Folkhaus School: Food Exploration

Recently, I have looked at the little units I am building for our homeschool & the response on social media whenever I post about our studies (“I wish I was in your school!” is my favorite thing to hear & I thank every one of you who said that! It keeps me so motivated to make this schooling experience even better for my kiddos!), & I have realized that I can easily share our book lists, driving inquiries, & links to online resources here... for free!

As a homeschool mama & once-homeschooled-kid, I know it can be difficult to source free things (although there are so many more available with every passing day. The internet is the best tool!). I hope that these little exploration unit posts prove to be inspiring resources.

Please note that this is not a curriculum. This is a resource that provides inspiration & a “jumping off” point. I list the questions we asked & the books we used, but you can change these to reflect what you want to learn & the resources you have available to you. These Folkhaus School unit exploration posts are designed to help others connect multiple subjects to one main explorative concept, which can be tailored to a variety of age groups (my learners are all early elementary & younger). I’ll do my best to update these posts with more pertinent resources as I come across them in the future as well.

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Driving Questions

feel free to add more if your learner has specific interests!

• Where did food come from?
• How do our bodies use food?  
• In what ways do we use mathematics when it comes to food?
• Can foods do more than nourish us?
• Can food be delicious & beautiful?
• Can food come from surprising sources or be useful in other ways?
• How does the food industry impact the world today?

Our Foods Book List - Early Elementary

Why We Eat Dairy   by Beth Bence Reinke

Why We Eat Grains   " "

Why We Eat Protein   " "

Why We Eat Fruits   " "

How to Make a Pancake   by Dave Max

Cooking with Sam-I-Am  by Courtney Carbone

Our Cultures Book List -  Elementary/Middle

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story   by Kevin Nobel Maillard

Welcome to Jamaica   by Karen Kwek

Pakistan   " "

China   by Sui Noi Goh

Welcome to Scotland   by Graeme Cane

Germany   by Nicole Frank

Welcome to Nigeria   by Esther Kerr

Our List of Cookbooks - mostly geared for younger kids

Fun Stuff Cookies

Bake and Make Amazing Cakes    by Elizabeth MacLeod

Mom and Me Cookbook: Have Fun in the Kitchen!   by Annabel Karmel

Nourishing Traditions   by Sally Fallon

Our Reference Book List - kid-friendly, but for all ages

Food Anatomy   by Julia Rothman

100 Things to Know About Food

Look Inside Our World

National Geographic's World Atlas for Young Explorers

Online Resources We Loved

HiHo Kids on YouTube - watching these kids try foods from around the world was entertaining & enlightening!

This video about school lunches around the world

This video about street food around the world

Tastemade programs, particularly Sourced (I do have a paid account to their streaming service, so I can access more content)

This awesome site of Quicklinks from Usborne Books that is designed to work with 100 Things to Know About Food

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📚 Please note: the Usborne Books & More titles link back to my shop for purchase if you are so inclined. Sales benefit the Folkhaus! You can learn more about the company & opportunities to host a party with me & earn free book rewards here. UBAM is also offering a flash sale on free shipping for all orders over $80 to help families fill their Coronavirus quarantine days with fun & learning.

Additional exploration steering questions are available on my Patreon  as well as a set of my illustrated review coloring sheets. The illustrations are my own work, & reflect some of the cool facts & tidbits we discovered in our exploration of this topic, using the same resources listed above. Supporting the Folkhaus as a patron allows me to devote more time to building this blog & community, & to develop more free resources, DIY tutorials, & art content for you to enjoy!

Thanks for dropping by, & hope you enjoy this hub for exploring the history, geography, science, mathematics, & art of FOOD!