World hunger: Sample lesson plan
Level: grades 3-4
Time: 45 minute lessons over 3 days
Day 1:
Ø Warm-up/hook: Tell the kids that today is World Food Day (October 16) and that they are going to talk all about food! But first, we are going to meet a new friend. Her name is Leena. Then show the Hungry for Change cartoon.
Ø Worksheet and brainstorming: After the cartoon, write ‘what is hunger?’ on the board and team students into three groups. Give each group a worksheet on a particular aspect of the issue (hunger key facts/causes of hunger/who are the hungry). Have each group read their worksheet and answer the questions on the sheet. Then each group writes their answers on the board and the teacher goes through each one.
Ø Snack-time/simulation activity: Sit the class down and layout snacks behind a line in front of them. Draw out of hat only a certain percentages of names (say 20 to 30% of the class) to come forward and choose one item to eat. The rest of the class represents the world’s hungry and have to sit back and watch. Explain that this illustrates how many people go to bed hungry each night and don’t have the privilege to be able to eat when they want to. Then distribute the rest of the snacks to the ‘hungry’ students and give students snack-time.
Ø Homework: Ask students to draw a picture of themselves showing Leena their favourite food and ask them to write 2/3 sentences below explaining why it is their favourite food.
Day 2:
Ø Quick presentations: Have students share their drawings with the rest of the class.
Ø Pictures & brainstorming: Show students a picture of children lining up for a school lunch (i.e. in Nepal, you can find a picture like this here on the website under toolkits – pictures section) and ask questions such as: - what do you see in the photograph?
- where do you think these kids are from?
- what are they eating?
- what do you think it tastes likes?
- how do you think the kids feel?
- are there hungry people in Canada/Vancouver/your local area?
Then show a picture of a hungry child/family/person in Canada, to stress that this is a local as well as an international problem.
Ø Brainstorming solutions: Next, ask kids what they think they can do to help people like Leena and the kids in the picture. Have them write down three ideas as homework.
Ø Free rice computer time: Introduce the free rice game and explain to kids what it does. Bring one cup of rice to show students what it represents (keeping in mind that 400 grains of rice feed 1 person for 1 day – in 2 meals). Then give students 15 minutes to play the game, selecting the appropriate level and activity for their age group.
Day 3:
Ø Sharing ideas: Ask a few students to read their solutions to their class. Then talk about other ways to contribute to the fight to end hunger. Give them a few options of possible solutions (see Ways to get involved sheet on the website under the toolkit section) and then have the students choose, as a class, what action they would like to take.
Ø Taking action: As a class, devise an action plan with deadlines and assigned tasks. Get kids excited about their plan and stress how much their small action can help, even just to raise awareness.
Ø Letter writing campaign: Another option is to talk to students about letter writing campaigns and then have them, with guidance, write their own letter to local government officials.