Mapping to MN State Standards
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The resources on this page have been selected by eLibraryMN and Minnesota Digital Library librarians and curators to support the MN English Language Arts and the Social Studies standards, both current and pending, specifically related to food, nutrition and cooking. Resources in eLibraryMN and EbooksMN have unlimited simultaneous user access and are freely available to anyone geolocated in Minnesota. The primary source resources detailed are available to all, regardless of location.
Please reach out with questions or suggestions about linking to, using, or sharing these resources.
Academic Research
Below is a collection of available topic overviews that link to many related articles and resources within ELM.
Britannica: List of Famous Chefs- do some chef research!
Britannica Nutrition overview
Utilize Britannica's overview, replete with links to all of the scientific content definitions, to give students a high school-level overview of the science of nutrition.
Explora Nutrition and Physical Wellness
Start here to provide students with portals into research on BMI, nutrition, eating disorders, supplements, and more.
POV Reference Center - Health and Medicine
Access point/counterpoint arguments about controversial nutrition and health-related topics, such as the 'Sugar Tax' or Dietary Supplement Safety
Gale Nutrition Topic
Make sure to check out all types of resources available in Gale- biographies, magazines, video, audio primary sources, and more. Scroll to the bottom to view related topics.
Science Reference Center
Use the center as a place to access scientific information, including unlimited user e-books, about nutrition and the chemistry of cooking.
Ebooks
This is a curated group of fiction and nonfiction ebooks, Grade Interest Level K-8. All titles are available to students geolocated in MN without login. Linking directly to chapters is also possible. To link directly to the titles and share in your LMS or libguides, copy the link to the title(s) you want from our persistent link spreadsheet (if you are not accessing through the MackinVia app). Reach out to us with questions about linking.
School lunches: healthy choices vs. crowd pleasers
Presents two separate perspectives on school lunches: offering healthy meals, or offering favorite foods that may not be very healthy but are popular among students. Includes pros and cons for both options, critical thinking questions using the Common Core, a glossary, and a list of additional resources. (6-9)
The complete photo guide to candy making
A comprehensive technique guide with more than 80 time-tested recipes. (11-adult)
Unprocessed: revitalize your health with whole foods
Explores how eating unprocessed food can improve health and wellness and offers recipes developed by the author that focus on eating whole plant foods, eliminating processed foods, and omitting sugar, salt, gluten, and oil. (9-adult)
Hack your cupboard: make great food with what you’ve got
Contains simple recipes using common pantry items designed for beginning cooks who look to expand their culinary skills. Contains cooking techniques and basic skills instruction along with kitchen and dining etiquette tips and a guide to essential cupboard ingredients. Each recipe contains a list of ingredients, step-by-step instructions, "hacks" to modify and improve the recipe and select photographs.
Vegetarian cooking around the world: revised and expanded to include new low-fat recipes
Includes recipes for meatless soups, salads, main dishes, and side dishes, expanded material on healthy and low-fat cooking and vegetarian nutrition, and an expanded cultural section on holidays and festivals. (7-adult)
Primary Sources
Resources below are recommended by MDL curators from partners in primary source history.
West Hotel Menu
Guests enjoyed this menu at the West Hotel in 1884, on the corner of Fifth Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.
Food Thrift Series: Wheatless Meals
The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued several pamphlets on alternative food sources and storage methods during World War I rationing.
World War I Display: Use More Corn
This window display showed off many packaged and prepared food options people could eat instead of wheat or sugar, which was needed for the war effort.
Virginia School Home Economics Course
The Independent School District of Virginia published this booklet in 1925 to outline the educational and extracurricular opportunities available to students. This page describes the school’s home economics course and its benefits to female students.
Home Economics at Pipestone Indian School
Native American students learned how to perform kitchen tasks like cooking, canning, and baking at the Pipestone Indian Training School in the early 20th century.
Smith Family Seder
The extended Smith family gathered together for a Seder meal during Passover, an important Jewish holiday.
Lee's Broiler Car Card
This advertisement was posted inside Twin Cities streetcars in the 1940s. Back then, a person could enjoy a full steak dinner for only 65 cents.
Dodge County Report on Food and Nutrition
This 1978-1979 annual report for the Dodge County Extension Service includes information about area homemaker clubs and 4H projects related to preparing, preserving, and purchasing food.
Online Exhibits:
- Farm to Table: Food History in Minnesota
Explore the history of food and its related industries, and learn how they have shaped the growth of Minnesota. - Minnesota Immigrants: Traditional Food
Learn about the importance of preserving traditional foods and sharing meals within Minnesota's immigrant groups. - Minnesota Apples: Historic Recipes
Try making sweet and savory dishes using apples from a 1919 cook book.
Interlibrary Loan/Resource Sharing
For in depth research into these topics, sometimes you need to request materials from other libraries. These can be digital or they can sometimes be printed books. There are two main options for requesting these materials. One, MNLINK, allows you to search all Minnesota libraries for the requires the use of a public library card and PIN. While many educators use their own library card to help students, it is recommended that students use their own. However, this is not always possible, so there is a second option: Minitex Resource sharing for schools. This allows one staff member per school to request items on behalf of students and have the items sent directly to the school building. If you have questions about which option is better for you and your students, reach out to us and we can help.