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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
the ARTICLE (for teachers)
Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
How important is getting the right kind of food? According to a World Bank report, it's very important, perhaps
more important than previously assumed.
The report warns that young children who don't eat enough food, or more specifically, children who don't eat
enough of the right kind of food, suffer lasting damage. At aged two and under, the children are underweight and
underdeveloped. They are more susceptible to disease, and may also suffer from health problems later in life.
They generally have lower intelligence levels. This leads to malnourished children who, as they get older, are
more likely to drop out of school and earn less money as adults. In some drought affected regions of Africa, for
example, the number of hungry children hovers as high as 30%. But India, Southeast Asia, and parts of South
America face similar problems.
Although the news proves alarming on a humanitarian level alone, there are economic implications, too.
Combating malnutrition absorbs as much as 3% of a developing country's annual GDP, the same
report indicates. When you take into account an annual growth rate of two or three percent for many of these
countries, reducing the number of malnourished could then help double their economic growth. Yet many
developing countries and international aid organizations are failing to take effective action.
Rather than simply provide more food, the World Bank report suggests establishing educational programs in
health and nutrition for mothers with young babies. It also recommends more sanitary living conditions and
improvements in health care.
Teacher's Notes:
* Underlined words in red typeface are the recommended vocabulary for this lesson.
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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
WARM-UPS
Select one or all of the following warm-up activities.
1: Define: What does "malnutrition" mean? Can you use it in a sentence? Can you give examples?
2: Brainstorm: Brainstorm with a partner(s) words and ideas associated with "malnutrition" for 2 minutes.
Spend another 5 minutes or less discussing the words and ideas together.
3: Title: Speculate and/or discuss the contents of today's article from its title: "Poor Nutrition in the Developing
World."
4: Do you agree or disagree? Why?
a. I could eat my favorite food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... forever!
b. There are hungry people in my country, but only because they don’t want to work hard.
c. There are enough resources on earth to ensure everyone, everywhere has food, clothing, and shelter.
d. Widespread malnutrition could never happen in a first world, modern society.
e. If the world’s population continues to grow, more people will suffer from malnutrition everywhere.
5: Dilemma: Your family is starving. Your children haven't had a proper meal in days. What would you do for
food?
a. Would you sell all of your favorite possessions (car, jewelry, etc.)?
b. Would you work in a job that you hate? That is dangerous? That is demeaning?
c. Would you lie and cheat for food?
d. Would you steal food?
e. Would you kill someone for his/her food?
Why?
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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
VOCABULARY
Select one of the following vocabulary acquisition activities.
1: Vocabulary match: Individually or in pairs/groups, match the words in column A (from the article) with the
best choice in column B.
a. suffer
q. at risk
b. lasting
r.
c. susceptible
s. dry spell
d. malnourished
t.
e. drought
u. long-term
f.
v.
humanitarian
charitable
point out
food
g. implication
w. hygienic
h. indicate
x. endure
i.
nutrition
y.
j.
sanitary
z. connection
hungry
2: Fill in the Blanks: Fill in the blank with the correct word.
indicates
malnourished
lasting
drought
nutrition
implications
a. Children who don't get the proper food (
b. There can be (
d. Children who are (
f.
sanitary
susceptible
) from malnutrition.
) damage for children who don't eat the right kinds of food.
c. Hungry people are more (
e. (
humanitarian
suffer
) to disease.
) are more likely to drop out of school.
) is a serious problem in some parts of Africa, affecting the people's food supply.
Malnutrition's harmful effects are alarming for any (
g. There are economic (
h. The report (
).
) for countries with large numbers of poor and hungry.
) that 3% of a country's GDP goes towards fighting malnutrition.
i.
More programs about health and (
j.
The report recommends better (
) need to be set up.
) conditions.
3: Define: Define each word, correctly pronounce it, explain the meaning and/or usage, and offer an example
sentence to the class.
a. suffer
c.
susceptible
b. lasting
d. malnourished
e. drought
f.
humanitarian
g. implication
i. nutrition
h. indicate
j. sanitary
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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
WORD RECOGNITION
1: Word Search: Find the target words (in bold). Time yourself, and see how many words you can find in three
minutes. In five minutes. In ten minutes.
