A PROJECT
CRITICAL WEBQUEST
An
Introduction to Gastronomy: So What’s the Problem?
The
Effects of Globalization and Industry on our Food System
By Ms. J. Boylan
H.S. Math, Science and
Engineering at the
jboylan2@schools.nyc.gov
INTRODUCTION
Hello, My Little
Earthlings!
As inhabitants of this
planet, we have obligations. There’s no
way around it. We need to be mindful of
the interdependence of our needs and the Earth’s needs. It’s not always “all abou’tyo
needs!”
So let’s start with food
and resources. That’s why you’re here, right?
Consider some of these ideas. If
the growth curve of food availability in the world is higher than the population
growth curve, why is it that 845 million people do not have enough food to eat? In the past century, 300,000 plant varieties
have become extinct and we currently lose one variety every six hours. In fact,
half of the domesticated breeds of animals that existed in
You guys attend the High
School for Math, Science and Engineering.
You are taught to use emerging technologies to someday pioneer new
methods in fields like architecture, medicine and agriculture. According to the French philosopher and
sociologist, Edgar Morin, technology, science, industry and the capitalist
economy are the “four engines” which drive the “spaceship Earth.” However these engines can also create “blind
and ever-accelerating progress.”2 Now I’m not trying to convince you that
technology is bad. That would be
silly! Since the dawn of civilization,
technology enabled progress. Within the
last two centuries, industrialization has dramatically improved the quality of
life for millions of people, but most of the people live(d)
in western, developed nations. And
within the past 50 years, the rate of progress and development has been so
fierce that, in terms of food, we have produced enough to feed 6 billion
people, but we still can’t feed them.
This fierce progress has led to the loss of biodiversity, tradition and
sustainability.
So your obligation,
little earth dwellers, is to make wise choices.
This project is designed to introduce to you the importance of
biodiversity and sustainability, the detriments of globalization and how your
choices can make a difference. So even
if you don’t become pioneers of the agricultural field, you can make smart
decisions every time you eat. And that,
my friends, counts.
So listen up!
1. Petrini,
Carlo. Slow Food: The Case for Taste.
2. Ibid.
The Task
This Webquest will lead you through the research process using the Six Steps in the Public Policy Analyst process
(PPA) designed by Syracuse University to address the detrimental effect of
globalization on our food system and create policies to resolve some of these
effects.
Your group
has two tasks:
1. Complete Steps #1-5
(listed below) and create a PowerPoint (or an approved visual
presentation) to present your findings.
It should be at least 10 slides and must use statistics and
graphics.
2. Once all groups present,
then you will complete Step #6 and we will engage in a debate to discuss and
evaluate the best possible solutions.
Process
In order to complete your task, you and your group (groups
and roles will be assigned by me with input from students) need to first become
public policy analysts and go through the following six steps, which will give
you the foundational information required to develop public policy solutions,
and create your presentation.
First things first: Group Roles
All students must complete the worksheets and perform
research
·
Project Manager (PM) – Maintains forward direction for group
and edits all written products and presentation. Ensures that the group meets its deadlines.
·
Research Coordinator (RC)
-- collects information from group members and keeps it organized.
·
Power Point Coordinator (PPC) – takes lead role to create the
presentation with input from other team members.
·
Presenters (P)
– works with PPC to create presentation and presents information.
Research
Step 1. Define the Problem: Worksheet
#1
Step 2. Gather Evidence: Worksheet
#2
Step 3. Identify Causes: Worksheet
#3
Analysis
Step 4. Evaluate a Policy: Worksheet
#4
Step 5. Develop Solutions: Worksheet
#5
Stop, Synthesize and
Present!
Before you move on to Step #6, use all of the information
you collected in the previous steps and create a Power Point presentation (or another
approved presentation).
·
The
presentation should be visually and logically organized.
·
It
should consist of a minimum of 10 slides.
·
Use
statistics and graphics to support your ideas.
·
Use
bullet points and short phrases to highlight your major ideas.
·
Edit
your work!
·
Don’t
read directly from the PowerPoint. It should enhance your presentation!
Discusion
and Evaluation
Step 6. Select Best Solutions: Worksheet
#6
At this point we will have a debate to defend
and evaluate the best-proposed solutions.
Resources
Essential
·
SustainAbility: Tomorrow’s Value: A consulting firm based in
·
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: This link is a synthesis report from the complete assessment
commissioned in 2000 by then United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
·
Slow Food
International: A “non-profit,
eco-gastronomic organization which supports the clean, fair and good production
of food.”
·
IFAT: International Fair Trade Association
More
helpful articles:
·
“Food for Saving Forests”
Republished
from the pages of The Green Guide Written by P.W. McRandle, November 2004
·
“Of Church and Steak: Farming for the Soul” By Joan
Nathan, New York Times, August 22, 2007.
