Students in Ellisville Go Hungry For Knowledge

Fourth grade students at the in Ellisville completed a project meant educate students about issues involving world hunger and international disparities in access to food.

Teacher Lynne Harman oversaw the project, which divided students into "First, Second and Third world countries," and given chips to symbolize their nation's per capita income. Students then were given various options for feeding their population group based on the real-world availability of certain resources relative to the student's area.

"Global inequities are difficult to discuss, so this activity serves as a powerful learning tool that puts real-world problem solving into perspective,” Harman said in a news release. “Students know these inequities are unfair, so they must analyze the situation to figure out why it’s unfair and develop and execute a plan to show how change can make a difference."

Called the "Hunger Banquet," the project also dealt with factors such as transportation, sanitation, farming, jobs, education and even healthcare.

Harman said learning to grasp the relationships between those factors can be a valuable lesson for students long after the unit is over.

“My son still talks about what he did during the Hunger Banquet in fourth grade and he is a high school senior. This activity makes an impact.”