Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices | EL Education Curriculum

You are here

Home › Our Curriculum › ELA 2019 Grade 8 › ELA 2019 G8:M2 › ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3 ›

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L3

Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices

In this Lesson

You are here:

Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.8.1, RI.8.4

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.

  • L.8.6
Download Materials

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can cite evidence to support how various food choices are healthy and/or sustainable. (RI.8.1)
  • I can take a stance on a topic and engage in collaborative discussions with my peers about healthy and sustainable foods. (SL.8.1)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 3 (RI.8.4)
  • Work Time B: Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices anchor chart (RI.8.1)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher (RI.8.1)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - RI.8.4 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Consider the Evidence: Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices - RI.8.1 (10 minutes)

B. Four Corners: Determine a Food Choice - RI.8.1 (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Support Your Food Choice: Gather Evidence - RI.8.1 (10 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Review Evidence on Food Choices: Students go back through their Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher to find additional evidence that relates to the sustainable and healthy food choice they will recommend in their argument essay, and add this evidence to their Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher.

B. 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

  • RI.8.4 – Opening A: Students review the meaning of the word sustainable and determine whether various contexts represent sustainable situations.
  • RI.8.1 – Work Time A: Students independently review evidence that supports their food choice.
  • RI.8.1 – Work Time B: Students share evidence that supports their food choice and listen to the evidence their peers present.
  • RI.8.1 – Closing and Assessment A: Students find new evidence to support their stance on the most important food choice for health and sustainability.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Students may conduct further research on each food choice reviewed in Work Time A to find additional evidence that supports how each food choice is sustainable and healthy.
  • Give students the opportunity to participate in a discussion regarding the pros and cons of each food choice prior to selecting one that they will support with evidence.
  • Have students gather data on the food their friends and family are eating. Students can create a survey or conduct interviews to learn about the food choices people make and how they select what to eat.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the previous lesson, students examined language in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. In this lesson, students review their independent research from Unit 2 and find new evidence that supports the ways in which their topic contributes to access to healthy food and a sustainable environment. Students also discuss the sustainability and health of the various food choices and determine which they feel is the most important.

Support All Students

  • Pull small instructional groups who need more scaffolding and support to select evidence in Closing and Assessment A. ▲
  • Providing written and verbal directions, and charting the steps they will take on an anchor chart, could help students as they select evidence. ▲
  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher used in Closing and Assessment A in the supporting materials download. ▲
  • Model the Four Corners activity with familiar everyday topics before students begin the task of considering healthy and sustainable food choices in order to help familiarize them with the procedure.
  • For the evidence gathering in Closing and Assessment A, remind students they can use the texts provided in Unit 2, Lessons 1 (about GMOs) and 4 (about pesticides, food deserts, and organic foods), as well as information from The Omnivore’s Dilemma. In addition, provide students with links to websites related to their topics, similar to the ones listed below, to support them as they search for credible evidence:

Assessment Guidance

  • Review students’ Food Choices and Evidence note-catchers to ensure they are citing strong evidence to support the food choices they determined are most important.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will analyze a model argument essay and generate criteria for an effective argument before planning and drafting practice essays in Lessons 4–9. This work will prepare students for the End of Unit 3 Assessment, where students plan and write an argument essay on one of the food choices explored in this lesson.

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher (one per student)
    • Signs for the Four Corners activity (see Work Time B)
  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 3 at each student’s workspace.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • 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.B.6 and 8.I.B.8.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson guides ELLs in considering a research question. Students review the independent research they carried out in Unit 2 and gather evidence that supports the ways in which their topic is sustainable and/or healthy. Students engage in short discussions with peers and a Four Corners protocol to support one another as they analyze evidence to support an argument about an informed choice community members can make about healthy and sustainable food. This activity provides an opportunity for rich work with content and practice with oral skills.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to find and determine the relevance of evidence. Help students to navigate the work in this lesson by using the differentiated graphic organizer provided and by using strategic grouping to ensure that ELLs work with supportive peers. Use Conversation Cues during the Four Corners protocol as students share their opinions and the evidence that they have gathered to help guide the discussion.

Vocabulary

  • sustainable (A)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Academic word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher (example for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time A)
  • Vocabulary logs (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time A)
  • The Omnivore's Dilemma (text; one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Closing and Assessment 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 3, Lesson 3 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices anchor chart (example for teacher reference)
  • Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices anchor chart (one for display; co-created in Work Times A and B)
  • Sticky notes (two, for modeling)
  • Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 3 (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (three per student)
  • Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher (one per student and one for display)
  • Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher ▲

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 - RI.8.4 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: As students arrive, invite them to complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 3. As students complete the task, prompt them to Turn and Talk about their responses, and use a total participation technique to share responses with the class.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as 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 previous lessons.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Consider the Evidence: Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices - RI.8.1 (10 minutes)

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

"I can cite evidence to support how various food choices are healthy and/or sustainable."

