History of World Hunger

Grades: 
6, 7, 8

Students research and compare statistics of the history of hunger and obesity around the world.

Duration 
Print2 hours
Objectives 

Students will:

  • research and summarize the history of hunger around the world.
  • compare concepts of hunger between developing and developed countries.
Materials 

Copies of printouts or access to websites for each student:

Vocabulary 
  • chronic hunger
  • world hunger
  • obesity
  • developed country
  • developing country
Bibliography 

"2015 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics." WHES. World Hunger Education Service, 2015. Web.

"Feast and Famine: The Global Food Crisis." Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective. Ohio State University, March 2010. Web.

Instructions

Print
  1. Review the hunger web created in lesson 1 ("What is Hunger?") to initiate discussion on world hunger.

  2. Introduce and define new vocabulary (have students look up these terms in small groups and report back to the class): Chronic hunger, world hunger, obesity, developed country, developing country.

  3. Brainstorm with students their thoughts about world hunger and how hunger might be different in developing countries and developed countries. 

  4. Give students time to read the two articles about hunger (see Materials). Ask students to read about the history of world hunger and hunger in developing countries (such as southeast Asia) and developed countries (such as England and the U.S,). Ask students to take notes to show the contrasts between hunger is these two settings.

  5. Bring students together to discuss the readings.

Assessment 

Students answer the discussion questions.