Overview
Purpose
Students will learn and understand the importance of sweetpotatoes as an agricultural commodity using information, facts, and images found within the North Carolina Sweetpotato Ag Mag. Students will create advertisements for sweetpotatoes through artistic media and informational writing.
K-8 Subject Areas
English Language Arts, Visual Arts
Essential Questions
- What makes sweetpotatoes unique to North Carolina?
- How can I use what I have learned about writing informational texts in ELA to write about sweetpotatoes in an advertisement?
- What are some ways to draw, paint, and create images of a sweetpotato in the form of an advertisement?
- How can I use what I learned in the Ag Mag to advertise the importance of sweetpotatoes as an agricultural commodity?
Materials
- North Carolina Sweetpotato Ag Mag (1 per student)
- White, plain paper or construction paper
- Pens, markers, paint, pencils, and/or any other art supplies available
Procedures
- After reading and discussing the North Carolina Sweetpotatoes Ag Mag, have each student individually go through their Ag Mag and circle or write down 5 of their favorite facts from the reading. For this lesson, it may be best to have students sitting in small groups.
- Once students have selected their facts, ask them to discuss with their group why they thought their facts were interesting.
- After students have discussed their fact choices, pass out paper and art supplies for each group.
- Next, have students use facts and images from the Ag Mag they like the best to create a hypothetical advertisement for NC sweetpotatoes. Explain that students must incorporate 3 facts from the Ag Mag within their advertisement. Encourage students to use their creativity and talk amongst their groups about their ideas.
- Give students time to sketch and complete their advertisements. While they are creating, walk around the room and observe their work. Use this time to keep students on track.
- Once students have completed their advertisements, ask students to present their artwork to their groups, class, or as part of a “gallery walk” or other forms of presentation.
Extension Activities
- For Language Arts: Use this lesson to discuss how specific word choices found within advertisements have an effect on consumers (use of exclamation points, use of phrases such as, ‘limited time offer,’ etc.). Then, encourage students to use these persuasive writing techniques with their advertisements.
- For Visual Art: Explore the ways in which other commodities have been used in advertising in the past, such as vintage supermarket ads. Use these older advertisements as inspiration for when students begin creating advertisements for sweetpotatoes.
K-8 Content Standards (NC DPI Standard Course of Study)
Kindergarten
Language Arts:
W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they
name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
- With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from adults and/or peers and
add details to strengthen writing as needed.
L.K.6 Use words and phrases learned through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.
Visual Art:
K.CX.1.2 Recognize that art can depict something from the past (long ago) or present (today).
K.CX.2.2 Identify relationships between art and concepts from other disciplines, such as math, science, language arts,
social studies, and other arts.
1st Grade
Language Arts
RI.1.5 Know and use various text features to locate key facts or information in a text.
Visual Art
1.V.2.3 Create art from imaginary sources of inspiration.
1.CX.1.2 Identify images in art as depicting something old (historic) or new (contemporary).
1.CX.1.5 Understand that art is a reflection of the artist’s ideas, environment, and/or resources.
1.CX.2.2 Identify connections between art and concepts from other disciplines, such as math, science, language arts,
social studies, and other arts.
2nd Grade
Language Arts
RI.2.2 Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.
RI.2.5 Know and use various text features to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
RI.2.7 Explain how specific images contribute to and clarify a text.
W.2.2 Write informative /explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points,
and provide a concluding statement or section.
Visual Arts
2.V.2.3 Create art from real and imaginary sources of inspiration.
2.CX.2.2 Understand relationships between art and concepts from other disciplines, such as math, science, language
arts, social studies, and other arts.
3rd Grade
Language Arts
RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text
W.3.2 Write informative /explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Visual Art
3.V.2.1 Create art through a process that includes generating ideas, planning solutions, and producing original art.
3.V.2.2 Use personal point of view and experiences as sources for creating art.
3.V.2.3 Create art from realistic sources of inspiration.
3.CX.2.2 Understand how to use information learned in other disciplines, such as math, science, language arts, social studies, and other arts in visual arts.
3.CX.2.3 Use appropriate collaborative skills to create a work of art.
4th Grade
Language Arts
RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
RI.4.5 Describe the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
W.4.2 Write informative /explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W.4.5 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
W.4.6 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
Visual Art
4.V.1.2 Apply personal choices while creating art.
4.V.2.2 Use ideas and imagery from North Carolina as sources for creating art.
4.CX.1.1 Understand how the visual arts have affected, and are reflected in, the culture, traditions, and history of North Carolina.
4.CX.2.2 Apply skills and concepts learned in other disciplines, such as math, science, language arts, social studies, and other arts, in the visual arts.
4.CR.1.1 Use visual clues to interpret the content of art.
5th Grade
Language Arts
RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
RI.5.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
W.5.2 Write informative /explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W.5.5 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
W.5.6 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work and provide a list of sources.
Visual Art
5.V.1.2 Create art that reflects personal voice and choice.
5.V.2.2 Use ideas and imagery from the global environment as sources for creating art.
5.CX.2.1 Analyze the relationship between arts and daily life in product design, print, and digital media.
5.CX.2.2 Exemplify how information and skills learned in art can be applied in other disciplines.
5.CX.2.4 Interpret visual images from media sources and the immediate environment.
6th Grade
Language Arts
RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.6.7 Integrate information presented in different media or formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
Visual Art
6.CX.2.2 Understand the connections between art and other disciplines.
7th Grade
Language Arts
RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Visual Art
7.V.2.2 Use observation skills of the environment and personal experiences to create original imagery.
8th Grade
Language Arts
RI.8.1 Cite textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
W.8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Visual Art
8.V.2.3 Create original art that conveys one or more ideas or feelings.
National Agriculture Literacy Outcomes
Food, Health, and Lifestyle Outcomes
K-2
- Identify healthy food options
- Recognize that agriculture provides our most basic necessities: food, fiber (fabric or clothing), energy, and shelter.
3-5
- Describe the necessary food components of a healthy diet using the current dietary guidelines
- Diagram the path of production for a processed product, from farm to table
- Explain the costs associated with producing and purchasing food
- Identify food sources of required food nutrients
T3.6-8
- Explain how factors, such as culture, convenience, access, and marketing affect food choices locally, regionally, and globally
- Identify agricultural products (foods) that provide valuable nutrients for a balanced diet
- Identify sources of agricultural products that provide food, fuel, clothing, shelter, medical, and other non-food products for their community, state, and/or nation
