Definition

Assessment Survey	Student Checklist
Resources			Sample - Iceland
Student Work		READ IT, SEE IT, COMPARE IT
Project Expectations and Interdisciplinary Connections
Project Definition: "Take a Walk in my Shoes" is a project that will provide an opportunity for students to research a variety of cultures use foods as the common thread. The cultures being studied during each marking will align with those being taught in Mrs. Rose's World Geography classes. The end product will be a class cookbook. Students will use Publisher to containing recipes with information on the impact of geography, history, economy, social, political, and values and beliefs.
Task: Students will conduct research on their specific countries. They will synthesize their findings and use Publisher to create a 2-page document which will become a part of the full Grade 7 book. Requirements: Students will: determine the tasks to be completed and choose, among the members of the group, who will take responsibility for each task. Examples would include setting up the web in Inspiration, artistic creativity, selection of sub-topics, and tracking progress on the group rubric. research their topics, using the print resources from the Easton Public Library and the Helen Keller Middle School Media Center as well as pre-selected websites. answer the following questions: Geography How do the foods traditionally eaten in your country reflect the geography of the area? Why are these foods grown here...and not in other parts of the world? What physical conditions--temperature, precipitation, landscape, bodies of water -- exist which allow these foods, both plants and animals, to be available in this region? What percentage of the land is suitable for farming? (arable) Economy How do the foods traditionally eaten in your country reflect the economy of the area? •How does the country rely on crops and livestock (agriculture) to contribute to its economy? •What are its major agricultural products? •Does the country export these crops to other countries? •What percentage of the people are employed in agriculture? History vHow do the foods traditionally eaten in your country reflect the history of the area? vThe history of food in any country can pertain to many things. As you complete your research on this topic, consider the following: If a traditional food is not native to you country, how did it get there? (chile peppers, sugar) Is there a unique history surrounding the recipe you chose? (Gumbo) Did the country experience an historical event pertaining to food? (Examples: famine, drought, plague) Traditional Foods and Daily Customs How are the country's traditional foods and daily customs reflected in the foods they eat? Who eats with whom, when and where? How are family meals shared? Who prepares the food? Who serves it? Who cleans up? How are positions of power shown through food? What other norms and customs are practiced in this country or region? What are the typical foods eaten in this country or region? Values and Beliefs How are the country's values and beliefs reflected in the foods they eat? Which foods are highly valued in your country? Do certain foods have religious or ritual value? Are certain foods taboo or forbidden in your country? Are there special foods for special occasions? What are they? Do certain foods from special meaning? create an organizational web in Inspiration with "bubbles" containing information on geography, economy, traditional foods and daily customs, values and beliefs. use the correct "Works Cited" format when citing resources. choose a group favorite or most interesting recipe to include as the selection for the Grade 7 book. synthesize all information into a one to two-page format, using Publisher.
Process: Students will: work cooperatively and collaboratively. save all work (Inspiration web and Publisher) under Student Work → DOS → Grade 7 → Take a Walk in My Shoes → Period → Country (this is the group country) followed by the initials of the group members. Products: Inspiration web with all of the required information. one to two pages per group to be included in the full class "Take a Walk in My Shoes" publication. Evaluation: Students will be tracking their progress and critiquing their end products using an organizational rubric. Students will be asked to consider the following questions throughout this project: Am I doing the best I can? Am I following the Organizational Rubic? How could I do my job better? Teacher will make comments as well as use a rubric incorporating cooperation, organization, creativity, completion of the product, timeliness, following directions and attitude. Final evaluation will be conducted through a survey using Zoomerang to assess the process and product.