From the Sonoran Desert to your Plate
Diana Teran Lopez, Stephanie Alvarez, Tabitha Miranda July 31st, 2023
Heritage Plants and Recipes of the Sonoran Desert
SYPNOPSIS
According to the organization of Funds of Knowledge Alliance, funds of knowledge (FoK) is an essential practice to have as a culturally responsive educator in your teaching as it "...[challenges] the deficit thinking prevalent in education and the racist policies that misunderstand the inherent complexities of migrant people." In other words, understanding that using students home language, family values/traditions/background, academic/non-academic experiences, and interests supports students' academic journeys holistically. A key fund of knowledge in every culture is food and it can help us in representing the students in their learning subjects and helping them make different connections to the place they live in. The Sonoran Desert to Your Plate is a multimodal text set that celebrates the connection of food to the Sonoran Desert and academic learning for our students that live in the Southwest.
Guiding Questions
- How can you use your natural resources to survive?
- What are sources of food in the Sonoran Desert?
- What food recipes emerge from the Sonoran Desert?
- How does your culture adapt to the natural resources you have in the Sonoran Desert?
- As an educator, how can you incorporate food into your teaching and learning experiences?
Educational Specialist, Arizona Desert Museum