Map Your Meal

Students will learn how food and the environment are interconnected by studying the origins of different crops and what they need to grow. They will reflect on a dish they have eaten in the past week and think about where its ingredients could have grown. They will watch a video of a chef preparing a quesadilla dish, and think about making their own type of quesadilla dish. They will research where those ingredients were grown and write a summary of their findings.

Curricular Connections:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

Family Letter:

This lesson includes a Family Letter, a one-page handout that is ready for teachers to send home to families (or include in their electronic updates) after delivering Pilot Light Food Education lessons in their classrooms. With these letters, we aim to strengthen the school-home connection and family/caregiver involvement, as well as support teachers in their ability to authentically share classroom activities with families.

Lesson written in partnership with the Urban School Food Alliance.