School+Lunch+Options




 * The grade level of your students, and their social and economic situation. **
 * The grade level of students I will be completing literacy practices event description will be with 6th grade students. Their economic status will be a wide spectrum. About 60% of students are considered “middle class”, 35% of students are considered in the poverty bracket (or free and reduced lunch), and the remainder 5% is considered “upper” class.


 * The "event" itself and why it will matter to your students. **
 * Event- School lunches have changed a great deal throughout the past couple years. You are receiving fewer options to choose from. What do you think about your school lunches? What do you like about them? What do you not like about school lunches? How can school lunches improve?
 * This even will matter to students because most students do not like their school lunch options. Students will easily become engaged with this even because it directly affect’s them.


 * What "identities" will your students need to assume/take on to participate in this event? **
 * Identities: Student, Parent, Local farmer, School nutritionist, Gordon Food Distributor, Doctor, and a Coach.


 * Given these identities, how will your students "frame" or understand the activity? **
 * Prior to this event, students will be educated about basic nutrition concepts.
 * Instructor along with a prezi will provide instructions.
 * Students will first brainstorm together as one large group their thoughts and opinions on the options for hot lunch offered at Three Rivers Middle School. Topics for discussion will include: What they like and don’t like about school lunch options. Ways that Three Rivers Middle School can realistically make school lunches better in the view of students. In relationship to the MyPyramid, are school-lunch options healthy? Do students who eat hot lunch on a regular basis really eat that whole meal, just some of the meal, trade food with other students, or throw it away? (Instructor will summarize viewpoints and write on board).
 * Then students will view the YouTube video titled, “We Are Hungry."

media type="youtube" key="2IB7NDUSBOo" width="420" height="315" align="center"


 * Instructor will ask if students have anything to add to the prior discussion and/or if they views towards school lunches at Three Rivers Middle School have changed.
 * After discussion is completed, instructor will explain that these thoughts/opinions are in their view.
 * Students will read the article, [|Subsidized Lunch: What the Numbers Mean]
 * After article is read, instructor will randomly split students up into two groups. One group will be “for” students receiving free lunches based on parents/guardians income level and the other group will be “against.”
 * Groups will have 9 minutes to come up with realistic reasons that support their group’s role. Instructor will emphasize that students display respectful manners at all times. Instructor will facilitate discussion.
 * Large group discussion will occur comparing the two groups views.
 * Instructor will explain how this is an example of each group acting as a different identity and how their views were based on their assigned identity.
 * Instructor should call on students to provide examples of how they said something based on their identity and not based on what they truly thought. Instructor should emphasize how thoughts/feelings can change based on identity.
 * Instructor will ask 4-5 students to share how their views may change if they were the opposite group. Large group discussion should occur.
 * Students will read the article titled, [|School Nutrition: What You Need to Know]and complete the worksheet, “My Synthesis.”
 * The worksheet will be instructor led. Instructor will instruct students to stop reading at various locations in the article in order to complete worksheet. There will be some student discussion as well.
 * Instructor will then explain together how views on this same event will change based on their identity.
 * As a class students will brainstorm how their views will change if they are all parents focused on this event. Large group discussion will follow. Instructor will summarize viewpoints and write on board.
 * After a decent amount of discussion has occurred, as a group of “parents” instructor will ask, “How are parents views different than students views?” Discussion will occur and instructor will summarize answers to write on board.
 * After instructor is confident all students understand the idea of different views as a different person, instructor will explain assignment.
 * Before students leave the classroom they will be required to complete an exit ticket. The exit ticket will say, “Please list three different interesting pieces of information that explain what you learned today that you didn’t know before. You should be using complete and well thought out sentences and your best penmanship.”


 * How will they relate to and collaborate with others? **
 * Students will relate to and collaborate with others by small and large group discussions. Students will listen to other’s views respectfully weather they disagree or agree with the others view.


 * What reading will be involved and how will the event involve sythesizing and connecting texts? **
 * Reading that will be involved: [|School Nutrition: What You Need to Know]
 * Prior to reading the article instructor students will be in groups of 3-4 and will discuss the following question, “What do you think this article is going to be about?” Each student will write a minimum of two ideas regarding what he or she thinks this article will be about. Students will have 5 minutes to discuss and write their idea down. Time will be displayed using [|online stopwatch].
 * After the five minutes is completed, students will form new groups (according to their number. For example, when students are in their original groups students will be numbered 1-4 or 1-3. All the one’s will form one group, the two’s another, etc. For this group, students will be required to form groups by combing students from each number. Each group will have a number one, number two, number three and/or number four.). Instructor will be counting down from 10 for students to complete this new group assignment.
 * Students will then share what they think this article is going to be about in their new group. Once again, time will be displayed. Using the online stopwatch. Students will have 5 minutes to complete this.
 * Then students will return to their original seat.
 * Instructor will then call on various students to share what one other person thought this article is going to be about.
 * Students will then complete rest of worksheet. Reading will occur by instructor calling on random students to read. Instructor should allow students to engage in conversation regarding this article. Also, instructor will need to stop at various spots throughout the article to allow students to complete worksheet.
 * After students read article and complete worksheet, instructor will ask, “How does this article relate to the information shared on the video we viewed?” To help instruction, instructor may wish to have students view video again. Instructor should also ask, “Is there any information from the video different from what the article says?” Discussion will follow.
 * Instructor will have students pretend they are all coaches and briefly discuss how their views will change. Instructor should not go too in depth with this. Instructor should over emphasize how views change as identity’s change.


 * What kinds of writing will students engage in? How might some of that writing be multimodal? **
 * Writing Activities: Letter to the school board based on chosen identity; focus on statistics with school lunch options now and school lunches five years ago as a school nutritionist, Newspaper article, and Interview students/parents regarding school lunch options.
 * Some of the writing students will engage in with is multimodal because when students are interviewing other students/parents they can video record it. In my district many students come from families of farmers. With this I think it would be interesting for students to create a brochure using color, pictures, and text to persuade schools to “buy local.” Students could also write a persuasive paper to accompany the brochure.


 * How will the event involve critical thinking and social change? (might include addressing historical, institutional, cultural, psychological, economic perspectives) **
 * This event will involve critical thinking and social change based on economic perspectives. Students will read the article, “Subsidized Lunch: What the Numbers Mean.” There will be in-depth discussion based on students who receive free lunches and student who do not. Instructor will make every effort for all student to be respectful during this discussion.


 * How will students engage in "metacognition"? **
 * One example of how students will engage in metacognition is the exit ticket students will be required to complete at the end of class. This will allow students to think about the information they have been exposed to and reflect on what they have been taught. I really like this type of exit tickets because it requires students to use a higher level of thinking. Students are not simply recalling various information and filling in a blank with a “key-word.”


 * What Common Core Standards will be addressed? **
 * Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.