Cambodian Genocide: Recipes for Survival

Organization: Cambodian Genocide Resource Center
Common Core Domain: English Language Arts, English Language Arts/Literacy, History-Social Science, Reading, Reading: Literacy in History and Social Studies, Speaking and Listening, Writing: Literacy in History and Social Studies
Grade Level: Grade 9-12, can be adapted for 8
Duration: 60-120 Minutes
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2,6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACYSL.9-10.1,4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACYSL.11-12.1,4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2, WHST.9-10.2,4,9, WHST.11-12.2,4,9

In this lesson, students explore how food, memory, and cultural preservation intersect in the aftermath of genocide. Using excerpts and recipes from Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes by Chantha Nguon, students examine how traditional cooking can serve as both a form of personal healing and cultural resistance to erasure. Through readings, discussions, and creative activities, students reflect on the role food plays in shaping identity, particularly for refugees and genocide survivors. The lesson contextualizes the Cambodian Genocide and encourages students to think critically about resilience, trauma, and storytelling through everyday practices like cooking.

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