Note: this page describes three final products which will be developed as a result of collaboration among all participants throughout the project timeline. Your students will also be engaged in curriculum projects which you have chosen and designed for your class. See the Curriculum Center.
Final Products - Food and Culture
This project is much more than a pen pal project or a recipe swap! Students will be studying "with", not "about", students in other countries. Through this global collaboration students in different countries will be conducting investigations related to the overall theme of Food and Culture. Their investigations may by based upon one or more of the Issues and Themes we have identified so far, but are not limited to those. There is great flexibility with this project which allows teachers and students to pursue investigations on topics which they are passionate about, allowing for full freedom of creativity.
That said, there are several minimum requirements for every participating class.
Every class participating will be expected to contribute to these final products:
That said, there are several minimum requirements for every participating class.
- Submit 3 recipes from your country - preferably a breakfast, lunch and dinner. You may submit more if you wish (and we hope you do!) We are creating a Global Community Classroom Cookbook, and we want to include every country in the world.
- Submit some student writing about your country, its culture, its food, along with photos.
- Submit at least 1 video from your class.
- Contribute photos to your class page.
- Participate in at least one of the global, collaborative research projects. (There will be a rubric with criteria.)
Every class participating will be expected to contribute to these final products:
The Kids Global Cookbook
Every participating class will submit the following items for the cookbook:
1. At least 3 recipes from their country.
2. Essays related to the particular theme the class is studying and/or related to the particular recipes they submitted.
3. Photos or artwork produced by the students.
1. At least 3 recipes from their country.
2. Essays related to the particular theme the class is studying and/or related to the particular recipes they submitted.
3. Photos or artwork produced by the students.
Film and Video Database
Every class is asked to submit at least one video, created by students, and based upon the topic the class investigated. These videos will serve the purposes of developing critical media literacy skills and demonstration of student learning, i.e., authentic, performance-based assessment. These can be created by one class, but would be even better if they were collaboratively created by classes in different countries. These should be of sufficient quality to be aired on television and submitted to cultural databases such as the American Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institute, and other similar institutions around the world. Possibilities are:
Every class is asked to submit at least one video, created by students, and based upon the topic the class investigated. These videos will serve the purposes of developing critical media literacy skills and demonstration of student learning, i.e., authentic, performance-based assessment. These can be created by one class, but would be even better if they were collaboratively created by classes in different countries. These should be of sufficient quality to be aired on television and submitted to cultural databases such as the American Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institute, and other similar institutions around the world. Possibilities are:
- Mini-documentary - create a short documentary based upon the class' investigations. These could be modeled after documentaries such as those featured on the History Channel, the Science Channel, Discovery Channel, etc.
- Public Service Announcement - create a PSA designed to create change. For example, a PSA encouraging kids to eat healthier, to exercise, to avoid actions that are unhealthy, or a call to action to change school lunch programs.
- Cooking Show Episode - create an episode of a cooking show about the 3 recipes your class submitted. Format should be similar to that used by Alton Brown in his cooking show, Good Eats, in which Mr. Brown makes connections to popular culture, film, mythology and folklore, nutrition, history, anthrolopogy, geography, chemistry, math, agriculture, and more.
- Feature Length Film - yes, some teachers provide their students with the opportunity of writing, filming and directing a feature length film.
Global Children's Literature Database
Our goal is to build a database of quality children's literature which can be used by teachers worldwide. Access to these books will provide students with a rich experience in understanding the perspectives of other cultures. Every participating teacher will submit recommendations for at least three titles written by authors from their country.
Our goal is to build a database of quality children's literature which can be used by teachers worldwide. Access to these books will provide students with a rich experience in understanding the perspectives of other cultures. Every participating teacher will submit recommendations for at least three titles written by authors from their country.
