DOI
https://doi.org/10.62812/KYTT9214
Document Type
Curriculum Resource
Publication Version
In Review
Publication Date
Summer 6-12-2026
Keywords
Food system, food journey, seed-to-table, plant growth, soil health, energy transfer, photosynthesis, nutrients, compost, stewardship, Makhózula, Wopila, Mitákuye Oyás'iŋ, reciprocity, Indigenous food systems
Description
Feeding the Land That Feeds Us In this delicious adventure, kids will trace the journey of their food from the deep, dark soil all the way to their lunch forks! They will discover that the land is like a giant, magical kitchen called Makhózula, where plants cook up energy using sunlight and "vitamins" from the soil. Students will learn that when we eat a crunchy carrot or a sweet berry, we are actually tasting the strength of the Earth and the warmth of the sun. Through stories of Wopila (gratitude), they’ll see that the food system is a big, beautiful loop—starting with a seed in the ground and ending with us giving back to the soil so it can keep feeding the world for seven generations!
Pages
8
Type
Lesson Plan
Format
Language
English
Publisher
Open Prairie, South Dakota State University
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Arlene A. Abao. 2026. Food System Science Lesson-2 for First Graders. Makhózula Etáŋhaŋ Wiyútapi Ke: From Planting to Eating. ILEARN Teaching Resources. Volume 8 (1): 240- 250; DOI: https://doi.org/10.62812/KYTT9214.