Alternate Activity 2: "Hungry Planet" Picture Book
Part of Moral Tales
Activity time: 10 minutes
Materials for Activity
- A copy of the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio (Ten Speed Press, 2005)
Preparation for Activity
- Obtain a copy of the book, Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio (Ten Speed Press, 2005).
- Look through the book. Select some pictures to share with the children to show varying amounts and types of foods families eat in different parts of the world.
Description of Activity
Show children the pages you have selected. Read some of the text describing menus planned, costs incurred, foods eaten, typical recipes and health issues. With each page, encourage the group to comment on what they are noticing - what appears strange or appealing, what is different from other countries discussed, what is different from what they, themselves typically eat, and whether or not the distribution of food is fair.
The goal of this activity is to increase awareness of global inequities in terms of food distribution around the planet. It is also an opportunity to celebrate diversity and learn about different customs around the world.
Including All Participants
It is important to remember with this activity that there is likely to be economic disparity within the group, with the possibility of extreme disparity such as a particularly wealthy child alongside a child who is living below the poverty line. There may also be children whose identities are connected with countries abroad that are pictured in the book. Avoid language that assumes all participants share a common financial situation, such as "in our town we all have lots of food to eat."