Skip to Main Content

Flavors of the World

Did you know you probably use words from different languages every day? Students will learn about words that English has adopted from other languages and create a food collage that represents some of the shared words.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    "When I was in kindergarten we lived on a cul-de-sac and we used to schmooze with our neighbors on the patio." This short sentence contains words from five languages: English, German, French, Yiddish, and Spanish! Have students find the origins of these words and look up other words that come from languages around the world. Then ask them to generate a list of foods and beverages whose names were borrowed from other languages, such as "latte" (Italian for milk), "taco" (Spanish for wedge), and "curry" (Tamil for sauce).

  • Step 2

    Have students create a "Flavors of the World" collage that depicts foods whose names come from different languages. They can create images on paper, then cut them out and attach them to a larger piece of paper or poster.

  • Step 3

    Ask students to present their collages and describe the foods they depicted and what languages their names come from. Have a discussion about how blending languages, foods, and culture creates a diverse and inclusive society.

Standards

LA: Apply knowledge of how language functions in different contexts to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading, writing, speaking, and/or listening.

SS: Culture: Create, learn, share, and adapt to culture.

Adaptations

Challenge students to create a multi-national fusion dish using foods from various countries - perhaps a samosa filled with chili-infused noodles or ramen tossed with tahini.

The second-most spoken language in the United States after English is Spanish. Have students look around their homes and community for signs and writing in Spanish. This could include billboards, information posted in public places, instructions on products, etc. Challenge them to try to look at the Spanish part and see if there are any words they can recognize before looking at the English words.