Scripture: Genesis 25-26
Learning Objectives:
- Students will review the story of Jacob and Esau.
- Students will learn Jacob convinced Esau to give him his birthright by giving him some stew.
- Students will learn often people in Bible times grew their own food or purchased it in a farmer’s market type environment.
- Students will participate in an activity allowing them to learn how to grow food for their families even if they have little space and no yard.
Guiding Question: How can one grow food for their family if they don’t have much space or even a yard??
Materials: containers, soil, seeds and/or plants (Note: If possible, you may want to provide one container garden for each student which can then be sent home with the student. If circumstances do no allow for that, create a class container garden and have students continue to care for it until it produces food.)
Procedure: Review the story of Jacob and Esau and the stew exchanged for the birthright. Explain to the students that in Bible times much of the food was eaten was either grown by the people themselves or purchased in an open air farmer’s market type place. Ask them how they could grow their own food and what might make it difficult to grow their own food. Many of your students may mention they do not have enough space at their home to grow their own food.
Introduce the students to the idea of container gardens for people who have very little space or no land at all. (Note: This website seems to have everything one would need to know to create and maintain container gardens. Since it is too much to include in this lesson plan, I have provided the link. Please be aware websites change constantly and you need to review everything for propriety before using this site.) Have students create either their own or a classroom container garden. Remind students on a regular basis to care for their gardens. Have them share when food is produced or if it is a classroom garden, send the food grown home with various students.
Additional Questions:
- What are the best foods to grow in a container garden in your area?
Supplemental Activity: Have more advanced students research the most common foods eaten and grown in your area. Which ones would work in a container garden? How many plants would you need in a container garden to provide all of that food for a typical family? Could a container garden provide enough food to save a typical family money on their food bill? Have students report their findings to others and make a final recommendation for local families considering container gardening.