THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING HABITAT

THE CANDY CULPRIT

How your daily choices impact rainforests thousands of miles away and what you can do to help

LEARNING GOALS and OBJECTIVES

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

Palm oil production is part of a widespread issue for habitat and species loss—which are occurring at higher rates than ever before
Palm oil is used in everyday consumer products, sometimes under different names
You can research and investigate the ingredients of food products and make discoveries about where they are sourced and how they are produced
There are people at companies who make decisions about how their ingredients are sourced and produced
You can write letters and communicate with people at companies who make decisions about sourcing and producing palm oil
You can make choices about what you buy and what companies you and your family patronize

OBJECTIVES

To understand that there is a long line of decisions and actions that result in how products get made
To understand that, as a consumer, you have choices
To understand that you can better educate yourself using tools like the internet to do research
To understand that you have a voice, and you have ways of making it heard—even by people you have never met
To find ways to use your voice in your own unique way, and create something meaningful to yourself and others
To discover that our everyday choices can impact the futures of species and ecosystems that are thousands of miles away
To motivate you to consider your own impact on the world’s environment

For sources from which we acquired information for this lesson, and for helpful resources on this website, please visit the Good Detective Strategies and Helpful Hints page.

FOR EDUCATORS:

COMMON CORE STANDARDS, STEAM INTEGRATION, and STATE STANDARDS

This project supports many critical skills and standards across grade levels, including these common core standards:

Language Arts:
Reading: Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details Standards
Integration and Knowledge of ideas

Writing:
Text Types and Purposes: Write informative explanatory text
Production and Distribution of writing
Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Science and Technical Subjects:
Key Ideas and Details
Craft and Structure
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Will meet individual state science standards on the ways communities can reduce their impact on Earth’s resources and environment.

If you are a teacher who is interested in using this project for your class and would like assistance in determining how it meets your individual state’s standards and STEAM integration, or how to differentiate across grade levels, please write us at: [email protected].

EDUCATION STANDARDS

Our goal is to provide lessons that are aligned to standards and ready to go for the classroom. We have chosen the grade levels we think best align with the original lesson’s objectives. All our lessons are designed to be accessible by all grade levels, with your creative adaptations, as needed. If you do not see your grade level standards, the lesson can still be used based on your students’ abilities and interests. Please use any lesson you feel appropriate in your classroom!

We selected seventh-grade standards since, in seventh grade, students are building upon their understanding of the natural world and the ways in which all living things exist within their ecosystems. In particular, the seventh-grade standards push students to explore how outside disruptions (human or natural) affect ecosystems and use data to create plans for protecting ecosystems from such disruptions. This lesson works especially well with these standards because it provides an opportunity to explore how human disruptions, specifically large companies, harm our ecosystems and teaches students multiple ways they can take action to protect important habitats.

7th Grade Standards: Candy Culprit

Science

7.MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of periods of abundant and scarce resources on the growth of organisms and the size of populations in an ecosystem.

7.MS-LS2-4. Analyze data to provide evidence that disruptions (natural or human-made) to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.

7.MS-LS2-5. Evaluate competing design solutions for protecting an ecosystem. Discuss benefits and limitations of each design.

Writing

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

A. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
B. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
C. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.
D. Establish and maintain a formal style.
E. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.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.

A. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
B. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
C. Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
D. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
E. Establish and maintain a formal style.
F. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

Reading

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.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.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.9 Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.

Know

7.MS-LS2-1

Standard bottom line: Resource abundance or scarcity impacts organisms’ ability to grow and reproduce.

Ecosystems are made up of all living and nonliving things in an area

Organisms rely on other living and nonliving things for growth and survival.

Resources include food, water, space

7.MS-LS2-4.

Standard bottom line: Disruptions in an ecosystem cause shifts in the population within the ecosystem.

Ecosystem Disruptions can be natural disruptions, such as fires, floods, droughts, and volcanic eruptions and human-made disruptions, including pollution, deforestation, habitat destruction, climate change, and the introduction of invasive species.

7.MS-LS2-5.

