Strawberries and Labor
Grade Level: 
Summary: 
In this lesson, students examine an infographic on strawberries and labor that shows the connections between strawberry growing, production, and immigration policies. Next, they choose from a list of topics explored in the infographic and complete a close read.
Guiding Questions
  • What is the relationship between strawberry growth and production and immigration and labor policies?
Teaching Notes: 
  • The reading level of this lesson is best for upper-middle school age and high school age students.
  • This lesson is primary text based. Check out the lesson, Making Sense of What We Read for helpful suggestions for textual analysis.
  • The “READ” and “DISCUSS” sections of this lesson plan can be used as talking points or as a script to introduce activities.
  • The “READ” section of this lesson may feel a little dense to some students without the proper support. We suggest the following strategies for supporting students to engage fully with the text:
    • Instruct students to find a quiet place to sit and encourage them to observe their surroundings before and after they read. This helps them engage with their surroundings in a different way and can also support their engagement with the text.
    • Assign sections of the reading as a jigsaw: Assign each small group a different topic, and then have groups report back to one another after they have finished reading.
    • Remind students that the Talk to the Text or T4 strategy can be used when reading texts to help track their thoughts, questions, and reactions to a text. In these strategies, students write notes and ask questions in the margins, underline words, and use symbols to react to the text.
  • Consider reading the article aloud and having students take notes as they listen. It might be helpful to stop frequently as you read to write down keywords, phrases, or ideas on chart paper. Take your time through the reading and ask your students their thoughts along the way.
  • See Doyne et al. (2011) in our reference section to learn more about teaching with infographics.
  • This lesson was developed for Edible Schoolyard Project’s Understanding Organic curriculum and is part of the extension inquiries.