TEACHING TEACHERSFood: Cultures, Subcultures, and Modern YA Issues

WHAT WAS THE PROJECT?

Design a cultural studies unit encompassing four class sessions that helps future educators learn about teaching food in a literature classroom.

Total Class Time: 6 hours, 40 minutes

Total Students/Future Educators: 8

UNIT GOALS

Help future teachers… teach about food and culture, including the

importance of food in different ethnic traditions. address food issues in the lives of adolescents

including obesity and eating disorders. help secondary students eat healthier, including

understanding health issues surrounding fast food. find and examine examples of food in literature. teach the dangers of alcohol and its appropriate

cultural use.*

THE UNIT TEXTS: BOOKS

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Skin and Bones by Sherry Shahan

THE UNIT TEXTS: ARTICLES

“Anorexia Nervosa: The More It Grows, the More It Starves” by Katherine O. Oldis

“Books That Cook: Teaching Food and Food Literature in the English Classroom” by Jennifer Cognard-Black and Melissa A. Goldthwaite

“Food Memoirs: What They Are, Why They Are Popular, and Why They Belong in the Literature Classroom” by Barbara Frey Waxman

“Whale as a Dish: Culinary Rhetoric and the Discourse of Power in Moby Dick” by Robert T. Tally Jr.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES:

Excerpts from Thin (the print version) directed by Lauren Greenfield

A student writing sample from Tom Romano’s book Blending Genre, Altering Style entitled, “December 10, 1996”.

Eating Disorder Statistics

WHAT DID WE DO? – THE EXPECTED

Opening Activity: Illustrate (through drawing or words) your relationship to food.

Other Activities:

Fill in a US and World Map with food associations

Search for examples of food in literature.

Examination of food in media

What do you eat? Habits?

WHAT DID WE DO? – THE EXPECTED

Class Discussion:

Personal Relationships with Food

Personal Eating Habits

Stereotypes and Associations

Articles and Novels

Using the Examples We Found

WHAT DID WE DO? – THE EXPECTEDClass Discussion:

Incorporation of Media

Chipotle Advertisements

Food, Inc clip

Jamie Oliver Clips

Healthy Eating and Body Image

School/Teacher Responsibilities

WHAT DID WE TALK ABOUT? THE EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTEDThe Influence of Family* Health, Exercise, and Weight*

Food Origins Organic vs. Inorganic Foods

Culture * Businesses

Memories/Adolescent Experiences Acquired Tastes/Preferences

Food Mistakes Food as Rebellion

Personal Rituals/Meal Times Influence of Spouses/Significant Others

Recipes Taboos*

Allergies/Medical Conditions* Food Accommodations

Religion* Socio-Economic Class*

MUCH TO OUR SURPRISE…!

Humans have extensive connections to food. (Culture, Religion, Class, Health, Etc.)

We internalize ideas of food due to personal, familial, and friendship experiences.

The concept of food includes the importance of medical considerations. (Allergies, Intolerances, etc.)

It is important for the teacher to demonstrate healthy habits, including eating and self-perception.

HOW DID WE HELP THEM PREPARE?

In-depth thought about themselves as individuals, family

members, and consumers.

Recognition of stereotypes and their effects.

Exploration of the effects of food on daily life for adults and

adolescents.

Garnered information about eating disorders, their detection, and

their treatment, and their prevalence.

Creation of annotated bibliography of useful resources (across

genres) that would help them teach about food in literature.