Standard bottom line: evaluate a solution for protecting an ecosystem.

Protecting ecosystems preserves biodiversity, maintains ecosystem services, and supports human, animal, and environmental health.

Different solutions of protection depend on the type of ecosystem and the threat it faces.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1 A-E

Standard bottom line: Persuade a reader using well-supported evidence

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2 A-F

Standard bottom line: Effectively communicate information in a structured and meaningful way

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1 A-E; 2 A-F

A credible source of information is trustworthy, contains accurate information, has an author, and its own sources of information

An organized structure includes an introductory paragraph, at least one body paragraph, and a conclusion.

Edit for correct grammar, spelling, and writing mechanics.

Correctly cite sources

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1

Standard bottom line: Use text evidence effectively.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.6

Standard bottom line: Critically evaluate the author’s perspective and how it influences the text’s message.

Author’s purpose and perspective is shaped by background.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8

Standard bottom line: Critically evaluate arguments to determine if they are well supported.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.9

Standard bottom line: Recognize how an author’s choices influence the way information is presented and interpreted.

Show

7.MS-LS2-1

Display data found when researching candy company environmental practices

Case Studies: Analyze data to understand how candy company’s practices affect the environment and the impact these practices have on the animal “client”

Provide Evidence: Cite at three least sources when investigating a candy company’s environmental practices

Making Predictions: Analyze data to make predictions about how a candy company’s practices could affect animal populations over time

7.MS-LS2-4.

Case Studies of Disrupted Ecosystems: Describe previous documented environmental disruption that can result from a company’s practices

Make predictions on how other disruptions would affect an ecosystem, or how to reverse a human disruption.

7.MS-LS2-5.

Case Studies: Examine how current company practices harm (or do not harm) animal habitats

Debates or Presentations: Participate in debates to defend one practice over another, cite evidence to support their argument

Write a letter to the candy company explaining the potential harm of current practices and purpose more ethical practices based on research, or acknowledging current sustainable practices

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1 A-E; 2 A-F

Write a letter to the candy company (if applicable) explaining the potential harm of current practices and purpose more ethical practices based on research; persuade a reader that the practices are harmful (or sustainable), and should be changed if harmful

Use correct grammar and spelling; organize ideas logically; edit work for clarity

Research using tools such as books and the internet, critique sources to determine credibility and biases

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1

Make inferences using context clues, tone, and text structure

Use direct quotes as evidence that best supports their analysis (ex. current practices are harmful or sustainable).

Use a variety of texts for information, compare and contrast and synthesize information across texts.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.6

Critique sources to determine credibility and understand potential biases

Identify persuasive techniques such as emotional appeals, logical reasoning, or rhetorical devices

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8

Distinguish between strong evidence (ex. Facts, expert opinions) and weak evidence (ex. personal anecdotes)

Investigate a text’s sources to better understand the author’s credibility

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.9

Determine the type of evidence used in different sources

Analyze why an author highlights specific evidence over others

Proficient

Student cites evidence found in at least credible three sources and analyzes data to:

Describe a candy company’s practices
Describe if and how those practices harm animal habitats
Describe practices that are sustainable

Student can describe why a given source is credible (or not), can identify potential biases in sources. Student can explain why different sources may present information in different ways (ex. An environmental advocacy group v. the candy company)

Student writes a clear and formal letter/email to support their claim that the company’s practices are harmful or sustainable, using logical reasoning and relevant evidence that demonstrates an understanding of the topic

Almost

Student may meet some, but not all of the above objectives.

Student may not independently draw conclusions about candy company practices and environmental sustainability, may not independently identify practices that are more harmful/sustainable.

Student may not independently determine if a source is credible, or may not be able to describe why different sources present information differently.

Student may not independently edit writing for clarity.

Not Yet

Student may research a candy company without analyzing information, making predictions, analyzing the cause/effect relationship between candy company practices and the environment, or proposing sustainable practices

Lesson developed by Laura Lee Bahr, 2020

Updated standards by Brandi Bellacicco, 2025