The Farmers are Going Broke

Common Core Connection

This standard in about analyzing the evidence presented in a non-fiction text and determining how the evidence supports the author's argument.  So, there are many different complexities with this standard.  One way to approach it is the analyze the reason that something happens. This might be simplified as cause and effect. 

Lesson Overview

This is the second lesson in a series of five lesson related to the environment.  We began with pollution, because it is the most relevant to my students. In this lesson we learn about herbicides and farming. This is a little stretch because most of my students have little prior knowledge in this area. The big thing is to not start out with something completely foreign to them.

In this lesson I created two questions for my students about each text that I selected. Both text are modified from an internet search I did, so I changed them a little to meet my lesson requirements. Basically, I took out confusing words and phrases. 

The students work in small groups throughout the lesson (Peanut Butter Jelly Partner) and transition frequently (Transitions).

Introductory Actitity

This lesson allows me to share a personal story with my class, and making the lesson personal is one strategy I use to connect my class and engage them.  When I was a student I always liked learning about my teacher, so I think my students enjoy it as well.  So, my story is about my family and how they enjoy farming.  My father actually makes sorghum, and we have some soybean farms in the area where we live.  I actually got my first college degree in agriculture, so I like farming. In high school I even raised crops to sell for a class project.

Then I share the lesson plan so the class knows what to expect, and we chant the lesson goal. I can determine the author's point and the reasons the authors uses to support his or her point.  Chanting builds memory, puts a focus on the instructional goal, but it also give my ELL students and students with disabilities practice speaking.