The learner Profile in Books: How my parents learned to eat

How my parents learned to eat
by Ina R. Friedman


Transdisciplinary theme:
"Where we are in Place and Time"


Central Idea:  
"Knowing about our family histories enables us to discover our cultural origins and develop historical awareness."


Key concepts: Form, Change, Perspective
Learner profile focus: Communicator, Risk-Taker, Open-Minded
Attitudes: Empathy, Appreciation, Creativity

Short synopsis of the story
This book tells the history of the parents of a little girl. They met when her mother was a Japanese schoolgirl and her father was an American marine stationed in Japan. They walked and talked every day, but the marine felt shy to ask his girlfriend out to dinner, as he was not able to eat with chopsticks. She was afraid he was not asking her out because she didn't know how to use a knife and fork. They both decided to learn each others way of eating and finally they went out to a Western and a Japanese restaurant. Years later, their daughter knows how to eat with knife and fork and with chopsticks. 


In Class
I read this book to my class of 5-6 year old students and asked them if they could make connections between the key-concepts of our unit, the learner profile and attitudes. These are the things they came up with: 
Change

• First they couldn't eat the other way, now they can.
• After the story they got married and had a daughter.

Perspective

• In America it is normal for people to eat with knife and fork, but in Japan it is normal to eat with chopsticks.
• In America people shake hands when they meet, in Japan they bow their heads.

Open-Minded

• The parents were Open-Minded because they wanted to learn the different way of eating.

Risk-Taker

• The father was a Risk-Taker by going to the Japanese restaurant all by himself to learn to eat with chopsticks.

• The mother was a Risk-Taker for trying to eat with knife and fork with her Great Uncle.

Empathy

• The mother and father were both thinking about what the other person was feeling or thinking about them.

Appreciation

• The mother and father did all those things because they loved each other.