Hoagies, Green Beans, and Fruit Cocktail: Using School Lunch Menus to Discuss Politics and Culture in the Classroom

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Lisa Marie Beiswenger

Abstract

From its inception in 1946, The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has reflected the political and cultural tides in the United States. The goal of this paper is to provide an adaptable a toolkit for creating a unit or semester-long project about the NSLP that is suitable for a foodways, anthropology, folklore, political science, or composition classroom. Through this project, students will experience archival research, data analysis, interpretation of results, and making broader conclusions based on research. The paper begins with a brief history of the National School Lunch Program in the United States before discussing the assignments and data set that will be produced throughout the course or unit.

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Lead Essays