Analyze Different Mediums: Local Sustainable Food | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G8:M2:U1:L14

Analyze Different Mediums: Local Sustainable Food

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.8.7, RI.8.9, SL.8.2

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.4, RI.8.6, RI.8.10, L.8.4
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can identify the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present information about local sustainable food. (RI.8.7)
  • I can analyze two texts that provide conflicting information on local sustainable food and identify where they disagree on matters of fact or interpretation. (RI.8.9)
  • I can identify possible purposes and motives for presenting information on local sustainable food and provide an example of each. (SL.8.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14 (SL.8.2)
  • Work Time A: Analyze Different Mediums anchor chart and Analyze Purpose and Motives: Local Sustainable Food (RI.8.7)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Independent Research Task (RI.8.9)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - SL.8.2 (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Analyze Mediums: Local Sustainable Food - RI.8.7 (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Independent Research Task - RI.8.9 (20 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Independent Research Reading: Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • SL.8.2 – Opening A: Students view a video and determine its purpose and motive.
  • RI.8.7 – Work Time A: Students analyze advantages and disadvantages of using written texts, infographics, and videos to convey a message as they answer selected response questions.
  • RI.8.9 – Closing and Assessment A: Students complete independent research and review two different texts that provide conflicting information on local sustainable food and identify where the texts disagree or align.
  • In this lesson, students practice becoming effective learners by showing perseverance as they explore the advantages and disadvantages of different mediums, as well as strengthen their reading and analysis skills. Students also deepen their collaboration strategies as they work with a variety of partners through the lesson.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • In this lesson, students review partial excerpts from The Omnivore’s Dilemma about farm-to-table food, local food, and sustainable farming practices. Provide time for students to read and review the entire chapters with peers or individually. Additionally, students can explore other texts or websites that also present information about this topic.
  • Suggest students research more about sustainable farming practices and share findings with family members or peers. Invite students to explore various sustainable food or farming organizations that may exist in the local area and investigate their mission and work.
  • Prompt students to explore texts that present conflicting information on a topic related to food production, food justice, food practices, or food policies by inviting students to read two or more mediums on the topic, and looking for ways in which the texts conflict.
  • Invite students to practice analyzing various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., videos of Bryant Terry from http://eled.org/0243 and text from his cookbooks) and determining which details are emphasized in each account.
  • Find seminal US documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington’s Farewell Address, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech, or King’s Letter from Birmingham City Jail) that may connect to issues related to food justice, access to healthy food, and food choices, and support students to discuss how they address themes and concepts related to what they are learning in The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • Similar to previous lessons, students explore various mediums and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each while noting the possible motives for presenting the information. Students also analyze conflicting information in two texts. Students have practiced using these skills in previous lessons, yet are asked to complete the work with more independence in this lesson.

Support All Students

  • Note there is a differentiated version of Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14 used in Work Time B in the supporting materials download. ▲
  • Presenting learning targets in writing, orally, and, if possible, accompanied by symbols, will help students to understand the language within them. ▲
  • Students watch a short video in Opening A. For students who may struggle with efficiently managing materials and engaging in this task, support them by working in a small group or projecting the video for the entire class to see at once. ▲
  • Students may need additional support with recording their answers on their Analyze Purpose and Motives: Local Sustainable Food handout in Work Time A. As needed, group those students to support their growing independence with identifying advantages and disadvantages. ▲
  • In this lesson, students work independently to answer selected response questions about local sustainable food. The work is intentionally less scaffolded to help students practice the skills they have learned in the previous lessons and to lead them to success on the End of Unit 1 Assessment in Lesson 15.
  • Provide opportunities for students to review their answers in Work Time A using a method that supports or aligns to existing classroom routines. ▲
  • In Closing and Assessment A, students complete an independent research task, searching for information that conflicts with that which they will have already read in sections of The Omnivore’s Dilemma about the importance of buying local food. As needed, add more scaffolds to this activity (such as using partners or small groups or preselecting sites for students to use) to support student success. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Monitor and collect students’ selected response questions during Work Time A to ensure students are on the right track as they answer questions related to the presentation of information in different mediums and the author’s motive. Similarly, collect students’ independent research from Closing and Assessment A to review their understanding of how two or more texts on a topic can present conflicting information. Review the collected student work, and address any particular gaps in student understanding or specific questions that arise.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will complete their End of Unit 1 Assessment, identifying the advantages and disadvantages of different mediums, answering selected and constructed response questions regarding author’s purpose, motive, and presentation of conflicting material in multiple texts.

