Domain:
History & Culture
Competency:
Understand cultures and identities
🎂
7-9 year olds
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30 to 35 minutes min
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Learning Objective
Students will identify and describe how different foods can represent cultural identities and bring communities together.
Learning Resource Synopsis
In 'Every Night Is Pizza Night' by J. Kenji López-Alt, young Pipo is certain that pizza is the best food in the world. Determined to prove her point, she embarks on a culinary Follow her diverse neighborhood, sampling dishes like bibimbap, tagine, and dumplings. Throughout her adventure, Pipo learns that the concept of 'the best' food is subjective and tied to personal experiences, family traditions, and the joy of sharing meals with loved ones. The book is enriched with whimsical illustrations by Gianna Ruggiero and includes a bonus pizza recipe for young readers to try at home. This story emphasizes curiosity about different cultures and the joy of food, encouraging readers to explore and appreciate diversity in their culinary experiences.
Extended Learning Resources
| Resource & Author | Publication Info | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Food Like Mine: Children Around the World Cook with Their Families | DK Publishing | This children's cookbook explores dishes from around the world and shares stories of different cultural traditions through food. |
| What If Everybody Thought That? | Albert Whitman & Company | Written by Ellen Javernick, this book teaches children about empathy and diversity by showing how understanding different perspectives can lead to kindness and acceptance. |
| Multicultural Children's Book Day Reading Challenge | Multicultural Children's Book Day Organization | This initiative encourages children to read books from diverse cultures, promoting awareness and appreciation of different traditions and stories. |
Vocabulary List
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Curious | Eager to learn or know more about something. | Pipo was curious about the different foods her neighbors enjoyed, which led her to try new dishes. |
| Explore | To look into or study something to learn more about it. | Exploring new foods helped Pipo understand more about her neighbors' cultures and traditions. |
| Community | A group of people living in the same area or having a particular characteristic in common. | Pipo learned that her community was full of different foods and stories, making it a special place. |
| Tradition | A way of doing something that is passed down through families or communities. | Each dish Pipo tried had a special tradition behind it, showing her the importance of family recipes. |
| Diverse | Showing a great deal of variety; very different. | Pipo's neighborhood is diverse, with people from many cultures sharing their unique foods. |
Prompt
Essential Question: "How can sharing different foods from our cultures help us understand and connect with each other better?"
Today, let's explore how the foods we share with our families and friends can tell stories about who we are and where we come from. Imagine the delicious meals that bring people together, each with its own special taste and memory. Our journey will help us discover the wonderful connections we can make through food.
Anticipatory Set
- Begin by inviting students to close their eyes and think about a favorite meal they have shared with someone special. Ask them to picture the colors, imagine the smells, and recall the sounds around them during that meal.
- Show a series of images depicting different traditional meals from around the world. Encourage students to observe the details in each picture and think about what makes each meal unique.
- Ask students to turn to a partner and share what their favorite meal is and why it's special to them, including any traditions or family stories connected to it.
Teacher Tips
- Encourage a calm and focused environment by speaking softly and allowing moments of silence for students to visualize and reflect.
- Use inclusive language and remind students that all experiences and favorite foods are valuable and worth sharing.
- Be sensitive to different cultural backgrounds by ensuring that a diverse range of foods and traditions are represented in the images and discussion.
Learn
Join us on an exciting adventure with 'Every Night Is Pizza Night' by J. Kenji López-Alt, where Pipo sets out to discover if pizza truly is the best food in the world. As we Follow her vibrant neighborhood, we'll explore how different foods can tell us stories about cultures and bring people together.
Interactive Engagement
- As Pipo explores different foods, think about a time you tried something new. What did it taste like, and how did you feel?
- When Pipo tastes bibimbap, notice how she describes the flavors. What words would you use to describe a favorite dish of yours?
- Pipo learns that every dish has a special story. What do you think makes a food special in your family or community?
- As we read about the different meals Pipo tries, consider what might change if we only ate one type of food. How could sharing different foods bring us closer to others?
- Notice how Pipo's feelings about food change throughout the story. How do you think trying new foods helps her understand her neighbors better?
Teacher Tips
- Pause after Pipo tries a new dish and encourage students to discuss with a partner what they think makes each dish unique.
- Use expressive voices and gestures to bring the different characters and foods to life, helping students feel more connected to the story.
- Invite students to share their thoughts and experiences with foods from their own cultures, creating an inclusive environment where every voice is valued.
Ask
Now that we've journeyed with Pipo through her neighborhood, let's think about how the different foods she tried helped her learn more about her community and herself. How do these meals tell stories about the people who make them and the places they come from?
Discussion Questions
- Think about a time when you shared a meal with someone from a different culture. How did that experience make you feel, and what did you learn from it?
