Eating Crickets?

Last month, our 5th-grade students culminated their research and persuasion unit on whether or not humans should eat bugs, a practice called entomophagy.

As part of their research, the students learned about the benefits and dangers of eating bugs by watching videos, reading articles, and participating in class discussions. The students learned that bugs were high in protein and good for the environment because of the way they are raised compared to other protein sources like beef. They also learned that people have eaten bugs for thousands of years. On the other side of the argument, the students discovered that some bugs could make people sick. Some students also recounted that "bugs had lives too!"

Students were ultimately asked to write an essay defending whether or not people should eat bugs.

Regarding the debate for whether or not bugs tasted good, Mrs. Tucker provided the students with the opportunity to try crickets. If students wanted to try crickets, they could try crickets Tuesday morning. Mrs. Tucker provided "original" flavored crickets as well as spicy and ranch-flavored crickets to taste. Many of the students tried the crickets, and a few students even stated that they "needed to re-write their essay because bugs were good!"

If you would like to know whether you should try a bug, I highly recommend speaking with a 5th grader