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Government Food Programs

Government Food Programs Across Time: A Healthy Recipe for Equity and Peace?

Instructional materials developed by Kansas University Council for the Social Studies in partnership with the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics.

Description: This lesson plan is designed to introduce students to the idea of food and hunger’s role in inequality and the government’s ability to address inequality through food programs such as WIC (Women, Infants, Children), Food for Peace, Food Stamps, and School Lunches.

Grade Level: 9th Grade

Authors: Kelsey Consolver, Josh Lutz, Noel Miller, McKenna Jones, Kate Ebbert, Ashley Singharaj

Contributors: Joe O’Brien, Tina Ellsworth, and Julie Bergene

Acknowledgements: Thank you to the following social studies teachers who field-tested and/or provided feedback on these materials: Taylor Smith and Alex Arteaga.

Unit of Study: Government Food Programs and Food Inequality

Course (s): Civics

Time: One 90-minute block period, two 45-minute classes

Essential Questions: How does the U.S. government address inequality using food programs? How, if at all, is access to food a human right?

Resources: *See end of document for possible websites and resources to use.

Day 1

Objectives-The students will be able to:

  • Analyze primary source documents to identify arguments made about food programs

  • Compare and contrast government food programs through the use of a graphic organizer

  • Effectively communicate information gained from research to peers

  • Describe how government food programs do or do not address inequality

Introduction/Appetizer:

Below, you will find a couple of different options for introducing this lesson. Choose one from below that works best in your classroom.

  • Option 1:Teacher needs to prepare a bowl of candy with enough candy for 90% of students to have one piece. Teacher passes around a bowl of candy and tells students to take at least one piece of candy without letting them eat it yet. When the bowl reaches the final students, there should not be any candy left.
  • Option 2: Ask students to think of a situation in which they wanted something, but there was a limited supply, such as purchasing/accessing event tickets. What did they find? Did they get what they wanted? What did they have to give up to get what they wanted? Why might this have been?

Debrief the "appetizer" activity with students using the following questions:

  • Should someone have been responsible for regulating the quantity people were allowed to have? Why or why not?

  • How might those who acquired the good or service feel about being told they could only have a limited quantity?

  • How might those who did not acquire the good or service feel about others being told they could only have a limited quantity?

  • How is this mimicked in society? 

  • What is the government’s responsibility, if any, in ensuring that everyone gets food/people in need get food?

  • What should this government regulation look like?

  • Was this fair? Would my regulation/government regulation make it more fair?

Transition: Now we will discuss how food relates to equality/inequality.

Begin with the 14th Amendment and ask students to consider if access to basic needs is covered by the equal protection clause. Teacher should lead students through a discussion of what basic needs are and if the government should be responsible for ensuring them for individuals.

An image of a child’s brain when it is malnourished and not leads to the question of if hunger leads to inequality. If hunger can create physical differences in the brain of a child, does this change how we should discuss the issue of food insecurity?

 “Are some people in more need than others?” We want students to consider if food programs should be targeted at specific groups with specific needs, such as women and children.

A list of the four examples of government food programs.

Transition: Now we will explore four examples of government regulation of food.

  1. Food for Peace

  2. Food Stamps

  3. School Lunches

  4. WIC (Women, Infants, Children)

Procedures/Entrée:

  1. Overview (of two-day activity): Students will study a government food program created to fight food inequality. This activity will utilize a modified jigsaw system. There will be two groups: mixed groups and homogenous groups. Students will gain information about the food programs, but then will be asked to determine which programs were effective, and why. They should be previewed to these questions so they can best determine what information will be necessary for their decision.

  2. In groups, students will record information about three documents discussing the food program, sourcing, and understanding what each document argues.

  3. Students will be divided into even homogenous groups. Each homogenous group will be assigned one specific food program to research. Each program is designed to address food inequality. Students should identify the context and arguments of each document. They will record what they learn on the expert worksheet. The choices of the programs are:

    • Food for Peace
    • Food Stamps
    • School Lunches
    • WIC (Women, Infants, Children)

  4. Once finished, students will discuss within their group what each of them found, discussing the 
    context and purpose of the documents. 

Exit Ticket/Dessert:

What is the most important thing for other groups to know about your program?

 

Day 2

Review (5 minutes): Quick review of day before. Give a reminder of today’s activity. Have 
students return to their groups from yesterday (homogenous groups). 

Activity:

  1. Each group will review their food program. Make sure all students in each group have all of the information for their food program recorded on their expert worksheet. Students then will answer the following questions in their groups that will eventually be shared with the entire 
    class:
    • Summarize your program. Include the role the government plays or played in your program. Keep in mind how your program may have changed over time.
    • How have the arguments changed over time?
    • How did the US government address or intend to address inequality through this 
      program?
  2. Students will move into their mixed groups. These groups should include one student “expert” from each homogenous group.  
  3. In the mixed groups, students will teach their peers about their program. Students will take notes on the second group graphic organizer. 
  4. Then, students will work with their mixed groups to answer the Mixed Group Synthesis Questions.

Closure and assessment (5 minutes): Students should answer the individual question on the Synthesis Question document. Have students share their answers with remaining time.

Resources

Access Primary Sources for these Activities  

Food for Peace

Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Legislative Relations, 1969-1996, Box 302, Folder 25, Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas

Robert J. Dole House of Representatives Papers, 1960-1969, Box 41, Folder 6, Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas
 

Food Stamps

Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Constituent Relations, 1969-1996, Box 259, Folder 9, Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas

Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Constituent Relations, 1969-1996, Box 201, Folder 6, Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas

School Lunches

Robert J. Dole House of Representatives Papers, 1960-1969, Box 61, Folder 3, Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas

Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Constituent Relations, 1969-1996, Box 231, Folder 21, Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas

WIC (Women, Infants, Children)

Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Legislative Relations, 1969-1996, Box 28, Folder 4, Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas

Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Legislative Relations, 1969-1996, Box 156, Folder 7, Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas