Lesson Plan - Taste Testers

Watch the Video
Watch the video “What’s for Lunch?” and discuss: What are some of the things officials need to think about when planning school lunch menus?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• critics
• nutritious

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about whether they would change anything about your school’s lunch menu.

1. How do kids help at the New York City Public Schools test kitchen?
Kids help at the New York City Public Schools test kitchen by sampling four or five foods. They vote on whether they like each one and give feedback. If most kids like a dish, it might be served in cafeterias across the city.
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2. How does the article show that the test kitchen actually listens to the feedback kids give?
The article shows that the test kitchen listens to kids’ feedback by explaining that the kitchen changed the egg sandwich based on the comments kids made. When Elsa’s class visited the kitchen, some said that the bread used for the egg sandwich was soggy. By the time the meal was included on school lunch menus, the bread had been replaced by a croissant.
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3. What are three facts you can learn from the sidebar, “What’s on Your Plate?”
Sample response: The sidebar, “What’s on Your Plate?,” shows that next year, new rules for school lunches will go into effect. The sidebar also shows that schools must serve at least one cup of milk each day and one ounce of meat or a meat substitute each day.
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FEATURED SKILL: Cause and Effect
Review with students that a cause is why something happens and an effect is what happens as a result. Use the skill builder “Causes and Effects” to explore causes and effects in the article.
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