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Global Health: Hunger and Food Around the Globe (K-2)

Unit of 3 lessons

Kindergarten-2nd Grade

Subjects:

Language Arts, Library / Technology, Math, Philanthropy and Social Studies

Key Words/Concepts click to view

Lesson 1 :	ELA:	Fiction Literature; Group Discussions; Response to Text/Others; Understanding/Interpretation
	PHIL:	5 genOn; Caring/Sharing; Empathy; Family; Global Community; Hunger; Need; Neighborhood; Reflection; Sensitivity
	SOC:	Communities; Economics; Health and Disease; Maps/Globes; Volunteerism
Lesson 2 :	ELA:	Group Discussions; Listening; Personal Response
	MAT:	Comparing Numbers; Counting; Numbers
	PHIL:	5 genOn; Empathy; Global Community; Hunger; Need; Reflection
	SOC:	Economics; Equality; Health and Disease; Justice; Simulation
Lesson 3 :	ELA:	Fable; Group Discussions; Response to Text/Others
	PHIL:	5 genOn; Act of Kindness; Community; Donate; Needs Assessment; Problem Solving; Reflection; Service; Volunteer
	SOC:	Choices/Consequences; Citizenship/Civic Engagement; Common Good; Communities; Decision-Making Model; Economics; Social Action

Unit Purpose:

Children learn about people in the world who are starving or experiencing food insecurity and how food is distributed. They discuss what it feels like to be hungry and read about the work of soup kitchens and other efforts to bring food to people who are hungry. They determine how they will help address hunger and starvation locally or globally, and reflect on these service opportunities.

Unit Duration:

Four 30-Minute Sessions, Plus time to carry out a service project

Unit Objectives:

The learner will:

define hunger, starvation, and food insecurity.
make the connection between access to adequate healthy food and a person’s well-being.
plan and take action to address the issue of insufficient food on a local or global basis.
empathize with people who have insufficient food to be healthy.
reflect on the service action.
listen and respond to the story of Stone Soup.
understand the idea of working together for the greater good, or common good.
design and carry out a service project that helps people who are hungry.

Service Experience:

Although lessons in this unit contain service project examples, decisions about service plans and implementation should be made by students, as age appropriate.

Children may work in a soup kitchen or hold a food drive to collect foods for a local charity or hold a fundraiser to collect money to donate to a food organization. They may develop a creative performance that raises awareness or teaches others about the issue. Due to the ages of the children, these activities will need adult assistance. Discuss ways that the children can get their parents and facilitators involved in charities and fundraisers, and how they can work with other adults to provide for their communities. Plant the seed for future service by developing these ideas early on.

Notes for Teaching:

Be sensitive to students in the class who might be experiencing food insecurity themselves.

Bibliographical References:

DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne. Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen. NY: HarperCollins, 1997. ISBN-13: 978-0688152857

Feeding America--Scroll over the different states to see their hunger statistics and compare:
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap.aspx

FreeRice.com--Practice basic skills while earning rice for hungry people worldwide:
www.freerice.com

Heifer International--A nonprofit that provides livestock and training to families in need.
http://www.heifer.org/

USDA “Food Pyramid”--A visual diagram of our nation’s current dietary suggestions.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/downloads/MiniPoster.pdf

USDA “A Close Look at My Pyramid.” --In-depth analysis of how the food pyramid can be used for your own dietary purposes.
ttp://teamnutrition.usda.gov/resources/mpk_close.pdf