A. Engage the Learner - RI.8.5 (5 minutes)

• Repeated routine: As students arrive, invite them to complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 6.

• 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.

A. Read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 4, and Analyze Purpose and Point of View – RI.8.6 (20 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.”

• Repeated routine: Follow the same process as with previous lessons for students to read section 4 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, using the Text Guide: The Omnivore’s Dilemma (for teacher reference). Instruct students to read the section independently, and support struggling students as needed. If students do not finish reading the section within the allotted reading time, distribute Synopsis: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 4 to each student to review the key details from the section. As time permits, have students identify the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary, reflect on their reading as they choose, and record the gist using the following resources as appropriate: sticky notes and vocabulary logs.

• Think-Triad-Share:

“Think about your favorite cereals or snacks. How do you think the shape, taste, and/or color may have attracted you to the food?” (Responses will vary, but may include: the shape and color of cheese doodles, the dipping of cookies in milk, the frosted sugar on corn flakes.)

“What do you think about the diabetes and obesity epidemic in America?” (Responses will vary, but may include: it is scary, it is a hopeless issue, we can work together to solve this problem.)

“What are you interested to learn more about now?” (Responses will vary, but may include: the history of supersizing, government subsidies for corn, how overeating causes diabetes and obesity.)

• 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 89 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Reread paragraph 2, beginning with “Companies can also try . . .” and ending with “. . . flavonoids from red wine.”

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

“What topic is the author addressing?” (added value in foods—vitamins)

“What is the author’s attitude toward this topic?” (Companies change foods in various ways so they can sell us more of them.)

“What is the author’s reason for writing this?” (to explain how companies manipulate consumers into believing they added value to our food)

“What words or ideas from the excerpt helped you determine that point of view?” (“We need an apple that fights cancer!”; “any old chicken”; “removed”)

“How does the author’s point of view add to our understanding of this topic?” (helps us understand how companies make money and why foods are appealing to us)

• 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) as needed.

• Divide the class into two groups.

• Assign one group to analyze the author’s purpose and point of view on eating more food in pages 91–93. Assign the other group to analyze the author’s purpose and point of view on government and public health in pages 99–100. Students may work in pairs, small groups, or independently. Instruct students to complete their note-catcher as they analyze their excerpt.

• Circulate as students work to ensure they are on task and can determine the author’s purpose and point of view in a text. Refer to Author’s Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore’s Dilemma note-catcher (example for teacher reference).

• Refocus the class. Ask volunteers from the first group to share their analysis of pages 91–93:

“What topic is the author addressing?” (eating more food)

“What is the author’s attitude toward this topic?” (Companies convince us to eat more food, which causes obesity and diabetes.)

“What is the author’s reason for writing this?” (to inform readers about the dangers of overeating)

“What words or ideas from the excerpt helped you determine that point of view?” (“scheme,” “killing us,” “supersized meals,” “awful lot”)

“How does the author’s point of view add to our understanding of this topic?” (helps us understand the effect processed foods have on our body and our health)

• Ask volunteers from the second group to share their analysis of pages 99–100:

“What topic is the author addressing?” (government and public health)

“What is the author’s attitude toward this topic?” (The government is not consistent in how it supports healthy eating.)

“What is the author’s reason for writing this?” (to show the government’s role in the health crisis in America)

“What words or ideas from the excerpt helped you determine that point of view?” (“mixed messages”)

“How does the author’s point of view add to our understanding of this topic?” (helps us understand why the government funds high-calorie foods more than healthy foods)

• Remind students that they analyzed an implied claim in the previous lesson. Remind students that the author’s point of view is often very similar to the author’s implied claim. An author’s point of view often leads to an implied claim.

• Have students revisit page 89. Reread paragraphs 2 and 3, beginning with “Companies can also try . . . .”

• Think-Pair-Share:

“What is the conflicting viewpoint that is addressed in this section?” (Adding nutritional value to foods is good for the health of consumers.)

“How does the author respond to the conflicting viewpoint?” (by explaining that foods naturally contain nutritional value, but companies remove the nutrition when they process these foods)

• 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.” 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) as needed.

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

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

After Work Time A, invite students to participate in a Mini Language Dive in small groups to explore a sentence from The Omnivore's Dilemma in which Michael Pollan introduces a response to a conflicting viewpoint. In the practice portion of this Mini Language Dive, students have the opportunity to apply their learning to connect two clauses using a comma and a coordinating conjunction, which connects to work students will do with L.8.2a in the next module.

To extend practice with using commas with coordinating conjunctions to connect two independent clauses after the optional Mini Language Dive, invite students to practice connecting sentences from The Omnivore's Dilemma or other texts using a comma with a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Build in time for students to discuss why they selected a particular conjunction to help students gain a deeper understanding of differences in meaning.

To extend practice with using linking language to indicate contrast, as time allows, incorporate additional questions into the Reconstruct section of the Mini Language Dive:

"What other words or phrases indicate contrast?" (however, on the other hand)

"How would the sentence structure and punctuation be different if the author had used however to indicate contrast between the two clauses?" (However would begin an independent clause after a semicolon or period.)

To extend practice with using commas with coordinating conjunctions to connect two independent clauses after the optional Mini Language Dive, invite students to search for examples of this convention in The Omnivore's Dilemma. Students can share the examples they find in small groups and discuss why the author chose a particular coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to connect ideas.

After Work Time A, to help students internalize conventions for using commas to indicate a pause, read aloud a paragraph from the text with sentences that contain commas, and invite students to listen for the pauses while they read along. This multimodal input will help students to use their oral language proficiency to aid their understanding and acquisition of punctuation usage.

