Hunger
Quiz Show
This a c t iv it y reinforces an understanding of the issues surrounding hunger. t i m e r e q u i r e d 3 0 to 5 0 m i n u t e s I n t e n d e d fo r g r a d e s 9 - 1 2
Mat er ial s N eed ed
» a sheet of newsprint » a marker » a roll of masking tape » a stopwatch » pens or pencils, one for each participant » sheets of blank paper
1 2
Activity Steps Div id e t he l a r ge gr o up into small groups of five or six. Assign each team a number
or name. Note these numbers or names on a sheet of newsprint and post it where all can see. This will serve as your scorecard. Invite someone to serve as a timekeeper and give him or her the stopwatch. T e l l t he t e a m s they will be participating in a quiz show, answering a number of questions you will pose. Explain that when you have asked each question, the first team to make a buzzer noise will have 30 seconds to respond with an answer. If their answer is wrong, the other teams will have an opportunity to answer. Each correct answer is worth five points. If the question defaults to another team, the correct answer is worth three points. Should the question remain unanswered, you will then need to provide the correct answer. Make sure everyone understands the rules, and then proceed with the game using the following questions (answers noted in brackets): » The world produces enough food for everyone to have 2,500 calories a day. That’s 150 more than the basic minimum. True or false? [True, if distributed equally.]
PA G E 1 O F 4
» How many people in the world go hungry each day—8 million, 80 million, more than 800 million? [854 million people in the world go hungry each day.] » In developing countries, how many children die every year from preventable and treatable causes—6 million, 16 million, 25 million? [16 million. 60 percent of these deaths are from hunger and malnutrition.] » In the United States, how many children live in households where people have to skip meals or eat less to make ends meet—1 million, 5 million, more than 10 million? [11.7 million. That means one in 10 households in the United States is living with hunger or is at risk of hunger.] » Hunger is worse in rural areas among native people in Latin America than in the cities. True or false? [True] » The largest number of poor and hungry people is found where—in Africa or in Asia? [Asia in terms of sheer numbers, but Africa has a higher proportion of hungry people among its total population.] » In Tanzania, over a three-year period, a community-based nutrition program has cut severe malnutrition in half. True or false? [True] » If everyone in the world lived as the richest 20 percent do, people would use 10 times as much fossil fuel and 200 times as many minerals. True or false? [True] » Which developing country has increased its per capita food consumption (in terms of calories per day) and has its wealth distributed relatively equally, but is criticized in the international community for its lack of respect for human rights? [China] » A baby born in Shanghai, China now has a better chance of surviving its first year than one born in New York City. True or false? [True, due to the efforts of China to improve the health of its people.] » If farmers around the world would add synthetic fertilizer to their land, they could produce more food. True or false? [False. Studies show that heavier applications of synthetic fertilizer have had little effect on increasing yields.] » List three main causes of hunger. [Possible answers include: lack of food, wages, and shelter; illness; no access to land or education; war; environmental degradation; weather conditions; unequal trading; debt.] » How are environmental problems linked with poverty and hunger? [Very closely. For example, deforestation can result in topsoil being blown away, which leads to desertification. Another example is water pollution, which kills fish and other marine life.] » What is the difference between famine and chronic hunger? [Famine is relatively sudden and short-term, is often precipitated by drought or war, causes severe hunger and high death rates, receives high media attention, and often receives a high level of international response.
PA G E 2 O F 4
Chronic hunger is ongoing and long-term; it is sometimes called the “invisible emergency” because millions more people die every year due to the effects of chronic hunger. But the issue receives little media and international attention for developing solutions because the causes are perceived as more complex.] » List five factors that affect food security. [Possible answers include: land and water, fuel, water and sanitation, transportation, jobs, family and culture, research and development, exchange rates, peaceful conditions, political structures and government policies, education, media.] » How is poverty linked to hunger? [Poverty is the main cause of hunger. Poverty means lack of access to proper nutrition, clean water, sanitation, income, and health care. All these factors contribute to hunger.] » How does land use affect hunger in developing countries? [In many developing countries, land is mostly owned by relatively few wealthy and powerful people or by large foreign companies. Land is used to produce crops like coffee, bananas, and cotton for export, because these crops bring in high prices in international trade.]
3
Add up t he s c o r es and announce a winning team. Then offer the following key points:
» Globally almost 826 million people go each day without the food their bodies need for healthy development. This chronic undernourishment feeds a never-ending cycle of disease, stunted growth, delayed development, and poverty. » The effects of chronic or ongoing hunger are worlds apart from this temporary hunger. Chronic hunger has far-reaching impacts on individuals and their families and, by extension, on communities and whole societies. » Malnutrition is a leading cause of disease and premature death in the developing world. Those most affected include fetuses, children, and pregnant and nursing women. Their bodies have the extra demands of growth and development—their own, or in the case of mothers and mothers-to-be, their children’s. Over the longer term, malnutrition feeds a vicious cycle of hunger and poverty. » It is well established that poverty is a leading cause of hunger. But the reverse is equally true: Hunger is part of a downward spiral within households that traps families in poverty for generations. » Now, for the first time in history, the world has what it takes to end hunger.
4
C o n c l ud e b y no t ing that these facts and figures offer just a glimpse into the issues that
people of the world face in regard to poverty.
(The above activity is drawn from Beat Poverty: We’ve Got What It Takes!: An Educational Resource for Young People in Grades 9–12. Copyright © 2008 by World Vision Resources, Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.)
PA G E 3 O F 4
About World Vision W o rld V i s i o n i s a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to helping children and their families break free from poverty. Our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. We see a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we know this can be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World Vision is unique: We bring nearly sixty years of experience in three key areas needed to help children and families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across many areas of expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for children’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. W o rld V i s i o n R es o u r c e s educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to social justice, and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world. By developing biblically-based materials for educators and ministry leaders on the causes and consequences of global poverty, World Vision Resources supports the organizational mandate to move the church in the United States to more fully embrace its biblical responsibility to serve the poor.
For more information about our resources, contact: World Vision Resources www.worldvision.org wvresources@worldvision.org
PA G E 4 O F 4