indicates
malnourished
lasting
drought
nutrition
implications
O
N
H
L
S
Y
P
K
L
U
S
N
P
U
O
D
B
U
T
K
X
K
V
I
U
A
L
R
G
X
I
B
P
T
A
N
N
F
S
I
F
X
B
Z
G
O
E
U
K
R
M
X
C
R
T
D
L
A
N
A
J
S
F
H
G
I
E
A
X
C
E
Z
I
J
O
Q
U
N
Y
R
P
T
Q
L
I
H
T
T
R
U
G
H
X
I
T
I
H
I
Q
E
S
R
I
P
P
R
R
F
I
N
L
G
T
O
A
I
P
N
B
A
humanitarian
suffer
Q
C
B
A
L
U
U
O
L
N
R
I
D
V
S
H
L
M
R
Q
A
O
A
L
L
U
M
I
H
N
E
U
I
X
I
S
R
O
Y
Z
O
W
C
B
I
H
P
L
E
R
A
D
G
G
F
N
K
A
B
I
S
A
N
I
T
A
R
Y
I
B
L
X
T
F
H
R
E
F
F
U
S
D
G
E
B
A
W
E
M
F
sanitary
susceptible
S
N
O
I
T
A
C
I
L
P
M
I
S
X
Y
2: Target Word Pool: Find the target words (in bold) with their exact match. Time yourself, and see how many
words you can find in three minutes. In five minutes. In ten minutes.
humanitarian
drought
suffer
effective
nutrients
earn
similar
brought
disaster
defective
economic
sufferer
economic
disease
malcontent
nutrient
ermine
humanitarian
suffers nutritionist
earns
familiar
distaste
humanitarians
similarity
ergonomic
ineffective
draughts
synonym
effective
dropped
nourished
humanity
earn
eccentric
diseased
humans
droughts
diseases
suffering
nutrition
err
economical
suffer
simile
efficient
magistrate
malnourished
nutrition
malnourished
economics
attrition
malnutrition
ear
effects
similar
supper
vegetarian
drought
disease
menopause
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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
pre- or post-COMPREHENSION
1: Word Association: Brainstorm words associated with today's topic for two minutes. Present to the class.
2: Brainstorm Questions: Brainstorm questions that you would like to ask about today's topic. Answer the
questions without looking at the article.
3: True or False?: Guess (before the article) or answer (after the article) whether the sentence is true or false.
If false, correct the sentence.
a. Children who are malnourished suffer lasting damage.
T/ F
b. Malnourished children are more susceptible to disease, but are fine later in life.
T/ F
c. The number of malnourished children hovers around 40% in some African countries.
T/F
d. Combating malnutrition absorbs as much as 3% of a country's GDP.
T/F
e. The report recommends education programs for mothers and more sanitary conditions.
T/F
4: Questions: Answer the questions to check comprehension.
a. What problem does the World Bank report warn about?
b. What happens if children don’t get the proper nutrition?
c. Where does the report center its attention?
d. What economic benefits are there for properly nourished children?
e. Instead of providing food, what should also be done?
5: Vocabulary: In pairs/groups, remember how the words were used in today's article.
a. suffer
c. susceptible
e. drought
b. lasting
d. malnourished
f.
humanitarian
g. implications
i. nutrition
h. indicates
j. sanitary
6: Fragments: Remember how the fragments were used, and complete the sentence from today's article.
a. According to a World Bank report...
b. At aged two and under...
c. Although the news proves alarming on a humanitarian level alone...
d. When you take into account an annual growth rate of 2-3% percent for many of these countries...
e. Rather than simply provide more food, the World Bank report suggests...
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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
post-COMPREHENSION
1: Vocabulary: Circle any additional unknown words/phrases in the article. In pairs/groups, use your
dictionaries to understand the meanings. Present to the class.
2: Class Questions: Read through the article once more, and write down any questions that you would like to
discuss in pairs/groups or as a class. Discuss.
3: Summarize: Work with a partner to summarize the article in your own words.
4: Discuss (part I): Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers!
a. Did you like this article?
b. Do you ever think about the poor and the hungry of the world?
c. Do you ever think about the poor and the hungry of your country?
d. What can be done to fight malnutrition?
e. Who should fight malnutrition, the first world with large economies or countries where the problem exists?
f. Would you ever/Have you ever volunteered your time or services to help the world’s poor?
g. Would you ever/Have you ever donated money to help the world’s poor?
h. Could a problem like this happen in your country?
i. If food were developed to provide a quick, cheap, and healthy food supply, would this problem remain?
j. What will be done to help because of this report?
5: Discuss (part II): Talk about the following problems that developing countries face. What possible solutions
can you find with your partner/group?
Problem:
Solution:
malnutrition
poverty
lack of education
AIDS
6: Google Search: Type "malnutrition" into Google news and read additional articles on this topic. Discuss or
write an essay about your findings.
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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
STUDENT HANDOUT (the article)
Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
How important is getting the right kind of food? According to a World Bank report, it's very important, perhaps
more important than previously assumed.
The report warns that young children who don't eat enough food, or more specifically, children who don't eat
enough of the right kind of food, suffer lasting damage. At aged two and under, the children are underweight and
underdeveloped. They are more susceptible to disease, and may also suffer from health problems later in life.
They generally have lower intelligence levels. This leads to malnourished children who, as they get older, are
more likely to drop out of school and earn less money as adults. In some drought affected regions of Africa, for
example, the number of hungry children hovers as high as 30%. But India, Southeast Asia, and parts of South
America face similar problems.
