Grade 7: The Omnivore’s Dilemma – The Secrets Behind What You Eat by Michael Pollan
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Common Core Standards
Reading Informational Text
RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.7.2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.7.3 Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events.)
RI.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
RI.7.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
Writing
W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
W.7.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Language
L.7.5 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Description of Lesson
This Grade 7 lesson plan titled “The Omnivore’s Dilemma – The Secrets Behind What You Eat by Michael Pollan” from achievethecore.org has an estimated instructional time of two 50-minute sessions of science instruction with embedded ELA/literacy standards. The lesson as described can be divided into two days of instruction and reflection on the part of students and their teachers, with the option of a written homework assignment after Day 1 and the possibility of adding an additional day devoted to peer review and revision of the culminating writing assignment. The goal of this lesson is to give students the opportunity to interact with challenging text in order to discern deep meaning as they engage in rich and rigorous evidence-based discussions through a sequence of specific, thought-provoking and text-dependent questions. The summative assessment asks students to choose one of three writing assignments based on the excerpt of the included text. Students can write either a compare and contrast essay, an argument against the topic supported with textual evidence, or a written piece where they describe the author’s opinion.
Cautions
During the lesson activities, Connecticut educators are encouraged to give students the time that they need to read closely and to write to the source. Students might be afforded the opportunity to rewrite their essays or revise their in-class paraphrases after participating in classroom discussion, allowing them to refashion both their understanding of the text and their expression of that understanding. Common Core ELA Standards for Science and Technical Subjects are not listed for the lesson, but should be since this lesson plan is meant to be implemented in a science classroom. While the summative assessment does provide guidance to teachers on the types of answers they could look for in the student responses to the different assessment choices, an aligned scoring rubric for each of the summative assessment choices will need to be created to measure the degree to which students can independently demonstrate the major targeted grade-level CCSS standards.
Rationale for Selection
The lesson plan is an exemplary example of a progression of learning where concepts and skills advance and deepen over time. The lessons clearly illustrate how to integrate science content with the application of CCSS literacy skills: learning to read text closely, engaging in text-centered discussions, as well as producing evidence-based writing. Instruction focuses on challenging sections of text and engages students in a productive struggle through discussion questions and other supports that build knowledge to advance students toward independent reading of complex texts. By providing choice, the lesson assesses student proficiency using methods that are accessible to all students. This model could easily be adapted to any text or any content area. A vetted mini assessment using this same text excerpt is located in the science section of the Connecticut Core Standards website in the Science Resource Section under Formative Assessments.