Summer SAVY, Session 2 Day 4, Culinary Anthropology (5th – 6th)
Dear Parents,
On the final day of Culinary Anthropology, Ms. Omaya and I would like to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey of discovery and exploration that your children have embarked upon this week. It has been an absolute joy to witness their curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm for understanding the phenomena that shape—and are shaped by—our food choices.
Today, we began our morning with an immersive lesson in our ethnobotanical garden, where students practiced “listening” to plants. This activity encouraged them to observe, engage with, and understand the vital role of plants in different cultures and their uses in traditional medicine and cuisine.
In the afternoon, we had the privilege of welcoming Sylvia Cheever, a Biological Archaeologist who provided a fascinating talk on the biological and archaeological methods anthropologists use to figure out which foods people in the distant past prepared and ate.
How You Can Support Your Student:
- Discuss Today’s Activities: Ask your child about their experience in the ethnobotanical garden or what they learned from the Biological Archaeologist’s talk.
- Explore Ethnobotany: Take a walk in a local garden or park and encourage your child to observe different plants. Discuss the various uses of plants in traditional cuisines and medicines from different cultures.
- Research like an Anthropologist: Encourage your students to use their field notebooks to continue recording their observations and questions about food production, processing, distribution, and consumption.
We sure had a fantastic time with your young scholars this week and hope they gained an enthusiasm for applying an anthropological lens to the food they eat! Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Warm regards,
Ms. Kathryn and Ms. Omaya
Ms. Kathryn and Ms. Omaya