I need your creativity before Monday Night

[Lyrima]

So, last minute my team teacher and I have changed our minds about our Social Studies Curricula.  Instead of doing 'Pets' we are going to focus on food.

Here's the deal with First Grade SS curriculum:  you start the studies with the children themselves, their families and their communities.  Once done with that, you move onto other countries in the world.

Essentially I want my First Graders to look at Shelter, Clothing and Food.  These are the critical areas of study that I want them to compare and contrast. 

Last year, my 'hook' was bread.  We learned how bread is made, what Yeast is -- essentially from Farm to Table.  We also made bread...all kinds of breads.

We looked at the breads of holidays and finally we moved onto the breads of other countries.

It was a good curricula with a thread to bring through each area of study.

I like the 'hook' for our First Grade Curricula this year: The foods a particular country or area might be famous for.

But that's not a sound bite.

Essentially, the kids will learn about themselves and Maryland..we'll talk about typical foods we all share, family structure, shelter and our clothes.  In some cases the answers are quite obvious but in others, less so.  We will finally end up with food, examining what MD is famous for: Crabs.

We want it to be the 'delicacy' of the area because we REALLY want to get to the Chesapeake Bay.  I want the kids to learn about endangered species and environmental concerns.  Our Bay is an excellent learning ground.

After MD, we will move on to other countries.  Our first question will be: what kind of food is this area known for?

But that isn't catchy enough, it's a cumbersome, awkward question.

Some (bad) ideas I've had are...

Edible symbols

Delicacies... ?

I'm simply stumped.

I need this figured out by Monday night, because Tuesday is Back to School Night and I need to present this curricula to the parents.

Essentially, I need a title.

Help?

[Lyrima]

Famous Foods?

[Noa]

Crabs.

*nod*

You could explore all the best hotspots to find crabs, ways to catch the crabs and what to do with them once you've caught them.  *wink*

*crawls out of the gutter*

hmm ...

How about ... "what's for dinner?"


and on another funny note ... I searched msn search for 'international food' and about half way down the page was this link .. Roseburg, Oregon Visitors Site  LOL!  I didn't know Roseburg was so famous for it's international quisine!

[Namae Nai]

Treasures of Foreign Lands: What's cooking in Trinidad?

Hmm... or..

From Albania to Zaire to Here: How food highlights cultures.

[Anaris]

I'm confused....

Do you mean you want to find a catchy topic regarding typical food from each place, starting with your own state?  Or do you mean you want to find a catchy topic about anything that you can start off in your own state and then move on globally?

Or, what if you did it backwards?  Take a major food that's eaten all over the world.  Rice for example.  Start off in China, where it's the staple of the country.  Then move on to how rice traveled the world and eventually got to Maryland.  Like, rice began in patties across Japan and China.  Then you can talk about how that was prepared there.  Then, crop growers imported rice to India, where it became a staple food too, prepared with spices and coconut to make it daal.  Then the Europeans arrived and thought Rice, what a great idea!  And imported it into Europe via the Silk Road.  In the process, while traveling the Silk Road from India to Iran, it spread throughout the Central Asian states, reaching Russia, where it also became a popular crop.  Meanwhile, it also traveled southwest, via Iran, reaching the Middle East, where they came up with rice pilaf.  Each time rice travelled, the crop morphed into something different, giving rice grains the varieties we have today.  Rice reached the shores of Ethiopia when Arab merchants crossed the Gulf and it spread to North Africa.  Then, back in Europe, explorers took with them the grains and rice finally reached America.  Maryland, being one of the orinal 13 colonies, was also the first to have rice available in the new country.  Today, rice is commonly eaten all over the world, and has become a significant part of the American home-cooked meal. 

Of course, I just made all that up, but I'm sure some of it is close to the truth....   

[Wroethgar]

I'm thinking

Standard Fare : Extraordinary Dishes in Everyday Places

.. I dunno.. I just got out of the shower.. but I know there's a good play on words with the term "fare"

[Noa]

hehe.  1st graders, people!

[Namae Nai]

Well, she's going to have to present it to the parents. I don't think it will matter what you call it to the 1st graders...

[PinkRose]

Food: It's what's for dinner.

[Alwynn]

First: After MD, we will move on to other countries.

Maryland isn't a country! And you call yourself a teacher?!!?!1111one 

Anyway:

Good Food: Why doesn't it rhyme when it should?

Passport the salt!

What does Menu mean to you?

Earth Food: Aliens would be confused.

Moos of the world 

Where can I get McDonalds?

BANANAS! B-A-N-A-N-A-S! 
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That's it.

[Bindi]

Hmm...Dirty Dick's Crab Shack? ok, maybe not...

Crab Grab

Crustacean Creations! (if you're talking about crabs all over the world...)

The missing link (sausage)

To Eat or Not to Eat...

The Cook's Books (have the students make their own "recipe" book out of all the info they learn about the different foods?)

*continues pondering*

[Alwynn]

Oh good idea Bindi! Captain Cook was a famous explorer in the 17th(?) century! Do something off of that! Then you have 'cooking' and traveling! Especially with how popular pirates are right now, kids should be interested in big wooden ships

[Bindi]

DUDE! You could make wooden ships out of old wooden SPOONS!!!

Ok, my mind just exploded with craft ideas...I need to go clean up the mess...

[Lyrima]

 

THANK you everyone!

I'll ponder the possibilities....! You all are the best!

And yes....what I present to the parents is also what I present to the Fantastic First Graders.