A. Engage the Learner - RI.8.6 (5 minutes)

• Repeated routine: As students arrive, invite them to complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 3.

• 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.

• With students' support, record the meanings of conflicting viewpoint (a perspective that is different from or disagrees with another; the opposition), concept (a big idea), and structure (the way in which the parts of something are arranged or organized) from the learning target to the academic word wall, with translations in students' home languages. Write synonyms or sketch a visual above the words to scaffold students' understanding.

• Invite students to record the words in their vocabulary logs. Prompt students to use the words in new sentences by either writing these sentences down or thinking of these sentences silently, then sharing with a partner. Add any relevant notes to the vocabulary strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

After students complete the entrance ticket, help them to refine their understanding of what a paragraph is and does by engaging the class in a discussion of the characteristics of paragraphs. Provide the following questions to help guide thinking:

How many sentences are usually in a paragraph? (anywhere from two to ten)

Why do writers use paragraphs? (to organize information in a way that helps the reader follow his or her ideas)

How do writers decide when to begin a new paragraph? (when they are moving on to discuss a new topic, theme, or idea)

A. Read The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 2, and Analyze Purpose and Point of View - RI.8.6 (15 minutes)

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

"I can analyze the author's purpose and point of view in a text and explain how he acknowledges conflicting viewpoints."

• Invite students to retrieve their copies of The Omnivore's Dilemma and reread the gist they recorded for section 1.

• Instruct students to turn to page 17.

• Read aloud section 2 as students read along silently. Refer to the Text Guide: The Omnivore's Dilemma (for teacher reference) for excerpt, questions, and vocabulary. If students are able to read independently or in small groups, group students accordingly, and set the time for them to read the excerpt. If students do not finish reading the section within the allotted reading time, distribute Synopsis: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 2 to each student to review the key details from the section.

• After reading the section, ask students to Think-Pair-Share about the gist they determined for the section of text:

"What is the gist of this section?" (Agribusinesses make major profits from farming.)

• Invite students to record the gist onto a sticky note, sticking it at the front of the chapter for quick reference. Alternatively, give students a different option for recording gist, such as writing a margin note or using a graphic organizer that they will return to in the future.

• Guide students to form partners to engage in the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol on the following questions:

"What is your reaction to the information in this excerpt?" (Responses will vary but may include: shock, disgust, disappointment, or interest in agribusiness, GMOs, corn.)

"What are you interested to learn more about now?" (Responses will vary, but may include: how corn is in most of our food, how GMOs are made, the lives of farmers.)

"When you go to the supermarket, what do you usually focus on?" (Responses will vary, but may include: locating my favorite foods, the price of foods.)

"How might this new information about our food change what you focus on in the supermarket?" (Responses will vary, but may include: focus on the ingredients or nutrition facts or GMO label.)

• Display the Author's Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore's Dilemma note-catcher, and instruct students to retrieve their copies.

• Have students turn to page 49. Reread "The High Price of Cheap Corn."

• Draw students' attention to the following sentence:

"Doesn't it produce cheap food for the American people?"

• Ask:

"Why do you think the author addresses the importance of 'cheap food' for the public?" (to point out that people want to pay less for food, people want cheap food)

• Using equity sticks, call on students and ask the following questions from the note-catcher:

"What topic is the author addressing?" (source of cheap food)

"What is the author's attitude toward this topic?" (The cheap food Americans pay for is not cheap at all because their taxes pay for it through subsidies.)

"What is the author's reason for writing this?" (to educate readers about the hidden costs in agribusiness and how it affects farmers)

"What words or ideas from the excerpt helped you determine that point of view?" (problem, but, don't really)

"How does the author's point of view add to our understanding of this topic?" (helps us understand why farmers do not make a lot of money from their crops)

• As students share, record their responses on the displayed Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore's Dilemma note-catcher. Instruct students to follow along and record responses on their own note-catchers. Refer to Author's Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore's Dilemma note-catcher (example for teacher reference).

• Remind students that they defined the term conflicting viewpoint (a perspective that is different from or disagrees with another; the opposition) in Opening A. Ask a volunteer to reread the definition aloud.

• Explain to students that the author introduces his viewpoint in the text, and, sometimes, the author may respond to a conflicting viewpoint as well.

• Ask:

"Why would the author address a conflicting viewpoint?" (The author anticipates where the reader might disagree and wants to provide additional evidence or reasons to support his point. The author knows that the reader might have a different opinion and wants to respond.)

"How does addressing a conflicting viewpoint help the author support his own thinking?" (It gives the author a chance to explain why he disagrees with the conflicting viewpoint.)

• Draw students' attention to the following sentence:

"Your soft drink and hamburger may be cheaper, but that's because taxpayers have already paid for part of it."

• Ask:

"What is the conflicting viewpoint that is addressed in this section?" (Cheap corn produces cheap food for Americans.)

"How does the author respond to the conflicting viewpoint?" (by pointing out that food is not actually cheap because American taxes pay for the government subsidies used to produce the cheap corn)

• As students share, record their responses at the bottom section of the displayed Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore's Dilemma note-catcher, under "Conflicting Viewpoint." Note the page number and topic, the viewpoint the author addresses, and the author's conflicting viewpoint. Instruct students to follow along and record responses on their own note-catchers. Refer to Author's Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore's Dilemma note-catcher (example for teacher reference).

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

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

During Work Time A, as students read section 2 of The Omnivore's Dilemma, have them stop after each paragraph to paraphrase the information they have read. This will help to build comprehension, while also giving students the opportunity to practice paraphrasing and speaking skills. 