·
“Green Revolutionary” The Economist,
April 4, 2007.
·
“Farm support’s deep roots” The Economist,
June 22, 2005
·
National Geographic Environment
·
“Leaving Lighter Footprints” Republished from the pages of The Green Guide, Written by P.W. McRandle, November 2004
·
Eco-Agriculture Strategies in Practice, National Geographic.com
More
Research Sites:
Evaluation
Group Rubric: Research, Worksheets and
PowerPoint
|
|
Worksheets & Research |
Visual Presentation |
Purpose |
***Policy Development |
Reference to the Real World |
|
Good
Work! (4) |
Thoroughly
addresses all aspects of the task by accurately analyzing and interpreting
most of the documents. |
Incorporates
relevant and substantive
outside information, relevant facts, details, and
graphics. It really enhances your
presentation! |
Establishes
and maintains clear focus: evidence of distinctive voice and appropriate
tone. |
Depth and
complexity of policies supported by rich, engaging and pertinent details;
evidence of analysis, negotiation, reflection and insight. |
Frequent
reference to international treaties, international organizations and
real-world stakeholders. |
|
Not Bad…
(3) |
Addresses
most aspects of the task or addresses all aspects in a limited way; uses some
of the documents. |
Uses some
facts, examples , graphics and details, but
discussion is more descriptive than analytical. |
Focuses
on a purpose, evidence of voice and suitable tone. |
Depth of
policy development and success of negotiation supported by elaborated,
relevant details. |
Numerous
references to international treaties, international organizations, and
real-world stakeholders. |
|
Needs
Improvement (2) |
Attempts to
address some aspects of the task, making limited use of the documents. |
Presents
few facts, examples and details; simply restates contents of the documents. |
Attempts
to establish and maintain purpose and communicate with the audience. |
Lack of
elaborated policy development, unelaborated or repetitious details, little
evidence potential efficacy. |
Some
references to international treaties, international organizations, and
real-world stakeholders. |
|
Hmmm… (1) |
Shows
limited understanding of the task, with vague, unclear references to the
documents. |
Presents
no relevant outside information. Attempts to complete the task, but
demonstrates a major weakness in organization. |
Limited
awareness of audience and purpose. |
Minimal policy
development, limited or unrelated details, no evidence of potential efficacy. |
Few or no
references to international treaties, international organizations and
real-world stakeholders. |
UNA-USA Model United
Nations Rubric
Oral Presentation Rubric
|
Category |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Content |
Shows
a full understanding of the topic and uses many textual examples. |
Shows
a good understanding of the topic and uses some textual examples. |
Shows
a good understanding of parts of the topic and uses few textual examples. |
Does
not seem to understand the topic very well. |
|
Speaks
Clearly |
Speaks
clearly and distinctly all the time, and mispronounces no words. |
Speaks
clearly and distinctly all the time, but mispronounces one word. |
Speaks
clearly and distinctly most of the time. Mispronounces a few words. |
Often
mumbles or can not be understood OR mispronounces many words. |
Group Rubric: Worksheets and PowerPoint
|
Category |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Individual
Work in a Team |
Almost always listens to, shares with, and
supports the efforts of others in the group. Tries to keep people working
well together. |
Usually listens to, shares with, and supports the
efforts of others in the group. Does not cause "waves" in the
group. |
Often listens to, shares with, and supports
the efforts of others in the group but sometimes is not a good team member. |
Rarely listens to, shares with, and supports
the efforts of others in the group. Often is not a good team member. |
CONCLUSION
Now that you have
completed the Power Point and debate, you should have a greater appreciation
for the production, tradition of making, and consumption of “good, clean and
fair food.” You are now ready to be
gastronomes! I challenge you to create a
plan which will bring these ideas to our community!! Answer this for me: How has your perception of this topic
changed?
STANDARDS
English
Language Arts
Standard 1: Language for Information and
Understanding
Students will listen, speak,
read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers,
students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts,
and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and
electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and
written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language
to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and
Expression
Students will read and listen to
oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American
and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop
an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the
texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use
oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English
language for self-expression and artistic creation.
Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and
Evaluation
Students will listen, speak,
read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers,
students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by
others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they
will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the
English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and
judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.
Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction
Students will listen, speak, read,
and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language
that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective
social communication with a wide variety of people.
Social Studies
Standard 2: World History
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.
Standard 3: Geography
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live—local, national, and global—including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surface.
Standard 4: Economics
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the United States and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and nonmarket mechanisms.
Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to
demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments;
the governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United
States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional
democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship,
including avenues of participation.se the social
communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their
views.