ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3

Write an Argument: Healthy Food Choices

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In the first half of Unit 3, students analyze language and connotations in The Omnivore's Dilemma in order to understand what Michael Pollan intends his readers to understand. In the second half of Unit 3, students consider the many food choices they have researched and formulate an argument about a choice their community can make to eat healthily and sustainably. Students plan and draft argument essays to defend their claim.

For their performance task, students create an infographic to visually depict their argument and prepare prompt cards to present their argument to an audience of classmates, teachers, and community members.

Please note: For the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum, there are Teaching Notes for each unit that contain helpful information for supporting English language learners. These overview notes complement the more specific English language learner supports and differentiated materials within each lesson. You will find the Teaching Notes in the Unit download below.

CCS Standards

Writing

W.8.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
W.8.1a: Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
W.8.1b: Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
W.8.1c: Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
W.8.1d: Establish and maintain a formal style.
W.8.1e: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
W.8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
W.8.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
W.8.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.8.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Language

L.8.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.8.4a: Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
L.8.4b: Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).
L.8.5b: Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.
L.8.5c: Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).
L.8.6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

The Four Ts

Topic: Food Choices
Task:

Analyze language in The Omnivore's Dilemma.
Write an argument essay to defend a claim about how communities can make healthy food choices.
Present your argument to an audience using an infographic and prompt cards.

Targets: W.8.1, W.8.4, W.8.6, W.8.9, W.8.10, L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.4a, L.8.4b, L.8.5b, L.8.5c, L.8.6
Texts: The Omnivore's Dilemma (Young Readers Edition) by Michael Pollan

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.

Download this Unit's Assessments

Habits of Character/Social-Emotional Learning Focus

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on "habits of character" and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration); work to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, compassion); and work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service).

In this unit, students focus on working to become effective learners as they show perseverance to learn and practice new argument writing skills. They also focus on working to contribute to a better world as they make arguments for healthy food choices that could benefit their community members.

Unit-at-a-Glance

Each unit is made up of a sequence of between 10-18 lessons. The Unit-at-a-Glance charts, available on the grade-level landing pages, break down each unit's lessons, showing CCS standards, agenda breakdown, daily learning targets, and ongoing assessments. The charts also indicate which lessons include mid- and end of unit assessments and the performance task.

View the unit-at-a-glance chart

Texts and Resources to Buy

Texts and resources that need to be procured. Please download the Required Trade Books and Resources Procurement List for procurement guidance.

Text or Resource	Quantity	ISBNs
The Omnivore's Dilemma (Young Readers Edition) by Michael Pollan	one per student	ISBN: 9781101993835

Preparation and Materials

The following materials are introduced in this unit and referenced throughout both the module and the school year:

Argument Writing checklist
Characteristics of Argument Writing anchor chart
Track Progress: Argument Writing

CCS Standards

Writing

Language

The Four Ts

Assessment

Habits of Character/Social-Emotional Learning Focus

Unit-at-a-Glance

Texts and Resources to Buy

Preparation and Materials

Lessons

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L1

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L2

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L3

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L4

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L5

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L6

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L7

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L8

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L9

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L10

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L11

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L13

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L14

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L15

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