What's on Your Tray?: Sharing School Lunches, Designing Cross-Cultural Menus

Students in each class record a short video introducing themselves and their school, then watch the partner class introductions to build familiarity and excitement before the project starts.

Students explore their own school lunches, discuss what they eat often, and explore why certain foods or ingredients are important in their local culture. Students upload the new words related to the topic, along with photos, to a collaborative Padlet page. This kicks off curiosity about food traditions and prepares them to learn from peers around the world.

Working alongside their partner classes, students co-create a slideshow using Google Slides featuring side-by-side lunch comparisons, complete with ingredient descriptions and cultural significance. In small groups, students discuss and select the photo that best represents their school lunch, then write a brief description detailing the dish name, flavor profile, and main ingredients. Finally, they add comparison notes highlighting key similarities and unique differences. **Please note that Google accounts are required for both teachers and students.**

Students use insights from the collaborative slideshow to design a new school lunch menu that honors and includes dishes, ingredients or eating customs from both cultures. They explain their choices and how the menu brings the two communities together. Students post their drawings of the menus to the Padlet page.

Students participate in a live video call with their partner class to share inclusive school lunch menu ideas. During the session, they showcase their drawings, share stories about their school lunches, and discover what makes each other's ideas special.

Students ask questions based on their partners' presentations during or after the live session. They also share key takeaways regarding food traditions and cultural differences, helping to deepen their global awareness.

Students prepare a small gift box containing a local snack, a handwritten note for their partners. After receiving boxes, students open them together in class, share what they have learned throughout the overall project. Teachers exchange the photos or short videos of students during the celebration.

Students write or draw what they learned from working with the partner class, what surprised them, and what they would do differently next time.