  • Explain to students that in Lessons 11-12 of this unit, they will write an argument essay that will address the following prompt:
    • "What is one informed action people in your community can take to make healthy and sustainable food choices?"
  • Explain to students that they will argue one action that people in their community can take to make healthy and sustainable food choices, based on information they have about the topic. Remind students that they explored food choices in Units 1 and 2, and tell them that they will make a recommendation of the best food choice for people in their community.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What might be the purpose of answering this question? How can your essay influence readers?" (Responses will vary, but may include: explains the importance of healthy eating, informs the public about thoughtful food choices, reveals the complications of access to healthy food, influences people to make healthy food choices.)

  • Use a total participation technique to have students share out the research topics they had in Unit 2 (organic food, pesticides, high-fructose corn syrup, food deserts, and the models that discussed GMOs and CSAs) and their initial thoughts on how their topic is connected to healthy and/or sustainable food.
  • Explain to students that they will practice argument writing skills and use their independent research case-study findings to begin to develop their recommendation for a healthy food choice.
  • Display the Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices anchor chart. Remind students that the subject of food choices is complicated, and there are many facts and concerns to consider. Explain to students that this chart lists the research topics and informative essay topics and that each research topic will have some connection to being healthy and sustainable. Remind students that some of their research case studies may not be healthy or sustainable, in which case they will identify why their case study is unhealthy or unsustainable.
  • Point to the information captured for GMOS on the anchor chart. Model capturing this information on two sticky notes, one for how GMOs are healthy, and one for how GMOs are sustainable. Explain how the topic of GMOs may be considered by some to be healthy and sustainable.
  • Explain that some people may have a different opinion of GMOs, and they might feel that GMOs are not healthy, and/or do not promote sustainability. Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

"Why might people feel that GMOs are unhealthy?" (Responses will vary, but may include: GMOs can cause a type of cancer, GMO corn can make cows sick.)

"Why might people feel that GMOs are not sustainable?" (Responses will vary, but may include: GMOs increase the use of pesticides, which can harm plants that aren't pests.)

  • Distribute two sticky notes to each student, and prompt them to think about how their own research topic may (or may not) be healthy and sustainable. Ask students to review their Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher, circling any evidence they collected previously that relates to the health or sustainability of their topic. Explain that they will have more time to collect evidence later in the lesson, but they should capture their initial ideas on how their topic promotes, or does not promote, healthy and sustainable food choices on their sticky notes. Remind students that one sticky note is for how their research is healthy (or not healthy), and one is for how their research is sustainable (or not sustainable). Refer to the Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher (example for teacher reference).
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.
  • N/A

B. Four Corners: Determine a Food Choice - RI.8.1 (20 minutes)

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

"I can take a stance on a topic and engage in collaborative discussions with my peers about healthy and sustainable foods."

  • Explain to students that they will use the Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices anchor chart for a Four Corners activity to take a stance on healthy and sustainable food choices.
  • Focus students on the signs at each of the four corners of the room: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree.
  • Explain to students that the purpose of this activity is to discuss their ideas that they generated in Work Time A, analyze their importance, and take a stance on the importance of each food choice and an informed action that citizens can take to promote healthy and sustainable food choices.
  • Explain that as each statement is read aloud, students will decide whether they agree with the statement or disagree, and how strongly. They will show how they feel by standing near the sign that best describes their opinion. For example, if they strongly agree, they will walk to the "Strongly Agree" corner. They must choose one of the four corners and may not stand in between corners or in the center of the room. Answer any clarifying questions.
  • Instruct students to stand. Stand at the side of the room to monitor all students.
  • Use the following steps to guide students through the Four Corners activity:

1. Read aloud the statement:

"The best-informed action citizens can take to eat healthy and sustainable food is to support the production of GMOs."

2. Give students at least 10 seconds to think about the statement.

3. Instruct students to choose the corner with the response that best represents their point of view.

4. Turn and Talk:

"Why did you choose this corner? Why do you feel this way about the statement?" (Responses will vary.)

5. Circulate as students discuss their stances to ensure students are on task and are using the evidence on their sticky notes to support their claims. Answer any clarifying questions, and prompt students to help them form their opinion.

6. Refocus the whole class.

7. Give students the opportunity to move to other corners of the room if students' responses have persuaded them to change their stance.

8. Ask a volunteer from one of the populated corners to explain his/her stance, or the stance of someone he/she spoke to in the same corner.

9. Display the Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices anchor chart, and, with student support, fill in valid evidence about whether the choice discussed in this round is healthy and sustainable. Use the Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices anchor chart (example for teacher reference) to ensure there is adequate evidence added for each category.

10. Cue students to expand the conversation using Goal 4 Conversation Cues, as appropriate:

"How is what _____ said the same as/different from what _____ said?"

"Do you agree or disagree with what your classmate said? Why?"

"Who can add on to what your classmate said?"

"Who can explain why your classmate came up with that response?"

