On Monday, June 19th, Grade 5 students wowed us with a Food Truck Festival! As an extension of their Social Studies unit on immigration, students studied specific groups that have immigrated to Canada. Students learned about why people immigrated and what their experience may have been like when they moved. They thought about the important role that food plays in traditional cultures and connecting people to their home countries. Watching the documentary, The Search for General Tso, students learned about how and why traditional foods change and transform when people bring them to new countries.
From this new knowledge, students were inspired to create their own food truck based on the countries Canadians have immigrated from. To pitch their food trucks, students created life-size truck prototypes, a name, logo, menu, and food samples that were shared with visitors. Students were encouraged to link their menu items logo and branding to the story of their group and how they came to Canada.
The festival was a hit! Visitors loved trying the food and visiting the different stalls. Two guest judges, Stephanie Sharpe, Marketing Manager at Fresh Prep, and Cecil Greenslade, Head Chef at York House School, were brought in to judge the trucks on branding, marketing, and food creativity.
Grade Five Teachers, Erin Riendl and Melissa Kanavos designed and led this project, and STEAM Coordinator, Jennifer Ford Sharpe assisted with the making of the trucks.
