From Milk to Ice Cream

K-Gr 3--Prompted by the question "Who made my lunch?," these titles highlight the people responsible for the production of food items, such as the wheat farmer, miller, and baker who produce sandwich bread, or the dairy farmer, processors, and sugar caners who help make ice cream. Maps and climate conditions provide agriculture and geography facts, while the waste-saving measures of the peanut farmer, who saves roasted peanut skins to feed pigs and peanut hearts to feed birds, reveal environmental savvy. Context clues help with text vocabulary; wheat goes "dormant" in cold months, "sort of like taking a nap." Scientific processes and math figures are integrated for an interdisciplinary approach. Some social commentary informs students about Fair Trade practices in other countries. VERDICT A clever triple-dip into agriculture concepts, career awareness, and ELA sequencing skills for younger elementary students.