Scripture: Genesis 3-4
Learning Objectives:
- Students will review the stories of the Fall and Cain and Abel
- Students will learn one of the consequences of both stories was that it would be difficult to grow food
- Students will learn about those who are struggling with hunger in their area
- Students will participate in an activity to provide food for some of the hungry in their area
Guiding Question: What are some options for healthy low-cost meals in your area?
Materials: cookbooks or other sources of recipes, grocery ads or list of food prices at the local market, grocery bags or boxes for food items, names of local families needing help with food
Procedure: Review the stories of the Fall and Cain and Abel, noting how one of the consequences was that it would be more difficult to grow food. Share with your students the details of the hunger problem in your area. Have the students find nutritious recipes with low-cost, non-perishable ingredients. Remind them to choose recipes they would also want to eat. To make the exercise more complicated for older students, give them the food budget for a week for a local family in poverty. Have them create a week’s worth of healthy menus, staying within that budget. For all groups, have the students prepare collection bags or boxes containing suggested recipes and menus. Have students collect (from home, other classes or the community) the foods needed to prepare some or all of the recipes. If you live in a safe area, have small groups of children go with an adult chaperone from house to house. At each house, ask the occupants if they have one ingredient to donate to your stone soup food drive. You can suggest ingredients needed for the recipes you have gathered. See which team comes closest to gathering all of the items needed for their box of “stone soup”. Take the donations to the families who need them. (You may choose to donate anonymously.)
Additional Question: What one new skill would help the hungry families in your area be able to provide more food for their families?
Supplemental Activity: Have students develop a workshop to teach people who are struggling with hunger in your area. The workshop should teach skills that would help those struggling to provide more food to their families. Topics could range from kitchen gardens to shopping using coupons and sales to preparing foods from scratch rather than with mixes, etc. Encourage students to offer their workshop in a church in the neighborhood of the people who struggle with hunger.