Essential Questions
- How and why have our diets changed over time?
- What role does food play in our culture?
Literature Connection
- Novel: The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
- Nonfiction: Your Body on Sugar by Anita Yasuda
Standards Correlations
R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.7, R.9, W.2, SL.1, L.4, L.6
Learning Objective
Students will synthesize information from two texts on the history of candy in America.
Key Skills
synthesizing, text features, vocabulary, cause and effect, central idea, drawing conclusions, critical thinking, informational writing
Complexity Factors
Purpose: The texts explain how mass production made candy widely accessible in the U.S. and how our views on candy have changed over time.
Structure: Both articles follow a mostly chronological structure.
Language: The language is conversational.
Knowledge Demands: Some familiarity with candy, American society, and basic nutrition facts will be helpful.
Levels
Lexile: 600L-700L
Guided Reading Level: Q
DRA Level: 40
Lesson Plan: How Candy Took Over America / Candy for Dinner?
Essential Questions
Literature Connection
1. Preparing to Read
Activate Prior Knowledge (10 minutes)
Have students prepare to read the articles by taking our fun Interactive Prereading Quiz, “Test Your Candy Knowledge.” The quiz will activate students’ prior knowledge about candy, provide new facts on the topic, and get students excited to read.
Preview Text Features (15 minutes)
Guide students to locate the articles in their magazines or at Action Online. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:
Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)
Make a Plan for Reading
Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:
2. Reading and Unpacking the Text
Read the articles. (Higher- and lower-Lexile versions are available on the Story page at Action Online. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.
Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)
Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)
3. Skill Building and Writing
Learn Anywhere Activity
An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom
Project the task below on your whiteboard or share it with students in your LMS.
Plan a Museum Exhibit
A museum exhibit is usually made up of a number of items that are all related to a certain topic. After reading the two articles about the history of candy, plan a small exhibit on the subject.
First, think about the people and items mentioned in the articles (Oliver Chase, Milton Hershey, Chase’s machine, types of candy, and so on) and choose five that you will include in your display. Think about which items might interest museum visitors the most. An image of old-fashioned medicine? Some examples of penny candy? A chocolate bar that was sold as a complete meal?
Next, write a label for each item. At the top, write the name of the item (for example, “Photograph of Milton Hershey”). Then, in one or two sentences, explain the importance of the item (for example, “Hershey created creamy milk chocolate, which became incredibly popular”).
When you’re done planning your display, exchange plans with a partner. Discuss which items you chose to include and why.
Language-Acquisition Springboard
Teach descriptive writing with everyone’s favorite subject: food!
The author uses a number of adjectives to describe candy and other treats: sticky, sweet, chewy, waxy, gooey, fluffy, and creamy.
Ask students to identify which senses the writer uses in these descriptions (taste and touch). Then ask them to think about their favorite food. After giving them a minute to imagine the food in all its mouthwatering glory, have them come up with a few words or sentences to describe how it feels and tastes (and looks and smells and sounds too, if the mood strikes them).
You can review the following list of adjectives to help students with their writing:
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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