What the World Eats

Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio traveled the world to compare how different families in different countries consume food. They interviewed and photographed 25 families in 21 countries.  They stayed with each family for one week as they documented how different families get there food, what they eat, and how much the average family spends on groceries.

Reading Level:
     Lexile: 1150
    
Genre/Theme:
     Nonfiction  
     Diversity
     Food/Home/Culture

Subject:
     Social Studies
     Health
     English Language Arts
     Math

Teaching Ideas for a 6th Grade Class:
     Web Resources: 
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9781582462462.pdf serves as a guide for educators.  It gives teaching suggestions as well as National Standards for Math, Science, and Social Studies that can be addressed within the text. 

http://www.eusa.org/siteresources/data/files/pg_hungryplanet.pdf offers background information on each country along with their "shopping list" for a one week period.  Also gives the total cost in U.S. currency as well as the cost in each countries currency.

Suggested Delivery: Paired Reading

Before Reading: 
     Vocabulary to Introduce: undernourished, condiments, indigenous, affluent, refugee, sustainable, expenditure
Have you ever wondered what people in various countries eat?  Using a KWL chart have students state what they already know about other countries food consumption.  Ask students what they would like to learn continuing to use the KWL chart.  Have students look through some of the pictures.  Are there any families eating food that looks similar to what you would eat?  Are there any families eating food that you would like to eat?  The purpose of this book is to give the reader information about how other people consume food from all over the world.  Did you know for the first time in history, more people are considered overfed than underfed? 

During Reading:

Continue working on KWL chart.  After each country's food consumption statistics, have student locate that specific country on world map or globe.  Ask students if they think the people from this country are overfed or underfed. 

After Reading: 
Finish KWL chart and discuss with class.  Have students respond in writing to the following prompt:  Why for the first time in history are more people overfed than underfed?  Likely answer:  more people have easier access to food than ever before.  Have students work in small groups to compare and contrast one country's food consumption with that of the United States. 

Menzel, Peter, and Faith Aluisio. (2008). What the world eats. Berkeley, Calif.: Tricycle Press.