English/Language Arts

Applicable Washington State Standards:

RL.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

RL.6: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Lesson Idea: 

In accordance with state reading standards surrounding key details, students will read the novel Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. As they read the book, they will highlight important ideas associated with the theme of the novel and pull quotes to answer the question, “How can gardening and growing something help create community?” 

For younger grades (6th, possibly 7th), it may be necessary to use this book to develop a definition of community prior to asking students how agriculture can create community. One adaptation could be a field trip to local urban farms or community gardens (York Farm is an option here in Bellingham), allowing students to synthesize what they have read with a real life example. Additionally, students could have an artistic element, in which they go out to the garden and imagine the space from the novel, developing an idea of symbolism through the plants around them.

The novel, Seedfolks, offers middle school students an age appropriate introduction to abstract ideas like hope, community, and connection. These concepts are a central theme in the story, something that students in middle school must be able to identify through the use of details and evidence. There are a wealth of novels including ideas and themes surrounding farming and gardening, though Fleischman's work is age appropriate for middle school students, both thematically and linguistically.

Applicable Washington State Standards:

RL.1 (9-10): Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. 

RL.1 (11-12): Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

Lesson Idea, Grades 9-10:

For grades 9-10, students could read excerpts from Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire, specifically the sections on tulips and apples. Using these sections offers students a chance to connect agriculture and human nature, allowing for an interesting project opportunity. This project could satisfy Washington state standards 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 in reading. As they read these sections, they must identify text evidence to support their arguments on how Pollan explains the connection between human life and plant life. Students could go further, identifying some plant or crop and deciding what it represents both symbolically and physically, thus forcing them to understand how to develop a strong, written argument (satisfying state writing standard 2). 

Lesson Idea, Grades 11-12:

For grades 11-12, the same book could be used, as The Botany of Desire is a rich, engaging text with many deeper ideas to be found. However, for a different text with different thematic elements, educators could use the text Stolen Harvest by Vandana Shiva. Shiva’s book analyzes how major corporations and large scale agriculture has changed our food systems and our society permanently. This book has a history/social studies lens, though the use of text analysis to pull important information is a standard for English. Stolen Harvest could be a book that is used in tandem with other novels exploring themes of oppression and dystopian society, allowing students to infer and predict how food and society go hand in hand. The project structure with Shiva’s text would mirror that of Pollan’s, asking students to pull in text evidence to support a claim. Additionally, they could decide if they agree or disagree with Shiva's argument, thus engaging with state standards for reading 5 and 6, asking students to analyze and evaluate an author’s argument and perspective.