Eat to Live! Black Soul Food and Health

Race & EthnicityScience & InnovationMedicine & HealthcareCulture & Lifestyle1800-1899Middle School
Written By Stephanie Brizee

Summary

This lesson explores why African American people were forced to eat lower quality food that were high in fat and sodium from the time of slavery and why these foods became part of the African American culture. Students will also learn the health risks associated with a high fat and sodium diet and healthy alternatives. They will also be able to explain how sodium chloride affects the cardiovascular system.

Chef David K. Thomas, Baltimore and chef creating “modern soul” food.

Source: Chef David K. Thomas

 

Grades

  • Middle School (6-8)

Topics

  • Race & Ethnicity

  • Science & Innovation

  • Culture & LIfestyle

Time Period

  • 1800-1899

Download Lesson

Overview

  • NGSS Standard (s):

    Science and Engineering Practices

    Engaging in Argument from Evidence

    • Engaging in argument from evidence in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to constructing a convincing argument that supports or refutes claims for either explanations or solutions about the natural and designed worlds.

    • Construct, use, and present oral and written arguments supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon. (MS-PS3-5)

    Developing and Using Models

    • Modeling in 6–8 builds on K–5 and progresses to developing, using and revising models to describe, test, and predict more abstract phenomena and design systems.

    • Develop a model to predict and/or describe phenomena.

    CCSS:

    CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1

    • Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

    CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.2

    • Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

    CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.9

    • Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

    1. SWBAT explore why African-Americans people were forced to eat lower quality foods that were high in fat and sodium from the time of slavery and why these foods became part of the African-American culture by researching history of soul foods, health risks/consequences and developing healthier recipes that are heart-healthy.

    2. SWBAT write a persuasive scientifically-based essay that explains how sodium chloride affects the cardiovascular system which, over time, can lead to hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

  • ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

    • Can we convert fat-laden, sodium-laden foods into healthier choices for the African-American palate?

    • What are the differences and similarities between saturated and unsaturated fats?

    • What are the properties of salt?

    UNDERSTANDINGS

    • Why did African-Americans eat lower quality foods?

    • Where did the term “soul food” come from?

    • Why are African-American more apt to have hypertension? type 2 diabetes? heart disease?

    • What is the crystalline shape of sodium chloride?

    • What are the physical and chemical properties of sodium chloride?

  • TEACHER RESOURCES

    • Soul food takes its origins mostly from Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, a collection of states commonly referred to as the Deep South. During the Transatlantic Slave Trade, enslaved African people were given meager food rations that were low in quality and nutritional value.

    • The Humble History of Soul Food https://www.blackfoodie.co/the-humble-history-of-soul-food/#:~:text=Soul%20food%20takes%20its%20origins,in%20quality%20and%20nutritional%20value

    • Health concerns of Soul Food: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_food#Cultural_relevance

    LESSON RESOURCES

    • The Humble History of Soul Food https://www.blackfoodie.co/the-humble-history-of-soul-food/#:~:text=Soul%20food%20takes%20its%20origins,in%20quality%20and%20nutritional%20value

    • Can the African-American Diet be Made Healthier Without Giving up Culture https://www.york.cuny.edu/english/writing-program/the-york-scholar-1/volume-5.2-spring-2009/can-the-african-american-diet-be-made-healthier-without-giving-up-culture#:~:text=Since%20the%20typical%20soul%20food,eating%20this%20type%20of%20diet.

    • The Difference Between Saturated and Unsaturated Fats https://www.verywellhealth.com/difference-between-saturated-fats-and-unsaturated-fats-697517

    • Examining the Factors That Influence African Americans in the Midwest to Reduce Salt Intake https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/epdf/10.1089/heq.2019.0079

    • Black Eateries https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1992-03-24-1992084154-story.html

    • “How Sylvia's Dishes Out Harlem's Most Legendary Soul Food | Legendary Eats” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckUcSvy4PBI

    • Science CER Rubric https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_QqTx-xNuu3dqeM9GGtFLCjz0QZpWqSjSlNtjM1t2I/edit

    • Sodium chloride https://www.softschools.com/formulas/chemistry/sodium_chloride_uses_properties_structure_formula/255/

  • The aim of the Baltimore Story lesson plans is to provide teachers and their students with historical figures and/or events that include representation connecting to Baltimore which have historically been missing in K-12 curriculum.

