Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

• RI.8.8 – Work Time A: Students complete sections of their Delineate an Argument graphic organizer as they review and evaluate the argument and claims in section 7 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, noting evidence for each point and assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient.
• SL.8.3 – Closing and Assessment A: Students watch a video as they fill out their Delineate an Argument graphic organizer to analyze the speaker’s argument and claims, as well as evaluate the evidence presented for sufficiency and relevance.
• The Think-Pair-Share and Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocols are used in this lesson. Protocols are an important feature of our curriculum because they are one of the best ways we know to engage students in discussion, inquiry, critical thinking, and sophisticated communication. A protocol consists of agreed-upon, detailed guidelines for reading, recording, discussing, or reporting that ensure equal participation and accountability in learning.
• In this lesson, students practice becoming effective learners as they collaborate while practicing how to delineate and evaluate arguments and analyze their validity. This will help students strengthen their reading and analysis skills, and will make them better able to formulate their own opinions and arguments.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

• In this lesson, students read excerpts from chapters 16 and 17 as well as the Afterword of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Consider providing time for students to read and review the entire chapters with peers or individually.
• Invite students to find additional texts and resources from conflicting viewpoints that center around the same topic as this lesson’s excerpts from The Omnivore’s Dilemma (local food). Support students to identify where irrelevant evidence is presented, or in identifying false statements and fallacious reasoning that may exist.
• An optional Mini Language Dive, intended for use after students read The Omnivore’s Dilemma in Work Time A, is available in the supporting materials download. ▲
• Consider finding additional interviews, speeches, or video on local food and allowing students to evaluate the speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric. Help students identify any fallacious reasoning and point out any exaggerated or distorted evidence.
• Invite students to research more about local, sustainable agriculture to better understand the details of its operations, history, and impact. Students can share what they learn in small groups or with the class.
• Students can research any local sustainable farms that operate locally. Encourage students to learn more about their operations, practices, and production, and reach out to farmers to see if an interview or visit is possible.
• As appropriate for students, consider using the Delineate an Argument graphic organizer in Work Time A and Closing and Assessment A with less, or more, scaffolding.
• In Closing and Assessment A, students view a video from Nourish: Short Films: 54 Bite-Sized Videos about the Story of Your Food and complete their Delineate an Argument in a Video graphic organizer. If there is time, allow students to view an additional video of their choice and fill out a corresponding graphic organizer.

How It Builds on Previous Work

• Students have been working through a series of alternating lessons on structure and author’s point of view, and delineating and evaluating arguments. These lessons scaffolded the skills and tasks related to each standard. In this lesson, students continue this work on analyzing arguments, completing the tasks with independence.

Support All Students

• Presenting learning targets in writing, orally, and, if possible, accompanied by symbols, will help students to understand the language within them. ▲
• During Opening A, students engage in a series of questions to grapple with their understanding of local farms. Consider researching the answers to the questions and sharing with students to deepen their understanding of the local farming landscape in their particular geographical area.
• Note that section 6 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma presents Pollan’s and others’ perspective that shopping locally allows people to know where their food comes from, keeps money local, and helps them trust the quality of what they are eating. This excerpt also addresses the concept that people get what they pay for and that, as Americans learn more about their food, they may be more willing to spend more for quality food. Pollan brings up the idea of eating seasonally and the fact that this takes sacrifices to find out and eat what is growing, and that it is hard work to eat healthily and sustainably. Finally, he posits that grass-fed meat is better for humans than corn-fed. Some students or their families may find these topics to be new, challenging, or even frustrating depending on their own eating habits, knowledge, access, or other factors. This topic may also be challenging for students who live in food deserts where they may not have access to locally grown, seasonal, or grass-fed food. Allow for time to process and respond to these topics during individual, small group, or full class discussion, and reach out to families as needed. Use thoughtful strategic pairing for discussions, and consider having a discussion with students about what types of food are available or affordable in their own neighborhoods and communities.
• In Work Time A, provide choice in how students read the excerpt: some students may prefer to read independently and silently, while others (especially ELLs) may wish to read aloud in groups with peers and/or with support. Still others may wish to read silently for a few pages and then process with a group. This format of choice could potentially be built into the reading time within each lesson. ▲
• As in previous lessons, in Work Time A, present additional options for recording gist rather than just the sticky note, such as using a separate notebook, using a graphic organizer, using highlighters and annotating, or using a voice recorder. Give students options for expressing their understanding of gist (oral, written, drawing). Also, build in different options for expressing comprehension of the text (written reflection, voice recording, discussion with partners/groups). ▲
• Note there is a differentiated version of the Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 7 graphic organizer used in Work Time A in the supporting materials download. ▲
• Students may need additional support with recording their answers on their graphic organizer in Work Time A and Closing and Assessment A. As necessary, work with those students in a group to support independence as they identify the arguments and evidence. ▲
• Note there is a differentiated version of the Delineate an Argument in a Video graphic organizer used in Work Time B in the supporting materials download. ▲
• Consider using a preferred classroom routine to review the answers from their Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 7 graphic organizer with students in pairs or individually. ▲
• Provide students with links to the video used in Closing and Assessment A through such sites as Google Classroom or similar means so they can review the content multiple times at their own pace. ▲
• If watching videos in Closing and Assessment A presents complications, read transcripts from the videos aloud (from the blog posts associated with each video). ▲

Assessment Guidance

• Check gist statements to ensure students are recording quick notes about what the text is mostly about.
• Monitor and collect students’ Delineate an Argument graphic organizers during Work Time A and Closing and Assessment A to ensure students are on the right track for capturing accurate main claims, supporting points, and related evidence on an increasingly independent and accurate level.

Down the Road

• In the next lesson, students will complete their mid-unit assessment on author’s purpose, point of view, and structure, as well as analyzing the claim, points, and evidence presented in videos and texts.