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Food for Thought: The Stories Behind the Things We Eat
By: Ken Robbins
Publisher: Flashpoint Roaring Book Press
Copyright: 2009
Genre: Nonfiction, Food
Grade Level: 4th, 5th, or 6th
Brief Synopsis: Apples, oranges, tomatoes, potatoes- these are just a few of the foods we consume everyday. But have you ever wondered about the stories behind them? Join renowned photographer and author Ken Robbins as he leads you through the fascinating world of what we eat. Deliciously interesting, tasty morsels of cultural history combined with luscious photographs will leave readers hungry for more.
"Every kind of food has its story." Acclaimed photographer Ken Robbins guides us through the history, mythology, and literary significance of food. Fascinating factsÑit was an apple that started the Trojan War; oranges used to be so expensive that only the rich could afford them—and stunning photographs make Food for Thought a tasty read that will have everyone looking at their plates in a new way.
About the Author:
Ken Robbins- he specializes in photographic nonfiction books on subjects ranging from the Brooklyn Bridge to autumn leaves. His book Tools, with its trademark hand-tinted photographs was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. His books for Atheneum include Fireflies at Midnight by Marilyn Singer, Trucks, Thunder on the Plains, and Apples. Mr. Robbins lives in East Hampton, Long Island. In a career spanning 25 years and more than 2 dozen books, Ken Robbins has established himself as one of the foremost creators of nonfiction for children. Themes: - Find out the stories behind different foods
- Origin of food throughout history
- Descriptions of what the foods are good for
- Gaining appreciation for the food we eat on a regular basis
- Origin of food throughout history
- Descriptions of what the foods are good for
- Gaining appreciation for the food we eat on a regular basis
Pre-Reading Activities:
- Have students catergorize a list of foods into their correct food group as a whole group of the white board/felt board.
- Teach or review the food pyramid. Have students color the food pyramid and list how much of each food group they should eat each day.
- Have students create a dinner that constitutes as a "well-balanced meal" they will take this drawing home to their parents to find out if their dinner would be "Well balanced"
- Ask the class what the title might mean, "food for thought." How is it kind of a play on words or pun?
- Have students catergorize a list of foods into their correct food group as a whole group of the white board/felt board.
- Teach or review the food pyramid. Have students color the food pyramid and list how much of each food group they should eat each day.
- Have students create a dinner that constitutes as a "well-balanced meal" they will take this drawing home to their parents to find out if their dinner would be "Well balanced"
- Ask the class what the title might mean, "food for thought." How is it kind of a play on words or pun?
Post Reading Activities:
- Have the students each choose a food from the book. They will each get into a group based on their food choice and create a poster to bullet the interesting facts about that food item. Displaying these vibrant posters in the hall will get the rest of the school excited about fun, cool, healthy food.
- Have students go beyond the book and try to find information on foods that were not mentioned in the book. Let students explore their natural curiosity.
- Have the students each choose a food from the book. They will each get into a group based on their food choice and create a poster to bullet the interesting facts about that food item. Displaying these vibrant posters in the hall will get the rest of the school excited about fun, cool, healthy food.
- Have students go beyond the book and try to find information on foods that were not mentioned in the book. Let students explore their natural curiosity.
Reflection: This book will grab the attention of students right away with the colorful and detailed photographs throughout it. The text in this book can get pretty complicated and a read aloud would be best to use because it is above most students reading levels. These stories and tales aren't part of the curriculum about the food pyramid, but they will spark the interest in students to remember the foods. They might remember their value and placement in the food pyramid when having a story behind them.
The food for thought at the very end of the book is spectacular! Robbins touches on starvation in the world due to poverty, natural disasters, and contamination. This helps students realize the fortune they have to have this food readily available and appreciate the things in life that many people are not as lucky to have.
The food for thought at the very end of the book is spectacular! Robbins touches on starvation in the world due to poverty, natural disasters, and contamination. This helps students realize the fortune they have to have this food readily available and appreciate the things in life that many people are not as lucky to have.
Links:
I remember you presenting this book in class and I really wanted to get a second look at it! "Food for Thought" sounds very interesting and I think kids may think twice about the expense of food, it's nutritional value and it's place on their Styrofoam lunch plates. I could totally see kids relating to the text at any age, and I like your pre-activity where the students sort the foods into different categories, and then having them make a balanced meal. My students just learned about healthy foods and I bet they would have loved to know the extra facts and details behind our every day foods. :)
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