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14 (one per student)
    • Analyze Purpose and Motives: Local Sustainable Food (one per student)
    • Independent Research Task: Local Food (one per student)
  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14 at each student's workspace.
  • Revisit the text sections in today's Work Time A.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).
  • Cue up the required videos and internet sources. See Technology and Multimedia.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Cue up the videos from Nourish: Short Films: 54 Bite-Sized Videos about the Story of Your Food, or provide links for students to view on their devices: "Read Labels" (link: http://eled.org/0257) and "What You Can Do" (link: http://eled.org/0238).
  • Cue up an example of a credible internet source that conflicts with Michael Pollan's claim that buying locally is a main answer to the "omnivore's dilemma," such as http://eled.org/0242.
  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.A.1, 8.I.A.3, 8.I.B.5, and 8.I.C.9.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson includes continued practice with analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of different mediums and with determining motive and purpose and conflicting information. Students also carry out independent research to find information from a source that conflicts with Michael Pollan's claim that buying locally is a main answer to the "omnivore's dilemma."
  • ELLs may find it challenging to navigate the independent research task; some students may need additional support in generating search terms and in understanding and analyzing the information in the sources they find online. As needed, provide students with preselected sources to help guide their research. Allow students to discuss content in home-language groups, as needed, and for the heaviest support, give students the online sources in advance of the lesson.

Vocabulary

  • food miles (A)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Purpose and Motives anchor chart (one for display; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 12, Work Time B)
  • Homework: Analyze Mediums: Industrial Farming and CAFOs (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 13, Homework B)
  • Analyze Different Mediums anchor chart (one for display; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 12, Work Time A)
  • Academic word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Homework: Analyze Mediums: Industrial Farming and CAFOs (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 13, Homework B)
  • The Omnivore's Dilemma (text; one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Closing & Assessment A)
  • Vocabulary logs (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Independent reading journals (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14 (example for teacher reference)
  • Device to display videos
  • Video: "Read Labels" (from Nourish: Short Films: 54 Bite-Sized Videos about the Story of Your Food, or link: http://eled.org/0257)
  • Analyze Purpose and Motives: Local Sustainable Food (answers for teacher reference)
  • Video: "What You Can Do" (from Nourish: Short Films: 54 Bite-Sized Videos about the Story of Your Food, or link: http://eled.org/0238)
  • Independent Research: Local Food note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14 (one per student)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14 ▲
  • Devices to access videos (optional) and internet links (one per student)
  • Analyze Purpose and Motives: Local Sustainable Food (one per student)
  • Independent Research: Local Food note-catcher (one per student)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

Opening

A. Engage the Learner – SL.8.2 (10 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: As they arrive, have students complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14. For ELLs and students who require additional support, the Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14 ▲ can be used to help guide students’ thinking with selected response options.
  • If students do not have access to individual devices, display the video “Read Labels,” playing it twice.
  • Once students have watched the video and completed their entrance ticket, direct them to Think-Pair-Share:

“What purpose did you identify, and why? What evidence do you have that this was the speaker’s purpose?” (Responses will vary, but may include: Nadine Burke’s purpose is to inform viewers about the importance of reading food labels. She hopes that people take charge of what they put into their bodies and have information to make healthy choices, such as being able to read labels and identify if sugar is one of the first ingredients.)

“Nadine Burke is a pediatrician. Why does it make sense for the producers of this video to have a pediatrician deliver this message?” (Responses will vary, but students will recognize that the producers have a social motive to improve the health of people in the community, and viewers will trust a pediatrician’s voice since they are experts on health-related topics.)

  • Use a total participation technique to call on two students and share out answers with the group. Refer to the Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14 (example for teacher reference), and prompt students to review the displayed Purpose and Motives anchor chart as needed.
  • Using a preferred classroom routine, collect or review the answers to Homework: Analyze Mediums: Industrial Farming and CAFOs. Refer to Homework: Analyze Mediums: Industrial Farming and CAFOs (answers for teacher reference) as needed.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any learning targets that are similar or the same as in previous lessons.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Analyze Mediums: Local Sustainable Food – RI.8.7 (15 minutes)

  • Review the learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

“I can identify advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present information on local sustainable food.”

