Thanksgiving food drive activity: plan a balanced donation box, 6–8

1. Hook (5 min): "Food banks get a lot of donations in November. What do you think they actually need?" Collect guesses, then share common rules: food must be unopened, unexpired and shelf-stable, pop-top cans are preferred, and many food banks can't take glass jars. Rules vary, so check your local list.
2. Food groups (5 min): post the five MyPlate groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods and dairy. Ask: "Which groups are hard to find on a pantry shelf?" Dairy and fruit are tricky, so shelf-stable milk and fruit canned in juice are valuable donations.
3. The task: plan breakfast, lunch and dinner for a family of four for one day, with at least one item from every food group, for $25 or less.
4. Post sample prices: canned chicken $2.49, canned beans $1.09, rice (2 lb) $2.19, pasta $1.25, pasta sauce $2.49, oatmeal $3.49, whole-grain cereal $3.29, canned vegetables $0.99, fruit canned in juice $1.39, shelf-stable milk (quart) $2.29, low-sodium soup $1.79. Say clearly that these are sample prices.
5. Plan (15 min): teams list each item, its food group, the meal it's for and its price, then total. They must stay within $25 and cover all five groups.
6. Think about people (5 min): each team makes one swap for a family with a specific need: a food allergy, diabetes, a vegetarian or halal diet, or no can opener.
7. Share (10 min): teams read their boxes and explain one choice. Combine the best ideas into a class "most needed" list for a real food drive.

Differentiation: give teams that need support a meal grid with breakfast, lunch and dinner already labeled. Advanced students compare price per serving for two protein foods and justify the better value. For English learners, post the food groups with a picture of a canned or boxed example for each. For students with disabilities, let them sort real empty packages or pictures by food group instead of writing a list.

Quick check: "Name one item that fills a hard-to-fill food group, and explain why it makes a good donation."

If you try it, share the item on your class list that surprised students most.