Home > Lesson Planning Channel > Lesson Planning Archives > Lesson Planning Article

Click here to return to the article

Subjects

• Animals
• Nutrition
• Regions/Cultures

Grade

• 3-5
• 6-8

Brief Description

Students explore the nutritional value of insects as food and compare the nutritional value of insects with that of their favorite foods.

Objectives

Students will

• will learn about the role of insects as a global food source.
• learn about the nutritional value of insects and their favorite foods.
• complete a table.

Keywords

bugs, insects, nutrition, tables, diet

Materials Needed

• Nutrition for You worksheet;
• Edible Insect Species from Around the World, online or printed and distributed to students
• Nutrition Analysis Tool v1.0 (optional)
• Nutritional Value of Various Insects per 100 grams online or printed and distributed to students
• Iowa State University's Tasty Insect Recipes (optional)
• The Food Insects Newsletter, Inc. (optional)

Lesson Plan

Have students explore Edible Insect Species from Around the World to learn about insects that people in various parts of the world eat. Invite volunteers to locate each country as it is discussed.

Provide students with the Nutrition for You worksheet and have them use the Nutrition Analysis Tool v1.0 or other online or print resources to complete the Nutrition for You table showing the nutritional value of some of their favorite foods.

Ask students to compare their completed table with the Nutritional Value of Various Insects table and answer the questions at the bottom of the worksheet. (Answers will vary according to the foods selected.)

As an extension activity, encourage students to prepare one of the insect recipes at home with their families and share the results with their classmates.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on the information in the completed worksheet.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Linda Starr

National Standards

Physical Education and Health:
NPH-H.K-4.3
NPH-H.K-4.3

Science:
NS.K-4.3
NS.5-8.3

Mathematics:
NM.5-8.8
NM.K-4.13

Social Sciences:
NSS-G.K-12.5

Click here to return to this week's article.