Thursday, March 15

Starter 3.15:  Sure, the local sustainable (and/or Do-it-Yourself) food chain(s) sound wonderful.  But what problems arise when we think about feeding 7-9 billion humans this century?  What solutions or approaches might we consider in the bigger picture of the global food crisis?

Video: Feeding Nine Billion

React/Discuss: How does this information impact your emerging food ethic?

Reading Time!

Finish the book!

Turn in your Written Response on Part 3

Wednesday, March 14

Written Response: “Local Sustainable”

Synthesize Fresh and Part 3 of The Omnivore's Dilemma

Instructions

1.  Write about a page (2-3 paragraphs), preferably typed.

2.  You should refer to evidence from both the film and the book in your response.

3. Answer one or more the following prompts in your response.  Feel free to mix! (If you have a different angle you want to take, chat with me about it.)

a. Compare and contrast the paradigms (worldviews/ideological perspectives) behind the industrial system and sustainable systems.  How does each show a different "ethic," that is to say, a different kind of thinking about the human relationship with our food and the human relationship with the Earth?  USE EVIDENCE FROM BOOK AND FILM!!

b. Is the local sustainable movement elitist?  Is it reasonable to think that we can figure out to feed "the many" on sustainable agricultural?  What would have to happen for this to occur? What policy changes would we need? How would the paradigm need to change?  What we need to be willing to give up? Is it even desirable? USE EVIDENCE FROM BOOK AND FILM

c.  Do you agree with the perspective of the book and movie in regards to the local sustainable food chain being more desirable than the industrial one?

• If so, explain why and what changes you would like to see.  Include a discussion of how consumers can impact change at the policy level.  
• If you don't agree, explain why you think the industrial chain is necessary or superior.  Refer to specifics in from the book and movie that you disagree with or find unrealistic. EVIDENCE!!!

Rubric

Perspective/ Development 10	You have articulated a clear and focused perspective that is supported throughout your response
Evidence 10	Response employs relevant supporting details from both the movie and Section 3 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Beautiful Work 10	Writing is refined with attention to organization, sentence craft, and conventions (TEA paragraphs!  Get a proofread!)

If you finish early, please read Part 4 "The DIY Meal"

Tuesday, March 13

Written Response: Local Sustainable

Film: Fresh

Take notes in such a way that it sets you up to do the response writing!

Monday, March 12

Starter 3.12: FREEWRITE

Check in with self about how you are processing the content of this project. Is anything changing for you? Are you having any A-HA's that impact your eating? At this point in your learning, how would you characterize your emerging FOOD ETHIC?

Four Corners

• We would be better off cooking all of our meals from scratch.
• It’s not that important how food animals live; after all, they were born to be our food.
• I would give up produce from far away to reduce my carbon footprint.
• The FDA should heavily regulate what food companies put into our food.
• With the proper innovations, local sustainable can and should be the dominant food chain.
• Eating organic is worth the extra cost/effort.
• GMO’s are an amazing technology that we should not be afraid of.

If you haven't taken Quiz 1 or 2, please take it today during work time!

READ!!!!

• Finish Section 3 by Wednesday and Section 4 by Friday

Friday, March 9

Starter 3.9:  How much should the food industry be regulated by government laws?  What sorts of things should and shouldn’t be regulated?

What is a "muckraker"?  (Michael Pollan is a contemporary one, nowadays known as an investigative journalist.)

What impact can muckraking journalism have on social issues and problems? What are other examples of effective muckraking?

A Century Ago's Muckraking Journalism and the Food Industry:

Throwback to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle (1906)

Historical Context

Excerpt from The Jungle

What is the FDA?  Why does it exist?  Should it exist?

Does the food industry have too many regulations?  Not enough? What are some examples?

Watch clip from Food, Inc.  (51:00-58:00)

DISCUSSION/JOURNAL 3.9:  

What is your reaction to this information?  Do you think the federal government should play a role in the food industry?  How important are regulations on food? What happens if labor and food safety laws are lax or deregulated?  Whose interests are served by this?

Your choice:

Reading Time

OR

More Four Corners?

Thursday, March 8

Mini-quiz, Part 2 of The Omnivore's Dilemma

Reading time for Part 3

Wednesday, March 7

Starter 3.7:

Watch this video:  Whole Foods CEO interview

To what degree do you see America’s relationship with food evolving?  Is the Whole Foods CEO expressing a greater societal shift in thinking or is it just specific to their niche market?  What do you see in your own generation?

Watch Food, Inc. “Big Organic” 1:00:00-1:05:20

For tomorrow's mini-quiz, just think about the similarities and differences between the industrial food chain described in Part 1 and the industrial organic food chain described in Part 2.  As you read, weigh whether you think it is worth the extra cost to eat organic from the supermarket.

Tuesday, March 6

Starter 3.6: Is factory farming worth the trade-offs?  What would you be willing to give up in order to have a different agricultural paradigm?

What is the deal with “Food Miles”?

READ:  Food Miles and Packaging: A Contrarian View

In groups (one scribe per group, one electronic document):

• What is his thesis?
• What are the main points that he makes to support his perspective?
• Brody asks:  “Is the correlation of prosperity with processed and packaged foods nearly 1.0?  Do you answer yes? Why or why not? Can you push back on this claim? How?
• How does the perspective of this article change or complicate how you are processing the book (if at all)?
• Come up with a Four Corners prompt related to this topic

FOUR CORNERS

The benefits of the industrial food system are worth the drawbacks.

I would rather go back to the local food systems of yesteryear even if it meant sacrificing my favorite foods.

Monday, March 5

QUIZ:  The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Part 1

20 minutes to look over chapters and study guide?

When you finish the quiz,continue on to Part 2 (DUE THURSDAY)

• There will be a small quiz Thursday to synthesize what you have read.  No study questions this time; just think about the similarities and differences between the industrial food chain described in Part 1 and the industrial organic food chain described in Part 2.  As you read, weigh whether you think it is worth the extra cost to eat organic from the supermarket.