11. Repeat steps 1-10 three more times (four rounds total), choosing from the below prompts related to the remaining research case studies:

      • "We should avoid pesticides and only eat organic food because it's healthier."
      • "Asking public officials to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to food deserts is the most healthy and sustainable choice citizens can make."
      • "Everyone should avoid high-fructose corn syrup and only use cane sugar."
      • "The best-informed action citizens can take to eat healthy and sustainable food is to eat organic food."
      • "The best-informed action citizens can take to eat healthy and sustainable food is to avoid food with high-fructose corn syrup."
      • "The best-informed action citizens can take to eat healthy and sustainable food is to support CSAs."
      • "The best-informed action citizens can take to eat healthy and sustainable food is to avoid foods made with pesticides."
      • "The best-informed action citizens can take to eat healthy and sustainable food is to recommend that communities pass laws that help avoid food deserts by promoting healthy grocery stores in neighborhoods."
  • Refocus the whole class. Explain that now that students have had time to remind themselves of how each topic is related to healthy and sustainable food, they need to take a stance on which topic, in their judgment, is the best action to take. Explain that while most students will likely continue to work with their topic from unit 2, they may choose to take a stance on another topic, if that is more compelling.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"Which food-related action, from those discussed in the Four Corners activity, is the best that citizens can take? Why?" (Responses will vary.)

  • As they are discussing their stance, distribute one sticky note to each student. Invite students to write their name on the sticky note as well as the food choice they decided on. Call each food-choice topic one at a time, inviting the students from that topic to place their sticky note next to the appropriate topic on the anchor chart to give a class visual display of the support for each food choice. Students can refer to The Omnivore's Dilemma, as needed, to review information related to food choices.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • During the Four Corners activity in Work Time B, encourage students to write down the statements as they are read. Some students may process information more easily if they can both hear and see the statements being made, allowing them to participate fully in the analysis required of the task.
  • In Work Time B, invite students to generate sentence frames to help guide discussion during the Four Corners activity. This will not only help ELLs to navigate the discussion but will also draw attention to language structure, which can benefit ELLs in their overall language development beyond this activity. By having students take ownership of creating their own frames, they will think critically about the objectives of the pair-share and the practical and linguistic demands they will encounter during the activity.

For Heavier Support

  • During the Four Corners activity in Work Time B, provide a list of the statements that will be read for visual support. Some students may process information more easily if they can both hear and see the statements being made, allowing them to participate fully in the analysis required of the task.
  • In Work Time B, provide sentence frames to help guide discussion during the Four Corners activity:
    • "The most important informed action consumers can take is ____________ because ____________."
    • "This informed action is important for consumers because ____________."
  • This not only helps ELLs to navigate the discussion but also draws attention to language structure, which can benefit ELLs in their overall language development beyond this activity.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Support Your Food Choice: Gather Evidence – RI.8.1 (10 minutes)

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

“I can cite evidence to support how various food choices are healthy and/or sustainable.”

  • Remind students that future lessons will prepare them to write an argument essay in which they make a recommendation about a healthy and sustainable food choice. Today, they will begin gathering evidence to support their argument.
  • Ask students to find a new partner who has chosen the same topic for their argument essay, and then to Think-Pair-Share:

“When citing textual evidence, how do you know the evidence strongly supports an idea? How do you choose the best evidence?” (Responses will vary, but may include: find information in the text that proves the idea is correct, look for information that is similar to the idea or agrees with the idea.)

  • Display and distribute the Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher, showing students how it is organized. For ELLs and students who require additional support, the Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher ▲ can be used to help guide students’ thinking with matching and sentence starters. Explain that students will use this note-catcher to gather evidence about the topic they have selected.
  • Point to the row for GMOs, and show how the research on the chart comes directly from research gathered for their informative essay. Remind students that they have already gathered evidence on their Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher that may apply to their topic. Explain to students that for homework, they will go back through their Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher to look for evidence that relates to their topic being sustainable and healthy and transfer this information to their Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher, but that in this lesson, they will focus on finding new evidence related to their topic.
  • Prompt students to begin working with their partner to find new evidence that supports their food choice as a sustainable and healthy choice, and to record their findings on their Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher.
  • As students work, circulate and check in on their progress. Refer to the Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher (example for teacher reference). If students are struggling to find new evidence to support their food choice, prompt them by asking questions such as:

“What search terms will help you determine how your topic is sustainable?”

“What search terms will help you determine how your topic is healthy?”

  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • N/A

For Heavier Support

  • During Closing and Assessment A, invite students who need heavier support to use the Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher ▲. This resource features matching and sentence starters to help students fill in the required information.

Homework

Homework

A. Review Evidence on Food Choices

  • Students go back through their Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher to find additional evidence that relates to the sustainable and healthy food choice they will recommend in their argument essay, and add this evidence to their Food Choices and Evidence note-catcher.

B. 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.

Copyright © 2013-2024 by EL Education, New York, NY.

Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

Sign Up

Help us improve our curriculum.

Tell us what’s going well, share your concerns and feedback.

Terms of use. To learn more about EL Education, visit eleducation.org

Leave feedback