Persuasive Writing Lesson: Food Insecurity
Lesson Plan
1 hour 30 minutesGrades9, 10English Language Arts, Health
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Written by Greta Stacy, Olivia Dulany
About this lesson
In this lesson, students learn about food deserts and food insecurity, analyze a map and scientific text, and advocate for action.
Step 1 - Inquire: Students reflect on food options available to them in their own community.
Step 2 - Investigate: Students view a map of food deserts in their community and analyze a scientific text about food insecurity.
Step 3 - Inspire: Students write a letter to a local official to advocate for action to promote food security in Hawai’i.
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Everything you need to teach it
How to edit these materials (video)Teaching tips
Positives
- This lesson aligns with Hawai'i's Nā Hopena A'o HĀ-BREATH Framework.
- This lesson can be taught with a social studies or health focus.
- Students connect with their community by identifying the impacts of food insecurity on their community and learning how their community is taking action.
- Students take action in the form of writing an advocacy letter to a local official.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should have some basic understanding of the importance of eating healthy foods and of social inequity.
- Teacher should be sensitive to the fact that some students might be food insecure themselves.
- Students should be familiar with formatting and writing a letter.
Differentiation
- Students can make comparisons between the information in the video about food insecurity in Brooklyn, New York, and the data on food insecurity in Hawai‘i, highlighting the unique issues in two different places.
- Teacher can provide a letter outline or sentence stems for students who need scaffolding.
- As an extension, students can conduct further research on food deserts and be required to cite an additional scientific text in their letters.
- Students can research other recommendations or actions local groups have taken to reduce food insecurity.
- Students can engage or participate in one of the local solutions for food insecurity.
From the scientist review
Access to, availability of, stability of, and consumption of food are all being negatively impacted by climate change. The topic of food deserts, a problem of food insecurity, and its effects on the environment, and carbon footprint are covered in this lesson. Students can learn about the difficulties facing Hawaii's food system and the solutions used locally. The lesson was reviewed and has passed our science review examination.
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About the teacher writers
Greta Stacy
Education Specialist
Greta Stacy holds a Bachelor of Chemistry from Smith College, a Master of Teaching from Hamline University, and a Graduate Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the University of Limerick. She has nine years of experience teaching chemistry, science, and mathematics for grades 9–12. Greta holds a Minnesota 9–12 Chemistry teaching license, UK Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), Irish Teaching Council registration, and certifications in International Baccalaureate Chemistry and Advanced Placement Biology.
Olivia Dulany
K-12 teacher
Olivia Dulany holds a Master of Education from Chaminade University of Honolulu. Olivia has four years of teaching experience in English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Special Education, teaching both general and special education students in grades 2–3 and 9–10.
Reviews
Emmanual Collins
Food insecurity is such an important (yet under-discussed) topic! This lesson does a good job of getting students to analyze this topic on a deep level!
2 years ago
