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.

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.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

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. 

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.

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:

  • http://eled.org/0239

  • http://eled.org/0240

  • http://eled.org/0241

  • http://eled.org/0242

• 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.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

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.

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.