    Teachers using this/these lesson(s) should modify it to bring cultural relevancy to their own classrooms through the insertion of current topical events and/or relevant revisions that link more closely to their particular student population or context.

  • Students will read various resources about soul food, starting with “The Humble History of Soul Food” and others resources to develop a succinct CER-based essay that explains the dangers of a high fat, high salt diet and how this diet can lead to hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

    Students will be able to convert fat-laden, sodium-laden soul foods that are a staple part of many African-Americans' diets into heart-friendly dishes by lowering the fat and salt content of the dishes.

  • BALTIMORE CONNECTIONS

    Baltimore has a rich history of black-owned eateries (Sess’s, Leon’s Pig Pen, Sampson’s) that catered to the African-American palate by fixing soul foods that were good for the soul, but were laden with lard and salt.

    • Parks Sausage Company: A Higher Standard https://www.thebmi.org/portfolio/parks-sausage-company-a-higher-standard/

    • When Baltimore’s Leon’s Pig Pen Ruled https://www.splicetoday.com/baltimore/when-baltimore-s-leon-s-pig-pen-ruled

    • The eateries of Old Black Baltimore https://afro.com/the-eateries-of-old-black-baltimore/

Learning Plan

  • Students will watch “How Sylvia's Dishes Out Harlem's Most Legendary Soul Food | Legendary Eats” and will answer the following questions:

    • Why is cooking soul food described as cooking with love?

    • What foods do you see in the video (ribs, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, fried chicken, and waffles)?

    • Name a star that loves Sylvia’s soul food. Name the food they love.

    • Why was Sylvia called “Mama Harlem”?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckUcSvy4PBI

  • Ask the students what the term “soul food” means to them. What foods are typically classified as “soul food”. [Students should work in groups of 2-4 people. Pass out markers, chart paper and sticky notes for students to capture their thoughts and ideas.]

  • Students will read, “The Humble History of Soul Food” and will begin to answer the equity questions:

    • Why were African-Americans forced to eat lower quality foods?

    • Where did the term “soul food” come from?

    • Why are African-American more apt to have hypertension? type 2 diabetes? heart disease? https://www.blackfoodie.co/the-humble-history-of-soul-food/#:~:text=Soul%20food%20takes%20its%20origins,in%20quality%20and%20nutritional%20value

  • Students should be divided into three groups (developing readers, proficient readers and highly effective readers). The developing group will work with the teacher to understand the text. The proficient and highly effective readers should be allowed to read and have plenty of sticky notes to write down their thoughts and notes. Each group will write at least 3 sentences that summarize their reading.

    • Can the African-American Diet be Made Healthier Without Giving up Culture [Proficient Readers]

    • The Difference Between Saturated and Unsaturated Fats [Highly Effective Readers]

    • Examining the Factors That Influence African Americans in the Midwest to Reduce Salt Intake [Developing Readers]

    Discussion Questions:

    • Why were African-Americans forced to eat lower quality foods?

    • Where did the term “soul food” come from?

    • Why are African-American more apt to have hypertension? type 2 diabetes? heart disease?

  • Soul Satisfying Swap-Outs Recipe Book

    Students will convert a typical soul food meal into a heart-friendly meal (1 meat, 2 vegetables, 1 starch and dessert) that is healthy for African-Americans to eat.