B. Mini Lesson: Analyze Paragraph Structure - RI.8.5 (20 minutes)

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

"I can identify the structure of a specific paragraph in a text and how it develops a key concept."

• Using equity sticks, call on a student, and ask:

"What do you think you will look at when you analyze paragraph structure in a text?" (the way the paragraph is put together, the organization of sentences, relationship between sentences)

• Explain to students that the structure of paragraphs is purposeful and that sentences within paragraphs help develop an idea. Remind students that when they write, they structure their paragraphs to support their points. Throughout The Omnivore's Dilemma, students will analyze the structure of paragraphs and how these structures help develop key ideas in the text.

• Display the Paragraph Structure anchor chart.

• Explain to students that there are many types of paragraphs, but they will focus on four types: Compare/Contrast, Descriptive, Narrative, and Expository/Explanatory.

• Focus students on Part I of the anchor chart. Read aloud or ask volunteers to read aloud each paragraph type and definition.

• With students' support, record the meanings of compare/contrast paragraph (paragraph that analyzes similarities and differences), descriptive paragraph (paragraph that describes something using sensory language or an observation of details), narrative paragraph (paragraph with a story sequence), and expository/explanatory paragraph (paragraph that explains a topic) on the domain-specific word wall, with translations in students' home languages. Write synonyms or sketch a visual above the words to scaffold students' understanding. Invite students to record these words in their vocabulary logs.

• Focus students on Part II of the anchor chart.

• Inform students that they will practice identifying types of paragraphs. They will also start to identify key concepts introduced by these paragraphs and sentences that develop those key concepts.

• Instruct students to turn to page 11. Focus students on paragraph 1. Ask a volunteer to reread the paragraph.

• Ask:

"What type of paragraph is this?" (compare/contrast)

"How do you know this is a compare/contrast paragraph?" (It compares/contrasts food traditions and Modern American experts on food.)

• As students share, record their responses in the second column, "Type of Paragraph." See the Paragraph Structure anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

• Read aloud the selected sentence from this paragraph in the third column of the Paragraph Structure anchor chart. Explain that the sentence develops the concept that people do not know where our food comes from, which creates the "omnivore's dilemma."

• Instruct students to turn to page 17. Focus students on paragraph 2. Ask a volunteer to reread the paragraph.

• Ask:

"What type of paragraph is this?" (descriptive)

"How do you know this is a descriptive paragraph?" (It is a description of a supermarket.)

• As students share, record their responses in the second column, "Type of Paragraph." See the Paragraph Structure anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

• Using equity sticks, call on a student, and ask:

"What sensory language does the author use to describe a supermarket?" ("shelves piled high," "look again," "brightly colored," "mountain of corn")

"What is the purpose of the author using this sensory language?" (to create a mental image for the reader)

• Read aloud the selected sentence from this paragraph in the third column of the Paragraph Structure anchor chart. Explain that the sentence appeals to the sense of sight to help readers imagine what the supermarket looks like and how most foods contain corn.

• Instruct students to turn to page 34. Focus students on paragraph 1. Ask a volunteer to reread the paragraph.

• Ask:

"What type of paragraph is this?" (narrative)

"How do you know this is a narrative paragraph?" (It tells a story about George's grandfather.)

• As students share, record their responses in the second column, "Type of Paragraph." See the Paragraph Structure anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

• Tell students that this paragraph uses sequence to tell a brief story of the author's food investigation.

• Using equity sticks, call on a student, and ask:

"Which words or terms in this paragraph indicate that there is a sequence of events?" ("the very beginning," "first," and "then")

• Read aloud the selected sentence from this paragraph in the third column of the Paragraph Structure anchor chart. Explain that the sentence develops the idea of the author working as a food detective by providing the reader with the history of farmers and seeds.

• Instruct students to turn to page 35. Focus students on paragraph 3. Ask a volunteer to reread the paragraph.

• Ask:

"What type of paragraph is this?" (expository/explanatory)

"How do you know this is an expository/explanatory paragraph?" (It gives information about hybrid corn.)

• As students share, record their responses in the second column, "Type of Paragraph." See the Paragraph Structure anchor chart (example for teacher reference).

• Read aloud the selected sentence from this paragraph in the third column of the Paragraph Structure anchor chart. Explain that the sentence provides data to inform the reader about hybrid corn plants.

• Using equity sticks, call on a student, and ask:

"How do statistics help develop an expository/explanatory paragraph?" (They help us measure information using numbers and understand how much something is affected.)

• If productive, use a Goal 2 Conversation Cue to encourage students to listen carefully to one another and seek to understand the paragraph structure of this excerpt from The Omnivore's Dilemma:

"Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?"

"Can you give an example?"

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

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

After the mini lesson on paragraph structure in Work Time B, invite students to look for other examples of the different types of paragraphs. Students can share their examples with the group and work together to use the criteria generated on the paragraph structure anchor chart to explore the structure of each one.

A. Exit Ticket: Paragraph Structure: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 2 - RI.8.5 (5 minutes)

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

"I can analyze the structure of a specific paragraph in a text and how it develops a key concept."

• Tell students that they will answer a selected and a constructed response question about structure. Review the Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart if needed. Display and distribute Exit Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 3, and read the questions aloud. Invite students to respond to the questions on their own. Refer to the Exit Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 3 (answers for teacher reference).

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

• Collect exit tickets as students leave.