Food for All

Unit Overview

What caused an epidemic of pellagra in the early 20th century?

Students learn about the pellagra epidemic in early 20th century southern US, and investigate the causes behind the disease and its disproportionate impact. They figure out that those who were sick primarily ate a corn-based diet, and they use concepts about matter and energy ow to figure out why corn was such an important cereal crop. Then they conduct investigations to figure out that processed food does not decompose as quickly as fresh food, and that tenant farmers relied heavily on processed corn. Through additional investigations and building on their ideas about cellular respiration and photosynthesis, students learn about the importance of niacin, that indigenous people had a process for making the niacin in corn more accessible, and that processing corn reduces the amount of available niacin. This helps them construct an explanation for why people who lacked a diverse diet and primarily ate processed corn suffered from niacin deficiency, the scientific cause of pellagra. They discuss how systemic inequities were the root cause for the disproportionate impact of pellagra on some groups, including Black tenant farmers. Finally they consider the role of processed food in their own communities and health, accessibility to fresh food, and consider innovations that may address this concern.