4.+What+the+World+Eats

//Hungry Planet: What the World Eats// by Peter Menzel
...is an amazing book and resource for students to grasp how drastically different societies eat. It's a general misconception amongst students that since we have different cuisines available to us, like Chinese restaurants, that they are authentic and we are well versed in culture. (Example for students: TexMex, a really yummy version of Mexican food with American influence). This assignment opens their eyes in that we typically experience in United States is an Americanized version. These photographs in the book are an eye-opener because it shows the average family from a magnitude of nations, and what they eat for an ENTIRE WEEK. There are so many great observations the students make, which is exemplified in the video clip below. Additional benefits of this activity include that looking at pictures is engaging (interesting to a generation who is visually stimulated in nearly ever aspect of their lives), and works very well in multiple age-ranges and language acquisition groups (ESL/ELL).

Carrying Out the Classroom Activity
Classes will need copies of the book to view pictures. If this is not possible, TIME Magazine has compiled a photo gallery of some of the families pictured in Peter Menzel's book. Instruct your students to access What the World Eats Photo Gallery Part I and Part II (both of which show food eaten) and Part III (which details how the family acquires their food).

Download and adapt the following response sheet to fit with your grade level and subject area:

Debrief with students afterwards. This could take place in the form of a class discussion, a silent debate, an online forum, or an activity like Vote with Your Feet. You could even add an extension for students to keep a record of the food their family eats for a week, and compare it with the family of their origin and families worldwide.