Lesson Plan:
Physical Geography
Informs Food Choices
Healthy Heritage Cooking Series
We Can! in the Classroom
•
UPMC Health Plan’s partnership with the Senator John Heinz History Center for the
Healthy Heritage Cooking Series supports We Can! Pittsburgh, a local arm of the
National Institutes of Health’s We Can! Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity &
Nutrition® program. We Can! Pittsburgh aims to reduce the prevalence of childhood
obesity by educating parents and caregivers of children ages 8-13 about improving
nutrition, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time (e.g., TV, video games,
computers).
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While not a formal lesson plan, teachers may be interested in using general health
concepts, discussion points, and We Can! materials outlined in the Educational Toolkit
as a part of their classroom discussions prior to attending the Healthy Heritage Cooking
Series.
•
We Can! materials may be downloaded at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or
http://www.upmchealthplan.com/about/wecan.html.
•
Healthy Heritage Cooking Series recipe cards are available for download at
www.heinzhistorycenter.org. The back of each card outlines health benefits of key
ingredients commonly used in ethnic cuisines and tips for cooking healthier.
We Can! Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition, We Can! and the We Can! logo are registered
trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). This document was developed by the
Senator John Heinz History Center and UPMC Health Plan using resources provided by We Can!. Participation by
UPMC Health Plan and the Senator John Heinz History Center does not imply endorsement by DHHS/NIH/NHLBI.
List the foods you see in this dish.
In what area(s) of the world would someone eat this?
Shrimp-Rich Waters
Guiding Question
How do geographers use tools to help them to
understand a culture?
• Thematic maps provide specialized information
about a region.
• This information is communicated via the map
key, which tells users the “code” for reading the
map.
• If we use these maps, we can gather information
about a region that helps us to create a bigger
picture about the culture in that region.
Key Ideas
• Physical geography informs our food choices.
• Physical geography includes terrain, location, and
climate.
– Crops require certain conditions, and not all crops will grow
everywhere.
– The land must be able to support livestock, so not all
proteins are available everywhere.
• The food stuffs that are readily available are foods that
people will eat in particular region.
• Thematic maps can help us determine which regions
produce and consume which foods.
• Cultural geography also informs food choices, such as
religious traditions, trade routes, and immigration.
Ginataang Mais
Ingredients:
• Coconut milk
• Corn
• Rice
• Sugar
Haleem
Ingredients:
• Lamb
• Rice
• Wheat
• Barley
Pierogi
Ingredients:
• Flour
• Potatoes
• Sauerkraut
• Beef
Dakos
Ingredients:
• Barley
• Olives
• Feta Cheese
• Tomatoes
Thieboudienne
Ingredients:
• Rice
• Fish
• Pumpkin
• Cassava
• Peanut oil
Sasazushi
Ingredients:
• Rice
• Mackerel
• Lemon
Toasted Bananas and Corvina
Ingredients:
• Corvina
• Bananas
• Cooking oil
Patatas Bravas
Ingredients:
• Tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Potatoes