https://nifa.usda.gov/ 

program/4-h-positive-youthdevelopment 

National Institute 

of Food 

and Agriculture 

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

lesson plan: activity 2.7 

lesson details introduction 

Using the Dinner table to Convey CUltUre 

A FederAl PArtnershiP For steM educAtion 

expeditionary

skills

for life 

National Aeronautics 

and Space 

Administration 

 

age/grade level 

Middle School 

learner outcoMes 

Youth will work collaboratively with 

others who represent diverse 

cultures, relations and lifestyles. 

Youth will be respectful and participate in cross-cultural conversations 

and learning. 

success indicators 

Youth will compare and contrast 

images and experiences of people 

eating together. Youth will reflect and 

share their own experiences and 

cultural traditions with their peers. 

life skills 

Social skills, communication, cultural 

awareness, recognizing diversity 

national standards 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and 

collaborations with diverse partners, 

building on others’ ideas and 

expressing their own clearly and 

persuasively. 

21st Century Life & Career Skills: 

/ SOCIAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL 

SKILLS / Interact effectively with 

others; work effectively in diverse 

teams 

21st Century: Content Knowledge 

/ GLOBAL AWARENESS / Learning 

from and working collaboratively 

with individuals representing diverse 

cultures, religions and lifestyles in a 

spirit of mutual respect and open 

dialogue in personal, work and 

community contexts 

prep tiMe 

15 minutes 

activity tiMe 

1 hour 15 minutes (all activities 

combined) 

Materials list 

• images of people eating around a

dinner table from different cultures

• paper

• crayons, markers, writing utensils

• sticky notes

suggested space 

Tables and chairs 

suggested group size 

Small groups or one large group 

introduction inforMation 

This information should be shared 

after the Introduction Activity. 

references 

Teaching Learning to Give Lessons 

https://www.learningtogive.org/ 

Culture, Food, and Identity: Culture 

and Development 

http://www.normangirvan.info/ 

wp-content/uploads/2008/06/ 

culturefood-and-identity-6.pdf 

Why Food is an Important Part of the 

Culture 

https://crossculturalrhetoric.
 

wordpress.com/2012/03/22/
 

why-food-is-an-important-part-ofthe-culture/ 


Culture is the behaviors and beliefs 

of a particular country, social, or 

age group. Food has a strong 

connection with culture. Nearly every 

culture has its own foods and its own 

customs associated with eating food. 

Food has many symbolic meanings. It expresses 

and establishes the relationship between people 

and their environment as well as between 

people and what they believe. Therefore, food is 

an important component of a culture. 

Foods can be used by people to express their 

social status. Rare and expensive food is frequently used to represent wealth and high social 

economic status. 

Special foods can be used to celebrate important 

events or festivals. Special occasions, from 

funerals to weddings, from festivals and fairs to 

political holidays and religious celebrations – all 

of these would be less memorable if food were 

not involved. Understanding the role food plays 

helps us understand the activities and the 

culture of the people involved. 

People who eat very different foods, or similar 

foods in different ways, are often thought to be 

different, and eating habits are often closely 

linked to the types of food consumed. This 

activity around meals and individual meal-time 

routines will provide an opportunity to compare 

and contrast similarities and differences within 

your group. Youth will learn about peers’ lifestyles and traditions. 

continued next page >> 
page 2

lesson plan: activity 2.7 

Using the Dinner table to Convey CUltUre 

expeditionary

skills

for life 

 

>> continued from previous page

activity instructions 

activity: food stories (20 Minutes) 

In your meeting space hang up images of people eating 

together around a table. You will need 3-5 images. You 

can set this up like a gallery walk, where the group looks at 

each image together and describes what they observe. 

Guide the youth to observe the following: 

• Facial expressions

• Posture

• The way that the food is served

• Types of food pictured

Have youth choose a partner. Ask the youth to compare 

and contrast these photos to their own dining experiences. 

Give each pair a few sticky notes to record each other’s 

experiences. Have them discuss one type of experience 

(listed below) before introducing the next type. 

• With their families

• With their friends

• At home

• In a restaurant

• In a cafeteria

Bring the youth back together as a large group. Have youth 

share what they discussed in their pairs. Through discussion, help youth build in their mind an image of what a 

dinner table looks like and what happens at the dinner 

table. 

Conclude by reading the introduction information. 

activity: food reflections (25 Minutes) 

Pass out paper and writing utensils. Ask youth to respond 

to the following prompt (this can be done in writing or 

youth can draw a picture and describe): 

In detail, describe what a meal looks like at your home. 

You can choose a special meal like one for a holiday, or a 

typical meal such as lunch, breakfast or dinner. You should 

describe what you eat, where you eat, who is present at 

meals, what you do during your meal, what rules or jobs 

you have and how you feel while you are eating. 

Have youth share their experiences. As youth share, 

identify the similarities and differences within the group. 

debrief activity (10 Minutes) 

Youth stand in a circle with their right arm on the shoulder 

of the person to their right. Facilitator will start the group 

moving in one direction. 

The group keeps moving in that direction until one person 

says “stop” and they give one example of “Something I 

learned today that was positive” and then ends with the 

word “go” and the group moves in the opposite direction 

until another participant says “stop.” 

Repeat this until at least half of the youth have shared a 

positive learning experience. 

applied challenge (20 Minutes) 

Brainstorm with youth the various places in their community where food can be accessed and served (e.g. grocery 

stores, farmers markets, restaurants, food trucks). Raise 

the sensitivity of youth about food banks and soup kitchens. Talk about the service these places provide and how 

these meals may look and be served differently from their 

own family. 

If time allows, have youth explore how food and meals are 

provided to those in need in other countries and cultures. 

If possible, arrange for a field trip to a food bank or soup 

kitchen in your community. Before going have the youth 

brainstorm behavior expectation. Examples: 

• Youth should show respect for the people they meet 

and the facility itself. Describe polite behavior and 

discourage calling attention to the things that are 

different. 

• After the field trip, allow time for discussion. Examples:

o Was the experience different from their 

expectations? 

If so, how? 

o What was one thing that surprised them about 

this experience? 

o How did this experience compare to their own 

experiences in accessing food?

continued next page >> 
page 3

lesson plan: activity 2.7 

Using the Dinner table to Convey CUltUre 

expeditionary

skills

for life 

>> continued from previous page

It is recommended that the facilitator recommend to the 

site being visited that they do not acknowledge any youth 

who may use that service, unless the youth has already 

self-disclosed this information to the group. Using services 

like food banks or soup kitchens can be a sensitive topic 

for recipients and if youth are not comfortable sharing that 

information their privacy should be respected. If youth do 

opt to share that information, the facilitator must make 

sure that the conversation remains positive and focuses on 

facts and compassion. This can be a wonderful teachable 

moment if managed properly. 

instructor’s notes 
activity 2.7: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

activity 2.7: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

activity 2.7: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

activity 2.7: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

expeditionary

skills


for life

expeditionary

skills


for life 

I can identify three different places where food is served. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can identify three different ways food is served. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I understand how culture connects to how food is 

prepared, served and eaten. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can identify three different places where food is served. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can identify three different ways food is served. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I understand how culture connects to how food is 

prepared, served and eaten. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can identify three different places where food is served. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can identify three different ways food is served. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I understand how culture connects to how food is 

prepared, served and eaten. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

expeditionary

skills


for life

expeditionary

skills


for life 

Q1
 

Q2
 

Q3
 

I can identify three different places where food is served. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can identify three different ways food is served. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I understand how culture connects to how food is 

prepared, served and eaten. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me