Is Farming in Her Future?

1. Set Focus 
Pose this essential question: How can economic forces affect your decisions about your future?

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: 

• What is the central idea of the article? How does the author’s choice to focus specifically on Grace help support its central idea? (The article discusses how  economic changes in America have negatively affected small and medium-sized farms, which has influenced the choices farming teens make about their futures. By focusing on Grace’s story, the writer can demonstrate firsthand the personal struggle that some farm teens are facing as a result of these external economic forces.)

• The author writes that “it’s harder to make a living farming than it was in the past.” What evidence does she offer to support this claim? (The author cites the disappearance of 4 million U.S. farms in the last century, the additional jobs farmers have had to take to make ends meet, and the migration patterns of young adults from rural to urban areas.)

• In the closing paragraph, Grace says, “[Farming is] not some costume I put on for five seconds and then take off—it’s part of my life forever.” Why does she say this, and what does she mean? (She says this because she’s leaving home and worries she might lose her identity. She reassures herself that she won’t change just because she’s going to college; she’s also stressing the importance of farming.)

3. Core Skill Practice
Assign, print, or project the activity Making Connections. Have students use the graphic organizer to explore causes and effects described in the article.

4. Writing Prompt
Research factory farming. Then write a brief essay explaining what it is and how it is affecting small farms and the environment.

5. Classroom Debate
Should Grace return to her family’s farm after college?

6. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension.