What’s for Lunch Around the World?

What’s for Lunch Around the World? lesson plan

What do students eat for lunch at school? Discover tasty menus from around the world. Make a game to match foods to their countries.

  • 1.

    <STRONG>Find information.</STRONG> What do you think children in other countries eat for lunch? In South Korea, squid with hot sauce is on the menu. Children in Mexico City may drink Horchata, a mixture of oatmeal, apple, and water. Russian children might eat two kinds of bread plus rice and a wheat and potato soup.

  • 2.

    Find out what foods are popular in several more countries. What foods are popular? What is considered to be healthy? What foods grow in the country’s climate? What does a school lunch tell you about the country?

  • 3.

    <STRONG>Make a game board</STRONG>. Decide on a visual way to present your findings, such as a matching or bingo-type game. Here’s how we made the sample. With Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencils, divide paper into lunch tray sections for several countries. Label the page and each country. Draw circles for each food eaten, with bigger circles for the main course.

  • 4.

    <STRONG> Design game pieces</STRONG>. On another paper, sketch food inside circles that match the circles on the board. With Crayola Twistables, design plates or bowls and color foods. Cut out with Crayola Scissors.

  • 5.

    <STRONG> Mix & match!</STRONG> Mix up the pieces and then put them back in place for each country. For a challenge, exchange games with other students. To make a poster, use a Crayola Glue Stick to attach the correct foods on the school trays. Label each

Benefits

  • Students gain an understanding of different cultures by conducting research about international school lunches.
  • Students devise a method to visually present their information.
  • Students fabricate their presentation and share it with classmates.

Adaptations

  • Older students research and chart the cost of the lunch in each country. Who pays for it: the child, school, or the country?
  • Ask a nutritionist to visit your classroom to talk about what growing bodies need to be healthy. Discuss the nutritional value of each school lunch you researched—and what you ate for lunch that day. Calculate the number of calories found in each meal as
  • Find recipes for the foods. Prepare some of the lunches, with the help of family members, and taste everything. Make recommendations about new menu items to your school cafeteria.