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G2 Text Set: Rethinking Food

JIM WILSON—THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

Food is something we encounter every day, even if don’t always put much thought into it. But there’s a story behind every plate. From the origin of your food to the reason you chose it, you can learn a lot from what you eat.

Essential Questions:

1. What is the importance of food?

2. What can we learn about the foods we eat?

3. How can food bring people together?

4. What do the foods you eat say about who you are?

Click here for the full PDF guide to this text set.

Paired Text

Environment

Waste Not

August 30, 2019

Each weekday, some 30 million students in the United States eat a school lunch. Then they fill cafeteria trash cans with uneaten food. Wasted food is a waste of money, a missed chance to feed hungry people, and bad…

Audio
Spanish

United States

Top Chef

December 14, 2018

Does the president like his pizza crust thick or thin? What are his favorite vegetables? It is Cristeta Comerford’s job to know. She has been executive chef at the White House since 2005. She can make any kind of food…

Audio
Spanish

Community

Fish for Lunch

October 12, 2018

Salmon burgers. Salmon mac-and-cheese. These foods are on the school-lunch menu in Sitka, Alaska. The salmon comes from fishing in the area. This is thanks to Sitka’s Fish to Schools program. It brings wild-caught fish to local school lunchrooms. “Fish…

Audio
Spanish

Environment

Eating Cactus

April 23, 2018

Some cactuses can be eaten. One is the prickly pear cactus. Its fruit is sweet. It is used in juices, jams, and candies. A prickly pear’s pads are also edible. They are prepared and eaten like vegetables. They are a…

Health

Learning to Love Ugly Veggies

October 7, 2016

Tons of fruits and vegetables go into the trash each year. People are working to stop that from happening. Go to the store. Take a look at the fruits and vegetables sold there. Most are perfectly shaped. But not all…

Audio
Video
Spanish

Health

A Growing Movement

September 2, 2016

Special programs help kids eat better and learn about food. Destiny Cunningham, 10, loves eating “stoplight salad” for lunch. She and other students at her school, in Detroit, Michigan, helped pick the red, yellow, and green vegetables it is made…

Audio
Video
Spanish

Community

A Taste of Tradition

September 14, 2014

Americans celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. Celebrations include parades, dances, and food. Here is a taste of delicious dishes from five Spanish-speaking countries. Cuba: Picadillo (peek-ah-dee-yoh) Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean. Rice…

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