Food for Thought. Curriculum Projects Developed by 1998 Seminar Participants
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 434 050 SO 030 826 AUTHOR Tiede, Lynn M. TITLE Food for Thought. Curriculum Projects Developed by 1998 Seminar Participants. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad 1998 (India). INSTITUTION Center for International Education (ED), Washington, DC. SPONS AGENCY United States Educational Foundation in India. PUB DATE 1998-00-00 NOTE 302p.; Document contains many pages reproduced from serials and newspapers. The quality of reproduction is often poor and text is occasionally cropped. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC13 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Area Studies; Cultural Background; *Cultural Context; Curriculum Development; Developing Nations; *Eating Habits; *Food; Foreign Countries; Global Education; Secondary Education; Social Studies; Student Educational Objectives IDENTIFIERS Fulbright Hays Seminars Abroad Program; *India ABSTRACT While leaders in India have been slower than other non-Western nations to encourage the sales of Western fast food products, signs of these foods are present in larger cities like Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras. This unit of study is a series of lessons designed to introduce junior high school or high school students to various aspects of the culture, religion, history, economy, and political structures of India. The unit's lessons, however, center around food as a method of introducing the particular objective. Pointing out that Indians, as they meet the continuing challenges of feeding nearly 1 billion people, can learn from U.S. mistakes in "modernizing" their diets and attitudes towards food. The unit's materials seek to help children to begin learning these lessons. The lessons can be given individually or collectively as part of a unit. Some lessons may need two days to complete. Following an introduction, lessons are: (1) "Indian Food: Lesson Plans and Supplementary Materials"; (2) "Indian Food Customs: Lesson Plans and Supplementary Materials"; (3) "Meeting the Basic Needs: Problems and Success--Lesson Plans and Supplementary Materials"; (4) "Religion and Food: Lesson Plans and Supplementary Materials"; and (5) "Traditional and Modern Diets: Lesson Plans and Supplementary Materials." Each lesson contains an objective/aim for the student, materials needed, vocabulary, motivation strategy, and additional teaching strategies. A 65-item bibliography is also included. (BT) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Crat ItAzciaLtrzx oxto.TEcTS uEvELorEirt 19,38 SEMINAlt OARTICITRAS Food for Thought. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad 1998 (India) Submitted to Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), USDE Lynn M. Tiede 425 E 114th St. #4RE New York, NY 10029 i USA Ooc U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) O This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization rRosoAieGera imerico originating it. Minor changes have been made to 0 improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) document do not necessarily represent 1 official OERI position or policy. By United States Educational Foundation in India z BEST COPY REST COPT LABLE W1 naR Fl ill I WWI Me .71A * WA am rim- Evivz: N. yr .I . I r I I . I t NM/ I A rrrr-rr-rr rrrr-rryrr-rrrrr-rrryrrry rprrrrrrrrrrryrr-rrrrrrrrrrrr ffilarar are jai -a% '2fr 41TO VW WI' iiifF Food for Thought Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Indian Food- Lessons Plans and Supplementary materials 3. Indian Food Customs-Lessons Plans and Supplementary materials 4. Meeting the Basic Needs: Problems and Success - Lessons Plans and Supplementary materials 5. Religion and Food - Lessons Plans and Supplementary materials 6. Traditional and Modern Diets -Lessons Plans and Supplementary materials 7. Bibliography 4 FOOD FOR THOUGHT Introduction The American diet has changed drastically since the early 1900's. At this point in American history, family farming was beginning to be replaced by large industrial farms. Foods were being processed and preserved with new technologies for ease of transport to and storage at stores in the growing cities. Business people of the early 20th century realized there was lots of money to be made by manufacturing salty and sugary foods with catchy names. Salty and sugar sweetened foods create cravings for more of these foods. People would buy lots of these products, sending more profits to businesses. At that time there were no studies on the effects of these foods on the human body, environmental effects, or ethical standards, so businesses could earn profits without concern for health hazards, cruelty to animals, and the poisoning of the environment that resulted from the production of these new foods. These business people and early city dwellers could not imagine the deadly combination of these dietary changes and the reduced physical activity of city life. Citizens of the 1990's are beginning to fully appreciate the health problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes hypertension, and obesity that many doctors directly link to the changes that came about in our diet and activity levels over the last 90 years. Americans replaced a diet centered around healthy home grown vegetables and fruits, and whole grains, for one laden with salt, sugar, fat, and animal products, especially in the form of processed junk foods. They replaced an active life of raising their own foods with one of driving to fast food restaurants and mega food supermarkets where they could purchase the unhealthy foods in ever-increasing quantities. Today, despite what nutritionists and doctors have discovered, Americans and many other Westerners continue to let advertising and convenience rather than healthfulness of foods determine what they choose to eat. Those who are responding to the warnings and returning to a diet similar to our farming ancestors tend to be the affluent who have more access to this information. They have the time and money to spend on exercise programs, and to purchase foods from health stores. This is ironic for in the 1900's it was the more affluent city dwellers in first world countries who could afford the new processed treats. The poor citizens and those from rural communities in this country and in non-western third world cultures continued to eat healthier low fat, vegetable, fruit, and grain based diets. Now, however, many non- westerners,including Indian's, seek to adopt the diets of the Western cultures as signs of status --the harmful diets based on coke, McDonald's hamburgers, and candy bars. These people and the poor in Western societies remain more unaware of the health risks of modes diets and convinced of the adequacy and glamour of eating certain processed junk foods. Furthermore, the economic conditions and social structures in American society sometimes make these junk foods cheaper than fresh foods in neighborhoods where the poor often live. The stresses of life for the impoverished in America also make exercise regimes practically impossible. Health clubs are lacking in these communities as well. 5 While leaders in India have been slower than other non-western nations to encourage the sales of Western fast and junk food products, signs of these foods are present in larger cities like Deli, Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras. India seems, however, to be at a crucial turning point. For now the majority of its citizens remain farmers with active lives and healthy vegetarian diets.But will the nation follow the same path as America as it heads toward the 21st Century? Or can India learn from the West's mistaken "modern" diet and maintain her traditional diet that simultaneously encourages a reverence for life and the environment? The Lessons The following is a series of lessons designed to introduce junior high school or high school students to various aspects of the culture, religion, history, economic, and political structures of India. Elements of tradition and modernity can be clearly viewed in all of these areas of Indian culture. All of the following lessons, however, center around food as a method of introducing the particular objective. Increasing numbers of Americans are concerned with healthier diets, diseases and eating disorders caused by modern diets, animal rights, world hunger, pesticide usage, and the environmental degradation caused by modern farming techniques. This suggests that attention to the role food production and diet play in one's life is crucial. India's traditions can remind Americans of healthier habits and reverence for food, the environment, and animals. Likewise Indian's can learn from America's mistakes in "modernizing" our diets and attitudes toward food as they meet the continuing challenges of feeding nearly 1 billion people. The following curriculum materials seek to help children, begin learning these lessons. The lessons can be given individually or collectively as part of a unit. Some lessons may need two days to complete depending on individual teacher's time per class period. Some visual and hands on materials will not be possible to reproduce, as they were obtained in India during the Fulbright visit. However, substitutions have been suggested when possible .Additional supplemental