Lesson 13 Language Dive

Lesson 13 Language Dive

Trash Vortex pg. 52

Read the following sentence from Trash Vortex

"But what if cleaning up the ocean does not require a war on plastic but rather a war on litter?"

(Trash Vortex by Danielle Smith-Llera, p. 52, first sentence of paragraph 1)

Multiple Choice

"But what if cleaning up the ocean does not require a war on plastic but rather a war on litter?"

Can you figure out why the author wrote but?

• But connects this sentence to the previous idea in the text, and signals that this sentence will provide a contrasting idea

• But connects this sentence to the previous idea in the text, and signals that this sentence will provide a similar idea

Discuss the idea presented previously in the text and predict what contrasting idea might be presented in this sentence.

Look at the paragraph under the picture of the man picking up trash in Indonesia

Multiple Choice

"But what if cleaning up the ocean does not require a war on plastic but rather a war on litter?"

What new possibility does this chunk suggest we ponder?

• That perhaps banning the use of single-use plastic is the only solution

• That perhaps cleaning up the ocean does not require a war on plastic, as suggested previously in the text.

Open Ended

"But what if cleaning up the ocean does not require a war on plastic but rather a war on litter?"

The author is using figurative language to create a sense of urgency around the problem of plastic waste in our country.

What is another way to say a war on plastic?

Multiple Select

"But what if cleaning up the ocean does not require a war on plastic but rather a war on litter?"

What are some of the actions people are taking to “fight the war on plastic pollution,” as mentioned on the previous two pages?

• drink from refillable water bottles

• take cloth bags to the grocery store

• tax plastic bags

• banning plastic straws

"But what if cleaning up the ocean does not require a war on plastic but rather a war on litter?"

• But tells us there will be some kind of contrast or contradiction between ideas

• rather provides emphasis to this contrast—that what follows will express not only contradiction, but an opposite idea to the idea presented earlier.

• The author is DISTINGUISHING viewpoints

Open Ended

"But what if cleaning up the ocean does not require a war on plastic but rather a war on litter?"

The author is using figurative language to create a sense of urgency around the problem of litter in our country.

What are some of the actions people could take during a war on litter?

Multiple Choice

But what if cleaning up the ocean does not require a war on plastic but rather a war on litter?

How does this sentence help us determine the author’s point of view, as distinguished from the point of view of others?

• The author agrees with the previous experts that banning plastic use is the only solution.

• The author believes it may be possible to keep our oceans clean by not wasting so much, but others think we should ban plastic altogether.

Open Ended

What do you think about the author’s point of view? Do you agree or disagree with the author? Why?

Multiple Choice

How does this sentence connect to the previous Language Dive sentence: Through the Plastic Bank, we make plastic waste a currency, so that people in developing countries can earn an income, while preventing plastic from entering the ocean?

• Both sentences support the claim that recycling plastic waste may be the best way to limit plastic pollution.

• Both sentences support the claim that you should get paid to recycle plastic.

• The sentences provide two different solutions to the problem of plastic pollution.

Open Ended

"But what if cleaning up the ocean does not require a war on plastic but rather a war on litter?"

Complete the following Sentence Frame to rewrite this sentence using more literal language.

But what if cleaning up the ocean does not require ____________________ but rather __________________?