by looking at their website (Über Den Tellerrand).
Le, Chau B. “What Food Tells Us About Culture.” Freely Magazine, January 7, 2017, https://freelymagazine.com/2017/01/07/ what-food-tells-us-about-culture/
“What We Do.“ Über den Tellerrand, 2020, https://ueberdentellerrand.org/start-englisch/
SUGGESTED TIME FRAME: 6-8 class sessions (30 – 45 minutes each)
INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
Family Tree and World Map Instructions (Handout 1) My Family Tree and World Map (Handout 2) A Family Food Tradition (Handout 3) Books about refugees, migrants, food, and genealogy (see lessons for specific titles). Internet access to show videos. Optional: Chromebooks or IPad to record Flipgrid videos
All handouts can be found here
https://tinyurl.com/y2kddwdr
INTRODUCTORY QUESTION
Discuss: What did you eat for breakfast this morning? What did you eat for breakfast last weekend? If they are different, why is that? Why did you eat these foods and how did it make you feel? Talk with your partner.
SUPPORTING QUESTION #1
Who are migrants and refugees?
Formative Performance Task #1: The teacher will read the book, Refugees and Migrants by Roberts and Kai to the students. Alternatively, the teacher could share the book What is a Refugee? by Elise Gravel as read by Teacher Bando on YouTube.
Students should also watch the YouTube video “Kids, Refugees, Questions: What’s it like to have no home?”
Discussion should center around questions such as: 1. Who are refugees and migrants? 2. What are some reasons they leave their home country and travel to a new one? 3. How do you think they feel about their journey?
Other books listed below could also be read to deepen their understanding of migrants and refugees and what their life is like.
➤ Featured Sources #1: • Roberts, Ceri and Hanane Kai. Refugees and Migrants. Barron’s Educational Series, 2017.
Gravel, Elise. What is a Refugee? Schwartz & Wade, 2019.
“What is a Refugee?” read by Teacher Bando on YouTube, March 18, 2020 https://youtu.be/fVx5QiUylq0
The Guardian. “Kids, Refugees, Questions: ‘What’s it like to have no home?’.” YouTube, Dec. 9, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=ctCaKH-2Wm8
➤ For further exploration/optional: • Rubion, Sarah. Far from Home: A Story of Loss, Refuge and Hope. Tyndale Books, 2019. • Sanna, Francesca. The Journey. Flying Eye Books, 2016. • Ruurs, Margriet. Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey. Orca Books, 2016.
SUPPORTING QUESTION #2
Do I have migrants and/or refugees in my family?
Formative Performance Task #2: Students need to understand that unless they are Native American, they have relatives or ancestors who came from another part of the world. The teacher should read aloud parts of the book, National Geographic Kids Guide to Genealogy by TJ Ressler.
Students will discuss concepts of family history and then research their own family history with parent/guardian help. See Family Tree and World Map Instructions (Handout 1).
They should fill in Handout 2 (My Family Tree and World Map) at home with parents’ help.
➤ Featured Sources #2: • Family Tree and World Map Instructions (Handout 1) • My Family Tree and World Map (Handout 2) • Resler, TJ. National Geographic Kids Guide to Genealogy. National Geographic Children‘s Books, 2018.
SUPPORTING QUESTION #3
Formative Performance Task #3: Earlier in the year, read the book Children Just Like Me: A New Celebration of Children Around the World by DK. Now refer to it, focusing on the part in each section that tells about what the children in different parts of the world eat. Help students understand that the food they eat is often related to where they live and what grows well in that part of the world. Also point out the parts about foods related to holidays and other special days.
Next, read the book, This Is How we do It: One day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World by Matt Lamothe, focusing on the section about the foods that children in different parts of the world eat. Discuss, if you were in this book and were asked to tell about what you eat, what would it be? Next, move the discussion to food traditions in your family. This could be centered around holidays, or special days of the week, the seasons or any celebratory day (birthday, first day of school, etc.).
Have students choose one recipe or meal to draw and describe. They should also tell why it’s special or meaningful. Finally, they should fill out Handout 3.
➤ Featured Sources #3: • A Family Food Tradition (Handout 3) • Lamothe, Matt. This Is How we do It: One day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World. Chronicle Books, 2017. • Saunders, Catherine, Priddy, Sam, and Lennon, Katy. Children Just Like Me: A New Celebration of Children Around the World.
DK, 2016.
SUPPORTING QUESTION #4
Formative Performance Task #4: Über Den Tellerrand (Beyond Your Plate) is an organization that was started in Berlin to support refugees and facilitate intercultural exchange. They sell cookbooks and offer cooking classes taught by refugees. Their website says, “We bring people together from different cultures in culinary, creative and sporting events and promote sustainable friendship building. In doing so we actively promote the emergence of an open tolerant society.” Also, “In the kitchen hub we encourage face to face encounters between the local community and refugees. We cook, work, reflect and spend time together. In this shared space, cultural diversity is tangible; beyond prejudices and media images, the Kitchen Hub offers people the opportunity to learn from one another and discover new cultures.”
While this is a difficult concept for young students to fully understand, through discussion they can begin to appreciate what this organization is doing to help both refugees and local people.
The teacher can show the students Über Den Tellerrand’s website, and share the article about the organization, “Refuges Are Teaching Berliners How to Cook the Food of their Homeland”.
Questions such as these will help develop the understanding. 1. What do you think refugees miss about their homeland? (Focus in on special foods.) 2. How do you think the refugees feel about sharing with locals the cooking and foods from their homeland? 3. How do you think locals feel about learning from the refugees? 4. What is the benefit for refugees and for locals?
➤ Featured Sources #4: • Über Den Tellerrand. (2020). Über Den Tellerrand. Retrieved from: https://ueberdentellerrand.org/start-englisch/
Nair, Prathap: “Refugees Are Teaching Berliners How to Cook the Food of their Homeland”. Vice, June 7, 2016 https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wnb77m/refugees-are-teaching-berlin-residents-how-to-cook-the-food- of-their-homelands
SUMMATIVE PERFORMANCE TASK
Construct an argument, supported by evidence, which addresses the question: How does food comfort us, and connect us to our family and community? Students could choose a family recipe to share. They can write about why this recipe is special to them/their family. The recipes can be collected, copied, and shared so that the whole class has a recipe book. Students could also share their recipe on Flipgrid (if from home, they could share the visual of their completed recipe)
EXTENSION (OPTIONAL) TASK
Students can imagine they are going to a new place—could be somewhere else in the world, or even outer space. What food or food tradition from their home or community would they take with them? Students can create a poster with a labeled diagram showing the food or meal. This task could be shared using Flipgrid.
TAKING INFORMED ACTION
UNDERSTAND With teacher’s help, research another organization that is helping refugees locally.
ASSESS Examine what this organization is doing.
ACT Do extra chores at home to raise money for the organization.
MODIFICATIONS FOR DIFFERENTIATION
Depending on reading ability, older students could read more on their own. English Language Learners would need extra support with unfamiliar vocabulary. Consider: For students who are adopted—talk to parents ahead of time in order to approach this topic with sensitivity.
MODIFICATIONS FOR ONLINE LEARNING
These lessons can easily be adapted for online/distance learning. The books can be shared with a document camera or the YouTube read-aloud option could be used. Since discussion is vital to these lessons, the teacher should facilitate discussion with video conferencing such as Zoom or Google Meet.
Carrie Holloway is a 2nd grade teacher at Blakey Elementary school in Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA.