    Rubric:

    5 = Excellent

    History of the health concerns of eating this meal. (7 - 9 sentences)

    An explanation of the swap outs that were made that make this meal more heart-friendly. (3 sentences)

    3 = Good

    History of the health concerns of eating this meal. (4 - 6 sentences)

    An explanation of the swap out that were made that converted this meal into a more heart-friendly meal. (2 sentences)

    1 = Satisfactory

    History of the health concerns of eating this meal. (1 - 3 sentences)

    An explanation of the swap out that were made that converted this meal into a more heart-friendly meal. (1 sentence)

    0 = Unsatisfactorily done or not done

    Food Deserts in Baltimore

    What is a food desert?

    • Do you live in a region of Baltimore City that would be classified as a food desert?

    • How far away are food deserts from a supermarket?

    • What is the median family income for a family in a food desert?

    • What percentage of families in food desert do not have a car?

    • What is the HFAI score for all food stores within a food desert?

    Cultural Soul Food Trip

    The students could be taken on a trip where they sample foods prepared by alternative soul food restaurants in Baltimore City that are vegan and offer alternative meals that don’t have high amounts of salt, fat, and sugar, The students could talk with the head chef(s) of the restaurants to determine how they replaced all the salt, fat, and sugar, but kept the flavor. Or order take-out (Door Dash, Grubhub or Uber Eats) from the restaurants and have a tasting party in your classroom.

    • Land of Kush 840 N Eutaw St, Baltimore, MD 21201 (410) 225-5874

    • Dodah’s Kitchen 1210 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201 (202) 883-6324

    • NuVegan Cafe 3105 St Paul St, Baltimore, MD 21218 (443) 721-6022

    • The Vegan’s Choice (443) 731-6826

  • Students will be able to explain soul food’s effect on the health of African American in a 1-page science CER-based essay. In the essay should be:

    • An introductory paragraph

    • A model of salt’s crystalline structure

    • A brief historical context about why African-Americans had to eat soul foods

    • A clear claim

    • 3-6 pieces of evidence (What health problems does this diet lead to?)

    • Reasons for why you chose the pieces of evidence

    • A closing paragraph

    Sodium chloride https://www.softschools.com/formulas/chemistry/sodium_chloride_uses_properties_structure_formula/255/

    Science CER Rubric https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_QqTx-xNuu3dqeM9GGtFLCjz0QZpWqSjSlNtjM1t2I/edit

    • Laptops

    • All readings for each group (Develop, Proficient, and Highly Effective)

    • Sticky Notes

    • Chart Paper

    • Markers

    • Science CER Rubric

Learners

  • Warm-Up: Developing learners will write about one food item from the video.

    Engage: Students will work in whole group along with the teacher to define the term “soul food” means to them. Will give 1-2 foods that are typically classified as “soul food”. [Pass out markers, chart paper and sticky notes for students to capture their thoughts and ideas.]

    Explore: Students will read, “The Humble History of Soul Food” in whole group along with the teacher to answer the equity questions

    Explain: Developing readers will read “Examining the Factors That Influence African Americans in the Midwest to Reduce Salt Intake” with the teacher. Developing readers will receive sentence starters and highlighters to help them write their answers to the questions and to the essential questions.

    Extension: Developing learners will work in groups of 4 to convert a typical soul food meal into a heart-friendly meal (1 meat, 2 vegetables, 1 starch and dessert) that is healthy for African-Americans to eat. Developing learners should be able to create a 2-5 sentence passage with their swap-out recipes, explaining the history of the health concerns associated with a diet rich in soul food.

    Food Desert

    Developing learners will be able to answer 1-2 questions about food deserts with the help of the teacher to analyze the definition of food deserts and the HFAI.

    Cultural Soul Food Trip

    Taste 1-2 vegan soul food options and judge them by the following Likert scale:

    1 - taste nothing like the full fat, sat and sugar version of the soul food dish

    3 - taste just like the full fat, sat and sugar version of the soul food dish

    5 - taste better than the full fat, sat and sugar version of the soul food dish

    Evaluate: Developing learners will be able to write an argumentative essay that explains soul food’s effect on the health of African American in a 1-page science CER-based essay with 3 pieces of evidence and 1 main reason.