  • Prompt students to review the Analyze Different Mediums anchor chart and Turn and Talk:

“What mediums have we discussed as we have reread sections of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and explored new texts?” (Students will recognize that they have discussed and analyzed videos, text that is printed, text that is digital, infographics, and photographs.)

“What medium(s) are most helpful to you, as a learner, when analyzing information or learning about a topic?” (Responses will vary.)

  • Inform students that today they will analyze written texts, infographics, and videos while answering selected response questions on local sustainable food.
  • Display and distribute Analyze Purpose and Motives: Local Sustainable Food, and prompt students to retrieve their copies of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, turning to page 158. Read aloud the section titled “Food Miles and Jet-Setting Carrots” as students follow along. Direct students to Turn and Talk with a partner about the meaning of food miles (the distance food travels from where it was grown to the place it is sold), and then capture the meaning on their Analyze Purpose and Motives: Local Sustainable Food, the academic word wall, and their vocabulary logs.
  • Prompt students to review pages 158–161 and pages 211–214 and then answer the selected response questions. Make sure students have access to computers to view the nourishlife.org link. If students do not have access to individual devices, display the video “What You Can Do,” playing it twice.
  • Remind students they should answer the questions independently to show what they know about motive, purpose, and advantages and disadvantages of mediums. As students work, circulate and support as needed. Refer to Analyze Purpose and Motives: Local Sustainable Food (answers for teacher reference).
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • To deepen students’ understanding of the information presented in the video, bring in food labels for students to practice reading. Students can pay particular attention to the sugar content in different foods and share their findings with the class. 

For Heavier Support

  • Invite students who need heavier support to use Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 14 ▲ . This resource has selected response options to help guide students’ thinking.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Independent Research Task - RI.8.9 (20 minutes)

  • Review the learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can analyze two texts that provide conflicting information on local sustainable food and identify where they disagree on matters of fact or interpretation."

  • Distribute the Independent Research: Local Food note-catcher, and read the directions aloud as students follow along. Tell students that their job is to find information from a source that conflicts with Michael Pollan's claim that buying locally is a main answer to the "omnivore's dilemma." Prompt students to Think-Pair-Share:

"What are some search terms you could use to find conflicting evidence?" (Responses will vary, but may include: "Does local food taste better?"; "Is local food better for the environment?"; "Eating local, pros and cons."; etc.)

  • Explain to students that when these search terms are used, articles such as http://eled.org/0242 are present in the search results. Choose a section of the text that conflicts with Pollan's view that eating local is the best way to reduce one's carbon footprint, and read it aloud.
  • Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

"In what specific ways does this conflict with Michael Pollan's view?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Explain that each of these authors interprets facts differently, and they make different recommendations about the sustainable choices consumers should make.
  • Give time for students to sift through the information, and ask:

"When there is conflicting information, what should readers do to ensure they are accurately informed on the issue?" (Responses will vary, but should include that further research from reliable sources, analysis of motive and purpose of the texts, and deeper knowledge of an issue will help people feel more prepared to make informed decisions when faced with complicated or conflicting information.)

  • Refer students back to the Independent Research: Local Food note-catcher, and show where the information just discussed is captured in the "fewer food miles" row. Explain to students that they will now conduct their own searches, looking for additional texts that conflict with Michael Pollan's claim about buying locally as the answer to the omnivore's dilemma, and capturing the conflicting information on the note-catcher. Point out how the handout is organized, and explain to students that all of the rows contain supporting points (such as "food tastes better" or "strengthens local economy") that will support the given claim that local food is the answer to the omnivore's dilemma. They may choose any row to research, according to what interests them most. Also show students that evidence from The Omnivore's Dilemma is already given, and their task is to find conflicting information from another source.
  • Answer any questions about the task, then prompt students to retrieve their devices and begin working.
  • As students research, circulate and provide appropriate individualized support to find conflicting evidence. If students are struggling to find conflicting information, direct them to authoritative, high-quality online sources such as:
  • Allow time for students to share with a partner and the class the conflicting evidence they found during their research.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.
  • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

For Lighter Support

  • Divide students into groups, and assign each group one of the preselected online research sources. Each group can be responsible for summarizing and sharing key information from the source with the class.

For Heavier Support

  • Provide a list of suggested online resources in advance of the lesson. This will allow students to familiarize themselves with the content before carrying out the research task.

Homework

Homework

A. Independent Research Reading

  • Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

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