Skip to main content
Apply Request Info

Lesson 13 Foods and Language Lesson Series

Project: LEAD | Curriculum | Resources | Workshops | Activities | About Us

Foods and Languages of the World 

Student Teachers: Jason Pollack and Penny Kezmarsky
Project Children L.E.A.D. Director: Dr. Vincenne Revilla Beltran
Subject Area: Diversity
Grade level: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6)
Length of Lesson: 60 minutes 

Learning Goals: Early Childhood Learning Continuum Indicators:

Reading

1.3 Reading, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature

B. Identify literary elements in stories describing characters, setting and plot.

History

8.3 United States History

B. Identify and describe primary documents, material artifacts and historical sites

important in United States history.

8.4 World History

B. Identify historic sites and material artifacts important to world history.

Language

12.1 COMMUNICATION in a Target Language

E. Identify words from the target that are commonly used in English.

Science

3.2 Inquiry and Design

A. Describe objects in the world using the five senses.

Math

2.1 Numbers, Number Systems and Number Relationships

A. Count using whole numbers.

Arts

9.1 Production, performance and exhibition of dance, music, theatre, and

visual arts

  1. Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create work in arts and humanities.

Objectives: Students will be introduced to the cultures of the countries of Spain, China, Italy, and the United States. Students will be introduced to the languages, and some of the customary foods of each country. The classroom will be broken down into five stations. Each station will represent a different country, and at each station, students will be shown how to say "Hello", "Good Bye", and "My name is..." in the language of each country. The students will also try using these sayings with each other. Students will then be shown how to count from 1 to 6 in the language of each country. Also, students will be introduced to some cultural artifacts from each country. The students will also have an art activity in which they produce, or draw a piece of art relating to a specific country(s). 

Procedures:

Review: Teachers will review classroom rules and inform students of countries that will be explored. Teachers will then ask students questions about what they already know about the countries being explored.

Introduce: Teachers will introduce the lesson by briefly explaining the lesson that will be taught, and then proceed to read an introductory book entitled Everybody Cooks Rice. After the book is read, teachers will ask students questions about the book relating to the lesson.

Develop:

  • Start class by introducing our selves to the class, and briefly explain the lesson that will be taught and ask students questions about prior knowledge of China, Spain, and Italy.

  • Review class rules.

  • Start lesson by reading introductory book and asking students simple comprehension questions about the book. (Where is he/she from? What did he/she do there?)

  • Students will then move to the United States station and be asked to sit down.

  • Then little airplanes will be distributed to the students for their tour of the four countries.

  • Students will then "fly" to the first county, which will be Spain.

  • While "flying" their airplanes, students will sing a song: "A flying we will go. A flying we will go. Clear around the world. A flying we will go."

  • Students will sing this song while flying to each country (Students will go to each country in the order it appears on this lesson plan).

Activities for Spain:

  • Teacher will say "Hello" to the class in Spanish ("Hola"), and ask the students to repeat.

  • The two teachers will then introduce themselves to the class in Spanish (Hola. My name is..." or "Hola. Me llamo Mr. /Miss...") and ask students to repeat.

  • Teachers will then ask students to pair up with each other and try introducing themselves in Spanish.

  • Teachers will then ask students how many people are in their class (not counting teachers or anyone else, just the children).

  • Teachers will proceed to let the class know there are six of them, and then count to six in Spanish (Uno, Dos, Tres, Quarto, Cinco, Sies).

  • Students will be asked to repeat each number as the teacher counts.

  • Students will then be shown a cultural artifact from Spain, and the teacher(s) will explain the artifact and its history to the class. (The artifact will be a Piñata.)

  • The Piñata will be filled with candy for the students to eat at a later time.

  • Teachers will then ask the students if they know of any Spanish food, and will proceed to show students a physical example of some Spanish food while explaining Spanish food, and or customary traditions to the class (i.e. Siesta).

  • Students will then be given a sample of the food, which will be Spanish rice.

    • The outline will be relatively the same for each station/country, except different activities will be done relating to different artifacts and customs related to each country.

Activities for China:

  • Students will be shown a diagram/picture of the Chinese Zodiac, and the concept behind the zodiac will be explained (simply) to the students.

  • Students will then do their 1st art activity, in which they draw the animal that represents them on the Chinese Zodiac, which will be cut out and pasted to a big piece of construction paper to form a Chinese Zodiac for the students.

  • Students will then be given fortune cookies and chopsticks after the activity, and teachers will briefly explain concept and function of fortune cookies and chopsticks to the students.

  • Students will then eat their fortune cookies, and eat the cookies with their chopsticks if they want (Teachers will encourage use of chopsticks by demonstrating how to use chopsticks by eating a piece of a fortune cookie).

  • Students will then be asked to share their fortunes with the rest of the class.

Activities for Italy:

  • Teachers will explain the traditional dinner of Italy to the students (i.e. eating bread, salad, and wine with dinner).

  • Teachers will then show the students examples of different types of pasta noodles, and explain each noodle and what types of pasta dishes it is usually used for.

  • Students will then be given samples of Biscotti to eat.

Activities for United States:

  • Students will be shown a picture of the White House, and teachers will explain the White house to the students (i.e. who lives there, where it's located).

  • Teachers will then discuss eating traditions of the U.S. as related to the other countries (i.e. different types of foods and tables settings)

  • This will lead to the student's 2nd art activity in which they construct a table placemat. Students will cut out plates, forks, knives, and napkins and glue them to the placemat.

  • Students will also draw a picture of their favorite thing/activity from one of the four countries in the lesson on the plates of their placemats.

  • After the activity, students will be given paper plates and plastic silverware to eat a sample of apple pie.

 

Assess: Student assessment will be based on class participation and ability to follow the classroom rules. Teachers will also ask students what they learned (important things presented in each country) throughout the course of the lesson. Student's understanding of the lesson will be illustrated by completion of all the activities.

 

Close: The lesson will close when the students reach the final country/station, which will be the United States. Teachers will end lesson in the United States after all activities have been completed. Students will go to United States station last because it symbolizes for the students coming home after visiting all of the other countries.

 

Materials And Equipment Needed:

  • Set of classroom rules to hang up

  • Signs and Flags for each country

  • Sign for each of the numbers and for "hello", "good bye", and "My name is..." Each sign will have a numerical symbol in English and for that country (i.e. Chinese symbol for 5). Also, the number will be spelled out in the language of the specific country for pronunciation purposes. (except maybe for China) The greeting signs will have the English spelling, and the spelling of that specific country.

  • Books: Everybody Cooks Rice

  • Decorations for class and stations

  • Piñata and candy

  • Picture of Chinese Zodiac

  • Italian noodles

  • Picture of White House

  • "Placemat paper"

  • Plastic forks

  • Paper plates and napkins/paper towels

  • Drawing paper, and a big piece of construction paper

  • Scissors and crayons, and or markers

  • Chopsticks

  • Fortune cookies

  • Spanish Rice

  • Biscotti

  • Apple Pie

  • Containers/plastic bags for leftover food for children (if needed).

References:

Dooley, Norah. (1991). Everybody Cooks Rice. Minneapolis, MN: Scholastic.

Mon, Lorri. Say Hello to the World. Retrieved on October 11, 2004 from

http://www.ipl.org/youth/hello

Smartlink Corporation. IM Translator-Free Translation. Retrieved on October 11, from

http://www.freetranslation.imtranslator.com/