Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

• RI.8.6 – Work Time B: Students analyze the author’s purpose and point of view.
• RI.8.6 – Closing and Assessment A: Students answer a question focused on the author’s point of view.
• The Think-Pair-Share protocol is used in this lesson. Protocols are an important feature of the 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.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

• Students could read chapters 12, 13, and 14 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and analyze the author’s point of view on other food topics in the text.
• Students can research local sustainability and even local farms and farmers markets in their area. Students can conduct interviews with local farmers, visit farms, or use the internet to conduct their research.

How It Builds on Previous Work

• In previous lessons, students analyzed the author’s purpose and point of view in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. In this lesson, students continue this analysis.

Support All Students

• Presenting learning targets in writing, orally, and, if possible, accompanied by symbols, will help students to understand the language within them. ▲
• Note that section 6 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma brings up the topic of grass farming and posits this as a natural way to keep animals happy and healthy. Some students or their families may find this topic to be new, challenging, or even frustrating depending on their own eating habits, knowledge, access, or other factors. 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 around these topics to ensure that all students feel comfortable, and have 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). ▲

Assessment Guidance

• Review students’ Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore’s Dilemma note-catchers to ensure they understand how to determine the author’s purpose, point of view, and conflicting viewpoints.
• Check student vocabulary logs for accountability in recording vocabulary.
• Check gist statements to ensure students are recording quick notes about what the text is mostly about.
• As students work in pairs to answer the selected response question in Closing and Assessment A, listen to discussions to determine how close students are to understanding how to answer questions related to RI.8.6, to determine any common issues that could be used as teaching points for the whole group.

Down the Road

• In the next lesson, students will analyze paragraph structure in excerpts from The Omnivore’s Dilemma that students read in this lesson.