We started the week by talking about hunger, what hunger looks like around the world and in Canada, what the word "hunger" means to us, who is hungry, and what the causes of hunger were. Focusing on hunger in our community, we then began talking about food banks, when they started, why they exist, and who uses them. As my school is in an area where hunger often isn't a problem, I felt the need to remind students that there are families in our community for whom accessing food is often a difficulty.
The next day, I gave each class a box of food that might approximate what a family might receive as a food bank hamper. I focused on non-perishable items, and tried to make it heavy on the pastas, rice, and packaged products that many people donate to the food bank. I explained to students what types of food may be found in a typical hamper, and what foods may be donated by grocery stores and food companies (e.g. foods that don't sell, mis-labelled products, etc.). As a class, they were to divvy up the food, and then would be creating a meal out of it. Since I didn't give them a lot in the hamper, and since my other goal was to help students realise how to make a meal out of a tight budget, each unit of 4 students was given a budget of $2.50 to spend at the grocery store to help create a meal that encompassed all 4 food groups, and was healthy. Since my students will be eventually moving out on their own, and will be suddenly faced with the prospect of grocery shopping an possibly not having a lot of money to work with, I was hoping that they would realise that the ability to prepare their own meals would take them much farther than buying pre-prepared, pre-packaged foods.
One class decided to plan together for the lab (I had told the class to imagine themselves as a family, with each unit representing a day of the week. Therefore, if one group took too much from the hamper, then there would be less to eat later in the week). They also decided to pool their money (yay! that was part of my evil plan, that they would recognise the benefits of collective spending, rather than individual). The other group decided to go on their own. At the grocery store, they were all able to spend their money, but they realised that the cost of groceries was much more than they thought, and really had to concentrate on what foods would give them the most nutritional and taste bang for the buck.
On lab day, they were given a few additional items, such as a small amount of vegetable oil and butter (1/4 cup each between both classes), and spices. The class that pooled their money was able to by 2l of milk, and shared that amongst their group. They were able to make a wide variety of dishes, with a lot of classes realising that beans and legumes are a great item.
In their exit slips, I asked students 2 questions: the most important thing they learned this week, as well as if they were to donate to the food bank, what would they donate and why. Many recognised the importance of eating on a budget, and how their cooking skills could help them. More importantly, they realised that making smart donations to the food bank is helpful, such as peanut butter and other foods high in protein. The first class, realising the benefits of pooling their money, stated that financial donations could mean that food banks could make better purchases than simply donating a box of pasta.
While in no way do I think that this week's lesson is going to address the issue of poverty and how we end it. But, that was never my goal. I wanted students to think about the food bank, and realise that hunger exists in our community, even though it isn't always apparent. I also wanted them to realise that the ability to prepare their own, nutritious food will take them far.
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| Ramen noodles, deli ham, and vegetables. Cost--$2.50 |
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