Standards Correlations

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.6, R.7, R.9, W.3, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will compare and contrast information from two texts about foods we might eat more of in the future.

Key Skills

compare and contrast, text features, vocabulary, problem and solution, key details, making connections, narrative writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The first text explains how and why people eat bugs. The second explains how and why people eat algae.

 

Structure: The texts are mainly informational. Both include problem-and-solution structures.

 

Language: The language is conversational.

 

Knowledge Demands: No prior knowledge needed.

Levels

Lexile: 600L-700L 

Guided Reading Level: R 

DRA Level: 40

Lesson Plan: The Future of Food

Essential Questions

  • What makes a food “gross”?
  • What ethical concerns should we consider when deciding what to eat?

Literature Connection

  • Nonfiction: Bugs for Breakfast: How Eating Insects Could Help Save the Planet by Mary Boone
  • Novel: Chirp by Kate Messner

1. Preparing to Read 

Activate Prior Knowledge (5 minutes)

Ask students if they have ever eaten bugs or seen anyone (online or in real life) do so. How do they feel about the idea? Does it gross them out, or do they view bugs as just another food? What about algae? Have they eaten it? Would they consider doing so? Why or why not?

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the articles. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the title (“The Future of Food”) and the subtitle (the text below the title). What do scientists predict will be the population of Earth in 2050? Why might this be a problem? Scientists predict there will be nearly 10 billion people on Earth by 2050. This might be a problem because we might not have enough food to feed everyone.
  • Read the title and subtitle of each article. What do you think bugs and algae have in common that might make them a good source of nutrition for humans? Make a prediction. Students may guess that bugs and algae are both easy to find and/or grow, that they have the nutrients humans need, and that they might even taste good.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the terms (plentiful, protein, climate change, sustainable, organisms) aloud and discuss their definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan: 

  • Set a purpose for reading by telling students that the articles discuss the effects of what we eat on the planet and how we might eat differently to reduce our impact.
  • Tell students that after they read, they’ll complete a compare-and-contrast activity using information from the texts. 

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Guide students to read the articles. Once they understand them well, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • What are some problems with the way we produce food today? How might eating bugs solve these problems? (problem and solution) Earth’s population is growing, which means we’ll need more food to feed everyone. But heat waves, floods, and droughts can make it harder for farmers to grow crops. And raising farm animals takes a lot of land, water, and food. Insects multiply and grow quickly, so they can be a reliable source of food. Raising them also takes less land, water, and food than raising farm animals.  
  • In the second article, the author compares algae to lobster. In what way are the two similar? In what way are they different? (compare and contrast) Algae and lobster are similar in that they both come from the ocean. They are different in that algae is a plant-like organism and lobster is a type of animal. 
  • What are some ways people use algae in food? (key details) People eat algae in sushi, seaweed salads, soups, stir-fries, and even ice cream. There are also seaweed chips, kelp noodles, and algae protein powder.

Critical-Thinking Question (5 minutes)

  • How much do you think about the environment when making food choices? Do you think it’s important to do so? Why or why not? (making connections) Answers will vary. Encourage students to share what, if any, changes they and their families have made to be more conscious of the environment. Examples include: reducing or cutting out dairy and meat; reducing food waste; growing your own food; choosing local, seasonal foods; composting.

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete our Compare and Contrast activity.  (Click here to view all of your Skill Builders.)
  • Writing Prompt: Imagine that you travel to the year 2050 and are looking at a restaurant menu. What wild and strange things are on the menu? Write the menu, naming each of the dishes and listing the ingredients. Use details from the two articles and your own imagination for this exercise.

Learn Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Study a Snack

At a store or online, find a snack made from insects or algae. (You don’t have to buy it; you can just read the packaging.) Find the answers to these questions about the product:

  • How many ingredients does the product have?
  • How many servings are in a package?
  • How many grams of protein are in a serving?
  • What words does the company use to describe the product’s texture and flavor (for example, salty, spicy, crunchy, or chewy)? 

Share your findings with your class. Discuss what makes a snack appealing. Do you care more about the ingredients or the flavor? If a snack sounded weird to you, what might make you willing to try it?

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Create summary questions to reinforce comprehension.

Divide students into two groups. Assign the first article to one group and the second article to the other. Point out that, unlike some other features in Action, the Paired Texts don’t have Pause and Think questions at the end of each section. Ask each group to create these questions for its assigned article. 

Sample questions for “Would You Eat Bugs?”

  • Opening section: What kind of bugs are sold as snacks at T-Mobile Park? (Grasshoppers are sold as snacks at T-Mobile Park.)
  •  “Yuck or Yum?”: In what parts of the world is eating bugs common? (Eating bugs is common in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.)
  • “Bug Benefits”:  How much is Earth’s population expected to grow in the next 30 years? (Earth’s population is expected to grow by about 2 billion people in the next 30 years.)
  • “Getting Past the Ick Factor”: What type of insect is made into flour? (Crickets are made into flour.)

Sample questions for “Would You Eat Algae?”

  1. Opening section: How have ideas about lobster changed since the 1600s? (In the 1600s, people thought lobster was gross. Now it’s seen as a fancy food.)
  2.  “Seaweed Snacks”: Where can algae be found? (Algae is found in bodies of water like oceans, rivers, and lakes.)
  3. “The New Superfood”:   Why is algae known as a superfood? (Algae is often called a superfood because it’s full of vitamins and minerals.)
  4. “Good, Not Gross”:  What are some products that are made with algae? (Some products that are made with algae are seaweed chips, kelp noodles, and algae protein powder.)

After students come up with their questions, have the groups swap and answer each other’s questions.

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.

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