American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences Convention

June 25, 2005

The Magical Melting Pot

Class Discussion & Activity Ideas to Promote

Multicultural Learning Through Food

Michelle Greenwald/June 25, 2005

Why I Wrote the Book•Observations in a multicultural community

•Way for kids to learn to appreciate other cultures:

Not only to accept each other’s differences, but to enjoy them

Relevance to What We Can Learn & Teach

Cooking from scratch by family members creates senses of love, excitement & creativity in the home. Kids can play a role in encouraging their parents to cook with them.

Relevance to What We Can Learn & Teach

•Foods of other cultures are delicious & make life more interesting.

•Anyone can learn about & experiment with cuisines of other countries, by reading cookbooks & exploring the internet for recipes.

Class Discussion Ideas

Ask each student where their ancestors are from & what traditional foods their parents & grandparents make.

Class Discussion Ideas• Ask students to interview their

parents, grandparents or aunts & uncles about their fondest memories of foods & why they were special.

• Ask which relatives typically cook in their families: parents, grandparents, aunts, etc.

Class Discussion Ideas

Ask students what their favorite homemade food is & why it’s special: Is it served for a birthday, holiday, or special occasion?

Class Discussion Ideas

Ask students which traditional foods are consumed in their families around each major holiday: Christmas, Chanukah Kwanza, Ramadan, Easter, Birthdays, New Years, Weddings

Class Discussion Ideas

•Ask the feelings & emotions students feel when someone in their family cooks a special meal.

•Ask if they usually help.

Class Discussion Ideas

Ask students if they could start their own food traditions for their own families, what would they be & to describe the celebration.

Class Activity Ideas

Ask each kid to bring in a special dish & explain why it’s special. You might invite parents to come in & share customs with the class.

Class Activity IdeasCreate an international day where kids bring in dishes from their cultures & traditional cooking implements, plates, tablecloths.