- Imagine you could invite Pipo to a meal at your home. What dish would you share with her, and what story or tradition would you want to tell her about it?
- Pipo discovered that every meal has a unique story behind it. How do you think our meals can teach us about being open-minded and understanding others better?
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to think about their personal experiences with food and sharing these moments with others. Allow them to reflect on how these experiences might have changed their understanding of different cultures.
- Facilitate a discussion where students can share dishes from their own cultures. Encourage them to listen with curiosity and respect, promoting a classroom environment where all cultural backgrounds are valued.
- Prompt students to consider how food can be a way to learn about and celebrate diversity. Guide the conversation to include how trying new foods can expand our minds and hearts, fostering empathy and connection.
Navigate
Cultural Food Festival: A Follow Flavors
This activity mirrors Pipo's culinary adventure by engaging students in a hands-on exploration of cultural diversity through food. By experiencing a variety of flavors and discussing their personal connections to these tastes, students will develop an appreciation for how food can represent cultural identities and unite communities. This activity encourages open-mindedness and emphasizes the joy of sharing meals, much like Pipo's realization in 'Every Night is Pizza Night'.
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Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to be respectful of all flavors and open-minded about trying new things.
- Highlight that everyone's taste preferences are unique and that this diversity is what makes our world interesting.
- Use the world map or globe to visually connect the flavors back to their cultural origins, enhancing the understanding of global diversity.
Share
As we wrap up our lesson on 'Every Night is Pizza Night,' let's take a moment to think about what we've learned on our journey with Pipo. We've explored how different foods represent cultural identities and bring communities together. Now, let's celebrate our growth and insights.
Reflection Questions
- What is one new thing you learned about how food can connect people from different cultures? How did this make you feel?
- Think about a dish that you now want to try from the story. Why does it interest you, and how might trying it help you understand someone else's culture better?
- Reflect on a time when you shared a meal with someone. How did that experience help you see the world a little differently?
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to share their thoughts in pairs or small groups to build confidence and connection.
- Offer different formats for sharing, such as drawing, writing, or speaking, to honor diverse expression styles.
- Highlight common themes or insights students share, emphasizing how their reflections connect them to broader cultural understandings.
UDL Strategies
Representation
- Use a large world map in the classroom to visually represent the countries associated with each flavor. Pin small images or flags of the countries, and include labels with the name of the food and its cultural significance. Encourage students to physically place the pins to enhance spatial learning.
- Create a multimedia presentation that includes audio clips of people from different cultures talking about the significance of the foods. Include short stories or anecdotes about each dish to provide a narrative context.
- Provide tactile experiences by having a sensory table where students can touch, smell, and look at the raw ingredients of the dishes before they are cooked. Include texture cards that describe how each ingredient feels and smells, supporting kinesthetic learners.
Action & Expression
- Allow students to demonstrate their understanding through different formats: they can participate in a group discussion sharing their sensory experiences, write a paragraph reflecting on how a dish made them feel, or draw a picture representing their favorite flavor and its cultural background.
- Provide the option for students to create a short video or audio recording in which they talk about the flavors they experienced and what they learned about their cultural significance. This accommodates students who prefer digital expression.
- Organize a 'cultural chef' role-play where students can present their findings as if they are chefs from the culture they explored, explaining the dish's significance. This helps students practice public speaking and empathy by stepping into another's shoes.
Engagement
- Start the activity with a captivating story or animated video about a famous dish's Follow different cultures, highlighting how it has evolved over time. This will help capture students' interest and set the stage for exploration.
- Introduce a 'flavor passport' where students can collect stamps or stickers after visiting each tasting station. This activity gamifies the experience, keeping students motivated to explore all stations.
- Create a choice board with various activities such as designing a poster about their favorite dish, writing a short story about a family meal, or interviewing a family member about their cultural food traditions. This caters to different interests and encourages personalized engagement.
Assessment Criteria
Formative Assessment
- While students are at the tasting stations, the teacher observes and takes notes on how students describe flavors using sensory language and connect them to cultural traditions, noting any students who express curiosity or share personal connections to the flavors.
- During small group discussions, the teacher listens for and notes students making connections between flavors and cultural experiences, encouraging them to share personal stories or memories related to the flavors they've tasted.
Summative Assessment
- Ask students to create a reflection journal entry where they describe each flavor they tasted with sensory details, connect it to a cultural dish or tradition they know about, and reflect on how sharing these foods can unite different cultures. Look for detailed descriptions and thoughtful connections.
- Have students develop a presentation or poster on a cultural dish that includes one of the tasted flavors, explaining the dish's cultural significance and its role in bringing communities together. Assess the clarity and depth of their explanation, as well as their ability to connect the dish to cultural traditions.
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