What They Ate

The Hunger Games! Name:______

What they ate...

Survival meant eating things you wouldn’t normally eat.

Write down some of the things Katniss, her family, the citizens of the Panem districts, and the tributes must eat to survive. ______What do the citizens of the Capitol eat? ______How do these meals differ? ______

Suggested answers to “What They Ate”:

Katniss & district citizens ate: Game meat (such as deer, rabbit, wild turkey, pheasant, etc.), squirrel, birds, possum, ﬁsh, bread, cheese (such as goat cheese); they had grain & oil rations; Katniss collected berries, nuts, apples, herbs, dandelions & other greens. Whatever they could grow or hunt/trap (illegally) they would eat, basically. Anything sugary was on very rare or special occasions. Store bought pre-packaged food was extremely rare for district citizens.

Capitol citizens ate: More than one course would be served, so meals consisted of soups, salads, meat, vegetables, fruit, and dessert. Lamb chops, carrot soup, green salad, mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake was Katniss & Peetaʼs ﬁrst meal on the train. Breakfast might be eggs, ham, fried potatoes, fruit (that is kept chilled in a tureen on ice), baskets of rolls, orange juice, coffee, and hot chocolates.

How do these meals differ? Students should respond that the district people are responsible for growing & making their own food. They have very little or no money to buy food, or would have to trade things for it. Their food is survival for them--whatever they can eat, they will. If itʼs rat meat, itʼs better than no meat at all. The Capitol people seem to take for granted what actually goes into preparing even one meal--raising the animals (having to feed them daily, clean their pens, milk them, etc.), harvesting the fruits & vegetables, growing the grain, etc.

For class discussion: Another question to ask may be which is healthier? If the district people actually had enough to eat & were able to grow fruits & vegetables yearly, theirs would probably be a healthier diet since they do not eat a lot of sugar or drink beverages that are loaded with calories (except Haymitch, of course--but he has advantages being a victor). The Capitol people could probably eat very healthy, but most likely their meals are loaded with fat. But because plastic surgery and other forms of ridding excess weight is very prevalent in the Capitol, they donʼt seem to care (Catching Fire goes into this theme a little deeper, showing how the Capitol people binge & purge).

Food that Katniss & Peeta may think are delicacies are probably things that most Americans today take for granted. Many students may think the Capitol people eat just like many Americans today. Hopefully, this will get the students thinking about what they would live on if they had to provide food for themselves--no stores to buy cereal or pop tarts or ordering pizza or fast food.

You can ask the students: Would you eat Greasy Saeʼs “winter specialty” of mice meat, pig entrails, and tree bark? -Most will probably say no, but if they were starving, I am sure they would in order to survive. Perhaps some will share stories of different things theyʼve eaten or people they know eat. I share that my Italian grandmother would prepare a meal using cow brain & cow tongue. My fatherʼs family (Germans) always prepare a stew at Christmas using rabbit, squirrel, pheasant, potatoes, apples, and raisins. It always sounded gross to me growing up, but one year I got the courage to try it & actually loved it.

©2010 Tracee Orman © HGL-TO All Rights Reserved The Hunger Games! Name:______Could you survive in the Arena? Lets find out! To play the games “Trial By Fire” or “Tribute Trials,” follow these directions:

1. Website: http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/games/index.htm

2. When you reach this site (above), you may click on the “Play Trial By Fire Now!” button, or scroll down to play “Tribute Trials.”

3. Below, a pop-up window will appear (if it doesnʼt, make sure your pop-up windows are not blocked in your browserʼs Preferences). Type in your FIRST NAME only!

4. Click the PLAY NOW & good luck! Or should I say, May the odds be ever in your favor! :)

Teacher Guide to Trial By Fire: There is only one path to take in order to be the Victor in “Trial By Fire.”

Here are the steps to take in order to win the game: 1. Run away 2. Set up camp 3. Forest 4. Eat 5. Befriend 6. Evade… You Win!

I have never earned more than a 99% in “Tribute Trials”, so I have no idea what it takes to achieve a higher score! Good luck!

Check out my blog: Hunger Games Lessons

To ﬁnd so many more Hunger Games activities, discussion questions, check quizzes, tests, graphic organizers, vocabulary, puzzles, Jeopardy-style review Powerpoints, etc. check out my Hunger Games Complete Unit. I also have units for Catching Fire & Mockingjay.

My Online Store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tracee-Orman

Thanks to Down With The Capitol for creating a wonderful site for teachers, students, and fans of The Hunger Games Trilogy!

http://hungergamesdwtc.net