Hungry for Change

1. Set Focus 
Pose this essential question: Why is access to healthy food important?

2. Read and Discuss 
Have students read the article, marking key ideas and questions. Then ask them to answer the following questions, citing text evidence:

• How are urban and rural food deserts similar and different? (Both urban and rural food deserts are areas that have little access to affordable healthy food. In an urban food desert, at least one-third of the population lives more than a mile from the nearest supermarket. In a rural food desert, at least one-third of the population lives 10 miles or more from a supermarket.)

• What are the causes and effects of food deserts? (Supermarkets often don’t open in places where they won’t make a lot of money, such as low-income neighborhoods and rural areas. The stores that do open price fresh foods higher because they are more expensive to stock. People who live in food deserts often eat processed food that lacks nutrients, resulting in stress, disease, and poorer school performance.)

• In the last section, the author writes “Small towns from Florida to Montana are taking matters into their own hands.” What does the author mean? What are some pros and cons to this solution? (The author means that these towns are not waiting for policymakers to solve the problem of food deserts and are coming up with their own solutions to the lack of healthy food in their communities. Some pros include creating access to healthy food and boosting the local economy. Some cons include availability is dependent on the season and the health of local crops.)

3. Core Skill Practice
Assign, print, or project the activity Tying Texts Together. Have students follow the tips to write a short constructed response.

4. Writing Prompt
This article begins and ends with related anecdotes. Why is this an effective way to introduce and wrap up this topic? 

5. Classroom Debate
Can we end hunger nationwide by 2030?

6. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess students’ comprehension and Organizing Ideas to review outlining skills.