The Global Chase: Tracking the Historical Origin of
Pizza Ingredients
Each of us has a story to tell about our heritage. These stories tell
about who we are and where our roots originated. The foods we eat also
have a tale to tell. Through the centuries people understood that the
food that they grew had a important relationship to their culture, traditions
and environment.
As people travel and explore the world, they carried with them seeds of their
homeland to grow or trade with other cultures. Explorers traveling to uncharted
territory sampled new fruits and vegetables of the region. Fascinated by
these delicacies, explorers brought these new foods back with them to grow
and share with their countrymen. Thus began the movement of foods through
the world.
Learning Objective:
Students will learn:
- Research techniques to locate information about their ingredient.
-The heritage and journey food played through history.
- Locate countries or regions of ingredients origin
Materials:
World Map
Internet Access
Resources
Procedure:
1. Ask the students if they know where their ancestors originated? Have the
students share a few of their own heritage with the class. Use a world map
for students to point out the countries their ancestors originate from.
2. Explain to the students the food we eat also have a heritage that can
date back thousands of years. Review the list of basic list of ingredients
to make pizza. Ask the students of they know historical origin of the
ingredient to make pizza?
3. Have the student choose three ingredients. The students then will
trace the pathway of each ingredient selected. They will start form
the “birthplace” of the ingredient and then trace its journey through
time, finally arrive in the United States.
4. Students can present final project to the class in a written form, poster,
or other form of modality. Remind the students to include a world map into
their project.
Extension:
Students can trace all the different phases ingredients pass through before
being purchasing for pizza.
Compare purchasing local produce vs. imported produce. Where would we purchase
local produce? Are the prices we pay in the store reflecting the true cost
of the product produced?
Which countries are the largest exporters or importers of a particular ingredient?
How does this relate to climate, growing season, terrain, soil and so forth?
Utilize maps to show relationships on a global scale.
Resources:
Roberts, Jonathan, The Origin of Fruits and Vegetables
Weaver, William Woys, 100 Vegetables and Where They Came from