To extend practice with the use of punctuation to indicate a pause, extend practice after the Mini Language Dive with a discussion of the differences among colons, commas, and semicolons. Ask students questions like the following, and generate a list of criteria for punctuation usage as a class. This work will help students to build knowledge for the Mid-Unit 3 Assessment, which targets L.8.2a.

"What are some ways in which we use commas to indicate a pause in our writing?" (to separate list items, before a coordinating conjunction when connecting two independent clauses, to add additional information in a sentence using an adjective or adverb phrase, before a quotation when citing a source)

"How are semicolons used to indicate a pause?" (to connect two independent clauses that are closely related)

"Which of these punctuation marks indicates the biggest pause?" (the colon)

B. Jigsaw: Paragraph Structure - RI.8.5 (15 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 explain how it develops a key concept."

• Explain to students that they will work in groups to analyze a paragraph from their reading in Work Time A. They will analyze the paragraph structure, identifying the type of paragraph the author uses, the key concept of the paragraph, a sentence that develops the key concept, how that sentence contributes to developing the key concept, and why the author included the paragraph and its role in the author's overall purpose. Remind students that they analyzed paragraph structures in Lesson 3 and that analyzing the structure and purpose of a paragraph can help the reader better understand how the author communicates his ideas to readers.

• Display the Paragraph Structure anchor chart. Ask a volunteer to read aloud the description of each paragraph structure in Part I of the anchor chart for students to review what each structure entails so they can identify them. Answer any clarifying questions.

• Organize students into three groups: Group A, Group B, and Group C.

• Reveal the covered chart paper around the room with paragraphs from section 4 of The Omnivore's Dilemma, as well as the chart paper with the Jigsaw directions displayed for all students to refer to during the Jigsaw. Read aloud the five prompts students will answer in the margins of their chart paper:

  • "What type of paragraph structure does the author use?"

  • "What is the key concept of this paragraph?"

  • "Highlight or underline a sentence that develops this key concept."

  • "How does the quotation (sentence) contribute to developing the key concept?"

  • "Why does the author include this paragraph, and what role does it play in the author's overall purpose?"

• Assign paragraph 1 to Group A, paragraph 2 to Group B, and paragraph 3 to Group C. Consider providing each group an additional sheet of chart paper to write their responses to the prompts.

• Instruct students to read their paragraph at least twice with their group, discuss each question, and record their group response underneath the paragraph they analyzed.

• Focus students on the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart. Remind students that it says at the top that effective learners are people who develop the mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life.

• Ask a volunteer to read aloud the habit of character: "I collaborate. This means I can work well with others to accomplish a task or goal."

• Ask students to Think-Pair-Share to review the following questions:

"What does collaboration look like? What might you see when people are collaborating?" Reference the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart as needed.

"What does collaboration sound like? What might you hear when people are collaborating?" Reference the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart as needed.

• Explain to students that their learning in this activity requires everyone in the class to collaborate in order to be successful.

• Instruct students to begin.

• Circulate as students work in their groups to ensure they are on track in analyzing the structure of their paragraph. Support struggling students as needed. Students will share their responses with the class, so they must have an accurate analysis of their paragraph. Remind students to refer to the Paragraph Structure anchor chart.

• Refocus the class. Instruct each group to select a spokesperson to share the group's ideas with the class and to be sure they have recorded the group's thinking on their chart paper underneath the paragraph they analyzed. For sample responses, see Closing and Assessment A.

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

A. Whole-Class Share - SL.8.1 (5 minutes)

• Invite Group A's spokesperson to display their group's chart paper and share their analysis:

"What type of paragraph structure does the author use?" (Expository/Explanatory)

"What is the key concept of this paragraph?" (The author explains how the food we eat is causing an epidemic of obesity and diabetes in America.)

"Highlight or underline a sentence that develops this key concept." ("This is a giant public health problem, costing the healthcare system an estimated $90 billion a year.")

"How does the quotation (sentence) contribute to developing the key concept?" (This sentence contributes to developing the concept that diabetes and obesity are an epidemic by providing evidence that it costs billions to treat these diseases.)

"Why does the author include this paragraph, and what role does it play in the author's overall purpose?" (This paragraph includes research that supports the author's point of view that the American diet is unhealthy.)

• Invite Group B's spokesperson to display their group's chart paper and share their analysis:

"What type of paragraph structure does the author use?" (Narrative)

"What is the key concept of this paragraph?" (The author tells a brief story of how David Wallerstein created supersized foods.)

"Highlight or underline a sentence that develops this key concept." ("He thought he knew why: Going for seconds makes people feel piggish.")

"How does the quotation (sentence) contribute to developing the key concept?" (This sentence contributes to developing the concept that supersizing causes people to overeat.)

"Why does the author include this paragraph and what role does it play in the author's overall purpose?" (This paragraph includes the history of supersizing to introduce one of the factors that contributes to the obesity problem in America.)

• Invite Group C's spokesperson to display their group's chart paper and share their analysis:

"What type of paragraph structure does the author use?" (Compare/Contrast)

"What is the key concept of this paragraph?" (The author compares and contrasts the cost of high-calorie foods and low-calorie foods.)

"Highlight or underline a sentence that develops this key concept." ("In a typical supermarket, one dollar could buy 1,200 calories of potato chips and cookies.")

"How does the quotation (sentence) contribute to developing the key concept?" (This sentence contributes to developing the concept that high-calorie food is cheaper than low-calorie food by providing an example of the cost of cheap high-calorie food.)

"Why does the author include this paragraph and what role does it play in the author's overall purpose?" (This paragraph includes research that supports the author's point of view on cheap fat.)

• If time permits, ask:

"What made this activity challenging?" (Responses will vary.)

"What do you need help with in order to fully understand types of paragraphs and how sentences in paragraphs develop a key concept?" (Responses will vary.)

• Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.