Introduction
The Mediterranean diet is a way of life that emphasizes the values of hospitality, neighborliness, intercultural dialogue and creativity. These values are deeply embedded in the food culture of Mediterranean countries, where sharing meals is a celebration of community, diversity, and togetherness. In this WebQuest, you will explore how the Mediterranean diet fosters these important values and realize how eating together strengthens social bonds, promotes cultural understanding and encourages creativity in culinary practices.
Task
Through this Webquest students will:
- recognize how the Mediterranean diet embodies cultural values such as hospitality, neighborliness, intercultural dialogue, and creativity.
- develop research skills by gathering information, sharing perspectives and synthesizing diverse resources for their final product.
- practise using digital tools.
- reflect on how food practices foster social bonds and cultural exchange.
Process
Step 1- Explore the values of the Mediterranean Diet
Begin by watching the following video which describes the cultural and social aspects of this diet.
https://youtu.be/au8eyrI9Ta8?si=nEWAMg9VwvOTzNbn. Brainstorm initial ideas about the four values of hospitality, neighborliness, intercultural dialogue, creativity.
Read video summary here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DMQmdprXUcGgqoCikrQL5jHyBNmo3pnC_I5Xhz5rjqk/edit?usp=sharing
Useful links:
https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/mediterranean-diet-00884
https://www.coe.int/en/web/interculturalcities
https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/mediterranean-diet/
Step 2- Research
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Search online, in reliable sources and collect 1–2 stories/anecdotes that show hospitality and neighborliness in Mediterranean culture.
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Identify at least 2 examples of intercultural influences on Mediterranean cuisine (e.g., trade routes, migration, historical exchanges).
Step 3- Creation
Prepare posts and add them to the Padlet https://padlet.com/meddiet4health/mediterranean-diet-values-p99ji5crfyg016fn
Step 4- Presentation
Share the board in the classroom and discuss the values you have explored.
Evaluation
- Webquest evaluation: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKRyef9-rkHf-mgJ4qxn7Gk29-_T-wcicBafJsVLReevDGVw/viewform?usp=sf_link
- Students work will be evaluated according to the following rubric:
| Criteria | 5 - Excellent | 4 - Proficient | 3 - Satisfactory | 2 - Needs Improvement | 1 - Inadequate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding of Cultural Values | Demonstrates thorough understanding of hospitality, neighborliness, intercultural dialogue, and creativity in the Mediterranean diet with insightful explanations and examples. | Shows clear understanding of the four values with relevant explanations and examples. | Provides basic understanding of the values with some relevant examples but lacks depth. | Shows limited understanding of the cultural values with few or unclear examples. | Fails to demonstrate understanding of the cultural values or examples missing/inaccurate. |
| Research Quality and Relevance | Gathers comprehensive, accurate, and relevant stories and examples from reliable sources, clearly illustrating Mediterranean culture and intercultural influences. | Collects accurate and mostly relevant stories and examples with credible sources. | Research includes some relevant stories/examples but lacks depth or some sources are less reliable. | Research is minimal, with few relevant examples and questionable sources. | Research is incomplete, irrelevant, or sources are unreliable. |
| Use of Digital Tools | Creatively and effectively uses Padlet to present information, enhancing clarity and engagement. | Uses Padlet appropriately to organize and present information clearly. | Uses Padlet to present information but with limited organization or clarity. | Uses Padlet minimally or with poor organization, making the content hard to follow. | Does not use digital tools effectively or fails to submit on Padlet. |
| Reflection on Social Bonds and Cultural Exchange | Provides deep, thoughtful reflection on how food practices foster social bonds and cultural exchange, connecting ideas clearly to the Mediterranean diet. | Offers clear reflection with relevant connections to social bonds and cultural exchange. | Reflection shows basic understanding but lacks depth or clarity in connecting ideas. | Reflection is superficial or only partially related to social bonds and cultural exchange. | Reflection is missing, incomplete, or unrelated to the topic. |
| Presentation and Discussion | Actively participates in classroom discussion, sharing insights and responding thoughtfully to peers. | Participates in discussion with relevant contributions and some engagement with peers. | Participates in discussion but with limited contributions or engagement. | Rarely participates or contributions are off-topic or minimal. | Does not participate in discussion or presentation. |
Conclusion
Through this WebQuest you will discover that the Mediterranean diet is a living tradition that connects people. By exploring stories, cultural influences and creative practices, you will find out how food fosters hospitality, neighborliness, intercultural dialogue and creativity.
Credits
Teacher Page
This WebQuest was edited by a teacher of Gymnázium Cyrila Daxnera vo Vranove nad Topľou, Slovakia, as part of the activities of the "Mediterranean Diet for Overall Health" (MedDiet4Health) Erasmus+ project (Project number: 2023-2-EL01-KA210-VET-000183592).
By engaging in this WebQuest, students will not only deepen their knowledge of the Mediterranean diet as a cultural heritage, but also develop practical and transferable skills for their future careers. They will enhance their digital literacy by creating and sharing content on Padlet and build intercultural awareness by exploring how food fosters hospitality, neighborliness and dialogue among cultures. At the same time, they will practice creativity in adapting food traditions, linking vocational fields such as food technology, health, nutrition and hospitality with cultural and social learning.
This WebQuest reflects only the author’s views. The European Commission’s support for the production of this WebQuest does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.