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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Determining Cascading Consequences Using The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Industrial Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Which of Michael Pollan's four food chains from his book The Omnivore's Dilemma would best feed everyone in the United States? Using a thought-provoking resource, scholars learn how to create a Cascading Consequences chart to answer the...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Determining Cascading Consequences Using The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Industrial Organic Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Organic versus conventional farming: which option is best? Pupils use Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma to determine the cascading consequences of the industrial organic food chain. They work in research teams to create an...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Local Sustainable Food Chain: Determining Cascading Consequences Using The Omnivore’s Dilemma

For Teachers 8th Standards
What are the consequences of the local, sustainable food chain? Research teams explore the question as they review Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. The teams complete Cascading Consequences charts and then choose research topics...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Determining Cascading Consequences Using The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Hunter-Gatherer Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Focusing on the consequences of the hunter-gatherer food chain that Michael Pollan discusses in The Omnivore's Dilemma, teams work together to create hunter-gatherer food chain consequences charts. Next, scholars view other groups'...
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Study Guide
Penguin Books

A Teacher's Guide to The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
"What should we have for dinner?" "What am I eating?" "Where did it come from?" These three questions are at the heart of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Pollan's book provides some very...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Preparing for Further Research: Industrial Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Using an informative resource, pupils discover how to write research questions that are focused, answerable, and relevant. Scholars evaluate resources about the industrial food chain from Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and then...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Adding to Cascading Consequences and Stakeholders: Industrial Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Young researchers create a class Cascading Consequences chart to see how the industrial food chain affects people, animals, and the environment. They also work in teams to complete a Stakeholders chart for the industrial food chain model...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Using Search Terms for Further Research: Industrial Organic Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Class members conduct independent research to continue examining the consequences of the industrial organic food chain from Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pupils learn about source credibility and effective search terms, then...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Adding to Cascading Consequences and Stakeholders: Industrial Organic Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Researchers continue determining the effects of the industrial organic food chain that Michael Pollan describes in The Omnivore's Dilemma. In teams, pupils add to their Cascading Consequences charts and complete Stakeholders charts based...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Further Research: Hunter-Gatherer Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
It's time to gather nuts, berries, and lots of information. Scholars continue on their quest to determine the consequences of each of Michael Pollan's food chains from The Omnivore's Dilemma. Using research questions developed in a...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Adding to Cascading Consequences and Stakeholders: Hunter-Gatherer Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Could the hunter-gatherer food chain feed everyone in the United States? To consider the question, pupils use their research and add to the Cascading Consequences chart based on Michael Pollan's hunter-gatherer food chain from The...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Reading for Gist, Answering Text-Dependent Questions, and Determining Author’s Purpose: Industrial Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
A Reading Closely: Guiding Questions handout leads readers to discover the gist of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. While reading, pupils look closely at the words in the text and discuss their meaning. They use dictionaries when needed to answer...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Reading for Gist, Answering Text-Dependent Questions, and Determining Author’s Purpose: Industrial Organic Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
After re-reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma using a Reading Closely: Guiding Questions handout, class members use sticky notes to annotate and determine the gist of the text. Finally, they use an Author’s Purpose graphic organizer to...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Reading for Gist and Answering Text-Dependent Questions: Local Sustainable Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Readers use sticky notes and a Reading Closely: Guiding Questions handout to record the gist of a different section (pages 161-166) in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. They then pair up and share their ideas. To end the lesson, readers complete...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Evaluating an Argument: The Polyface Local Sustainable

For Teachers 8th Standards
Who has the better argument? Class members work in small groups to compare the arguments on the Example of Strong and Flawed Arguments sheet. They then analyze Michael Pollan’s argument on pages 161–166 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Reading for the Gist and Answering Text Dependent Questions: Hunter-Gatherer Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Readers use sticky notes and a close reading guide to identify the gist of "My Pig" on pages 240–245 of The Omnivore's Dilemma. After reviewing their thoughts with peers, they answer text-dependent questions about the section.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit Assessment: Presentation of Position

For Teachers 8th Standards
What is the difference between formal and informal language? Pupils rewrite their position speeches to adapt them for an audience of adults. Next, they present their speeches in small groups, attempting to answer the question, "Which...