This reading comprehension resource explains the benefits of lab grown meat while highlighting the negative environmental and health impacts of traditional meat.
Included in this resource is a teacher's guide and a printable reading passage that includes open-ended comprehension questions.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The reading passage is interesting and informative, and the questions do a good job of assessing student understanding of the material.
The included charts and graphics are helpful for visual learners or struggling readers.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be comfortable reading charts and graphs.
Consider distributing the worksheet digitally in order to conserve paper.
Differentiation
This resource would work equally well in science or language arts classes.
Cross-curricular connections can be made in social studies or health classes that are discussing the land use or health impacts discussed in the reading passage.
This resource lends itself well to a whole class discussion about lab grown meat. Who has tried it? Who would? Who has seen it at a store or restaurant? What are some of the biggest benefits to lab grown meat? What are students most intrigued or excited about on this topic?
The layout of this reading passage is a great teaching tool for reading strategies that focus on headings and subheadings, bolded words and phrases, and graphics.
Scientist Notes
A comprehension lesson about animal agriculture is included in the resource. It calls attention to how raising animals for food affects the environment. Students would obtain a profound understanding of the effects that raising animals and eating meat have on the environment and on human health. It is advised to use this resource when instructing.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-4 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
