Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH MANCHESTER - "Some researchers believe insects will be the new food of the future," North Manchester High School biology teacher, Jabin Burnworth said.
Burnworth and his students will prepare a full-course meal Friday in the classroom. The main course? Insects.
Students are studying nutrition and world hunger. They're cooking the insects as an alternate food source.
"I've eaten them straight up," Burnworth joked. So flavoring and cooking them is a delicacy for this high school teacher.
The class will prepare dishes like: chocolate chirp cookies, grasshopper tacos and bug blocks. They also will prepare fried meal worms in garlic sauce. Sound tasty? Well, you can get these recipes off the Web. Just look up Iowa State University.
Cooking insects is only one of the creative ways Burnworth teaches his students.
He also will take 10 students to the Everglades later this year. There they will have the opportunity to swim with dolphins, go kayaking and camp out. Burnworth said they also will complete a work project while there.
"I'm excited to give the kids new experiences dealing with environmental science," Burnworth said.
He said he likes to keep school exciting for students. "If I'm bored, then I think the kids will be bored, too," he said.
Burnworth's efforts have not gone unnoticed.
He received the Creative Teacher Award from the Indiana Association of Biology Teachers Thursday.
Burnworth was nominated by an anonymous biology teacher to receive this recognition for his creative teaching strategy. He traveled to Indianapolis Thursday and Friday to attend the Hasty Convention, where he received the award.
"I feel honored to be recognized," Burnworth said. "The most important thing to me is making sure the kids learn biology and have fun doing it."
Burnworth, a 1994 Taylor University graduate, is in his sixth year of teaching at Manchester High School.
He teaches anatomy and physiology and genetics, general biology and environmental science.
But helping students appreciate and learn biology creatively is not all Burnworth does at Manchester. He also helps them outside the classroom.
Burnworth was head coach for the girls' swim team for one year and assistant cross-country coach for three years.
"I like to go into it with high energy," Burnworth said of his teaching career.
"If teachers are excited about the subject," Burnworth said, "then students will be excited about it, too."
