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Lesson 7

We will explain our newfound understanding of the food system and the major challenges and issues within it by writing an evidence-based multipart claim and supporting paragraph.

Lesson Goals

Reading and Knowledge

  • Summarize: How well do I express an accurate understanding of the central ideas of the food system?
  • Question: How well do I formulate and use questions to establish and deepen my understanding of the food system?

Writing

  • Gather and Organize Evidence: How well do I gather and organize relevant and sufficient evidence to demonstrate an understanding of texts and topics, support claims, and develop ideas?
  • Form Claims: How well do I develop and clearly communicate meaningful and defensible claims about issues facing the food system that represent valid, evidence-based analysis?

Texts

There are no texts for this Lesson.

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read

We will identify key words and writing techniques that we plan to use in our responses to the Section Diagnostic.

Review your Vocabulary Journal. Identify a significant word or words that you would like to use in your response to the Section Diagnostic.

Review your Mentor Sentence Journal. Select at least one technique that you plan to use when writing your response to the Section Diagnostic.

Activity 2: Write

Using the texts read throughout this section, we will choose one major issue facing the global Food system to address. We will develop and explain a multipart, evidence-based claim about that challenge.

Review the Section 1 Diagnostic Checklist.

Review the notes, plans, and claims you have developed to respond to the following questions:

  1. What are the key elements and relationships within our food system?

  2. What is a critical challenge faced by our food system?

Your explanation of the food system and a critical challenge it faces should include evidence from at least two texts you read or viewed during this section of the unit. Organize the evidence you will cite as you write your explanation.

Activity 3: Write

Once we have written or revised our claim statements, we will develop an informal outline of evidence from the unit materials to support our claims.

Review your claim statement and the following three expectations of the task:

  • Explain your understanding of the global food system and its major elements.

  • Present your position regarding the most pressing challenge facing the global food system.

  • Explain why that challenge is significant and pressing.

For each of these three expectations, list the evidence you will use to accomplish the task and develop your claim.

Your set of evidence should come from at least two materials used so far in the unit and should address the three areas:

  • your understanding of the food system

  • your position about a pressing challenge

  • your reasons why you see the challenge as significant

Activity 4: Write

We will use the Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool and our organized list of evidence to write a response to the following question: what is the most pressing challenge facing the global Food system?

Using a Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool to guide you, write a 1-2 paragraph response to the following question: What is the most pressing challenge facing the global food system? Use your claim statement as the thesis (topic sentence) for your explanation, and the first three expectations of the task as an organizer for your essay and the evidence you present.

  • Explain your understanding of the global food system and its major elements.

  • Present your position regarding the most pressing challenge facing the global food system.

  • Explain why that challenge is significant and pressing.

Activity 5: Read

We will review and revise our claim-based essays before turning them in.

Read through the expectations for this Section Diagnostic and use them to review your draft. Identify any noticeable issues you need to revise or correct, and think about the following expectation:

  • Use effective language, syntax, and mechanics to clearly communicate your explanations.

In revising and editing your explanation, focus on specific issues of language use and mechanics that your teacher may have identified.

In class, or for homework, revise and edit your essay so that you can submit it to your teacher.

Activity 6: Read – Write

We will reflect on our work on the Section Diagnostic and assess our progress toward the Culminating Task.

Choose at least three of the questions below and respond to them in your Learning Log:

  1. How well did you take necessary action to prepare for the task?

  2. What went well for you during the completion of this task?

  3. What did you struggle with during the completion of this task? How did you push through that struggle?

  4. How well did you actively focus your attention during this independent task?

  5. How well did you develop and use an effective and efficient process to maintain workflow during this task?

  6. What would you do differently during the next Section Diagnostic?

Review your Culminating Task Progress Tracker. Think about all you have learned and done during this section of the unit. Evaluate your skills and knowledge to determine your progress toward the Culminating Task, and add or refine any skills and content knowledge required for the Culminating Task.