    *Use the science CER rubric to grade their paragraphs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_QqTx-xNuu3dqeM9GGtFLCjz0QZpWqSjSlNtjM1t2I/edit

  • Warm-Up: Proficient learners will write about two - three food items from the video.

    Engage: Students will work in groups of three-four students to define the term “soul food” means to them. Will give 3-4 foods that are typically classified as “soul food”. [Pass out markers, chart paper and sticky notes for students to capture their thoughts and ideas.]

    Explore: Students will read, “The Humble History of Soul Food” and will answer the equity questions independently.

    Explain: Proficient learners will read “Can the African-American Diet be Made Healthier Without Giving up Culture” in groups of 3. As proficient learners complete the questions, they can write their answers on sticky notes.

    Extension: Proficient learners will work in groups of 3 to convert a typical soul food meal into a heart-friendly meal (meat, 2 vegetables, 1 starch and dessert) that is healthy for African-Americans to eat. Proficient learners should be able to create a 6-9 sentence passage with their swap-out recipes, explaining the history of the health concerns associated with a diet rich in soul food.

    Food Desert

    Developing learners will be able to answer 2-3 questions about food deserts with the help of 3-4 peers to analyze the definition of food deserts and the HFAI.

    Cultural Soul Food Trip

    Taste 3-4 vegan soul food options and judge them by the following Likert scale:

    1 - taste nothing like the full fat, sat and sugar version of the soul food dish

    3 - taste just like the full fat, sat and sugar version of the soul food dish

    5 - taste better than the full fat, sat and sugar version of the soul food dish

    Evaluate: Proficient learners will be able to write an argumentative essay that explains soul food’s effect on the health of African American in a 1-page science CER-based essay, 4-5 piece of evidence and 2 main reasons.

    *Use the science CER rubric to grade their paragraphs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_QqTx-xNuu3dqeM9GGtFLCjz0QZpWqSjSlNtjM1t2I/edit

  • Warm-Up: Highly effective learners will write about four or more food items from the video.

    Engage: Students will work in pairs to define the term “soul food” means to them. Will give 5 or more foods that are typically classified as “soul food”. [Pass out markers, chart paper and sticky notes for students to capture their thoughts and ideas.]

    Explore: Students will read, “The Humble History of Soul Food” and will answer the equity questions independently.

    Explain: Highly effective learners will read “The Difference Between Saturated and Unsaturated Fats” in pairs or individually. As proficient learners complete the questions, they can write their answers on sticky notes.

    Extension: Highly effective learners will work in pairs of 2 to convert a typical soul food meal into a heart-friendly meal (1 meat, 2 vegetables, 1 starch and dessert) that is healthy for African-Americans to eat. Highly effective learners should be able to create a 10-12 sentence passage with their swap-out recipes, explaining the history of the health concerns associated with a diet rich in soul food.

    Food Desert

    Developing learners will be able to answer all 4 questions about food deserts with the help of the a peer to analyze the definition of food deserts and the HFAI.

    Cultural Soul Food Trip

    Taste 5 or more vegan soul food options and judge them by the following Likert scale:

    1 - taste nothing like the full fat, sat and sugar version of the soul food dish

    3 - taste just like the full fat, sat and sugar version of the soul food dish

    5 - taste better than the full fat, sat and sugar version of the soul food dish

    Evaluate: Highly effective learners will be able to write an argumentative essay that explains soul food’s effect on the health of African American in a 1-page science CER-based essay, 6 pieces of evidence and 3 main reasons.

    *Use the science CER rubric to grade their paragraphs.

  • Preferential seating/strategic seating to encourage focus, Graphic organizers to increase engagement and improve understanding, Monitor/encourage work initiation and completion, Provide extended time if needed (monitor need for extended time, set limits to prevent getting behind in instruction), Graphic organizers, frequent breaks, Chunking of assignments, Science Constructed Response to Speech, Human Signer, and Science Constructed Response External Assistive Technology Device

Stephanie Brizee
Next

Nutrition & Food Access