Although the news proves alarming on a humanitarian level alone, there are economic implications, too.
Combating malnutrition absorbs as much as 3% of a developing country's annual GDP, the same report
indicates. When you take into account an annual growth rate of two or three percent for many of these countries,
reducing the number of malnourished could then help double their economic growth. Yet many developing
countries and international aid organizations are failing to take effective action.
Rather than simply provide more food, the World Bank report suggests establishing educational programs in
health and nutrition for mothers with young babies. It also recommends more sanitary living conditions and
improvements in health care.
Notes:
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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
STUDENT HANDOUT (fill in the blank)
Fill in the blank with the correct word.
susceptible
implications
educational
lasting
nutrition
underdeveloped
drought
indicates
GDP
Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
effective
suffer
malnourished
underweight
humanitarian
sanitary
How important is getting the right kind of food? According to a World Bank report, it's very important,
perhaps more important than previously assumed.
The report warns that young children who don't eat enough food, or more specifically, children who don't
eat enough of the right kind of food, (a. _______________) (b. _______________) damage. At aged two
and under, the children are (c. _______________) and (d. _______________). They are more
(e. _______________) to disease, and may also suffer from health problems later in life. They generally
have lower intelligence levels. This leads to (f. _______________) children who, as they get older, are
more likely to drop out of school and earn less money as adults. In some (g. _______________) affected
regions of Africa, for example, the number of hungry children hovers as high as 30%. But India, Southeast
Asia, and parts of South America face similar problems.
Although the news proves alarming on a (h. _______________) level alone, there are economic
(i. _______________), too. Combating malnutrition absorbs as much as 3% of a developing country's
annual (j. _______________), the same report (k. _______________). When you take into account an
annual growth rate of two or three percent for many of these countries, reducing the number of
malnourished could then help double their economic growth. Yet many developing countries and
international aid organizations are failing to take (l. _______________) action.
Rather than simply provide more food, the World Bank report suggests establishing (m. _______________)
programs in health and (n. _______________) for mothers with young babies. It also recommends more
(o. _______________) living conditions and improvements in health care.
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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
STUDENT HANDOUT (extended listening)
Listen and fill in the missing sentences. Compare your answers with a partner, and
then listen once more.
Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
How important is getting the right kind of food? According to a World Bank report, it's very important, perhaps
more important than previously assumed.
The report warns that young children who don't eat enough food, a) ___________________________________
____________________, suffer lasting damage. At aged two and under, the children are underweight and
underdeveloped. They are more susceptible to disease, and may also suffer from health problems later in life.
They generally have lower intelligence levels. This leads to malnourished children who, as they get older,
b) _____________________________________________________. In some drought affected regions of
Africa, for example, the number of hungry children hovers as high as 30%. But India, Southeast Asia, and parts
of South America face similar problems.
Although the news proves alarming on a humanitarian level alone, there are economic implications, too.
Combating malnutrition absorbs as much as 3% of a developing country's annual GDP, the same report
indicates. c) _____________________________________________________, reducing the number of
malnourished could then help double their economic growth. Yet many developing countries and international
aid organizations are failing to take effective action.
d) _____________________________________________________, the World Bank report suggests
establishing educational programs in health and nutrition for mothers with young babies. It also recommends
more e) _____________________________________________________.
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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
STUDENT HANDOUT (notes)
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Poor Nutrition in the Developing World
Advanced
ANSWER KEY
Vocabulary
1. Vocabulary Match:
2. Fill in the Blanks:
a.
x
f.
r
a.
suffer
f.
humanitarian
b.
u
g.
z
b.
lasting
g.
implications
c.
q
h.
t
c.
susceptible
h.
indicates
d.
y
i.
v
d.
malnourished
i.
nutrition
e.
s
j.
w
e.
drought
j.
sanitary
pre- or post-Comprehension
1. True or False:
2. Fragments:
a.
T
a.
it's very important, perhaps more important than previously assumed.
b.
F
b.
the children are underweight and underdeveloped.
c.
F
c.
there are economic implications, too.
d.
T
d.
reducing the number of malnourished could then help double their economic growth.
e.
T
e.
establishing educational programs in health and nutrition for mothers with young babies.
Student Handout
1. Fill in the Blanks
a.
suffer
i.
implications
b.
lasting
j.
GDP
c.
underweight
k.
indicates
d.
underdeveloped
l.
effective
e.
susceptible
m.
educational
f.
malnourished
n.
nutrition
g.
drought
o.
sanitary
h.
humanitarian
2. Extended Listening
a.
or more specifically, children who don't eat enough of the right kind of food
b.
are more likely to drop out of school and earn less money as adults
c.
When you take into account an annual growth rate of two or three percent for many of these countries
d.
Rather than simply provide more food
e.
sanitary living conditions and improvements in health care
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