Course Plan
Vegetable, Animal, Human: The science and sociology of your food
Course Goals
- provide social context for scientific understanding.
- demonstrate a general understanding of the science applicable to food production.
- critically assess the context and “scholarliness” of scientific information.
- assess the impact of food choices.
- use scientific and social theory to interpret data in context.
- identify the influence of social structure on food choice
Resources – listed on the course blog: http://idst2405.wordpress.com/resources/
Assignments:
- Before class begins read Pollan, Michael “The omnivore’s dilemma : a natural history of four meals”, Penguin Press, New York 2006 (ISBN = 978-1594200823) available at GCSU bookstore. We will discuss most of this book during the semester (seven chapters in the first few days). Since we only have three weeks, there won’t be much time for reading.
- Various Readings
- Food Writing Assignment
- Food History Project
- Local Food Challenge
- Campus Food Assessment
- Campus Food Guide
- Restaurant Exercise
Week 1: Vegetable
Monday, May 10
Morning (9-12)
- Syllabus (20 min)
- Community Food Assessment & Guide Project
- description of food assessment
- overview of USDA toolkit
- assign project groups
- Food Diary Assignment (30 min)
- getting at obstacles to obtaining your ideal environment
Afternoon (1-3)
- Chemistry Basics – group tutorials
- SALG Survey – requested A&S 2-55
Assignments & Reading
- Chemistry Assignment
- GMO Corn Refs for Jigsaw
- 7 chapters from Omnivore’s Dilemma
- Readings on Green Revolution
- Green Revolution: Curse or Blessing (International Food Policy Research Institute)
- Women and the Green Revolution (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
- Soil Biology Primer (National Resource Conservation Service, USDA)
- Soil Chemistry, NPK – still needed
Tuesday, May 11
Morning (9-12)
- Bring Popcorn to class
- GMO Jigsaw
- Think-Pair-Share
- Corn/Food subsidies/capitalism
- Benefits/Drawbacks of green revolution
- Discussion of Readings
- Food History Project – Pick your Product
- Local Food Challenge – description
Afternoon (1-3)
- NPK, nitrogen cycle, soil chemistry
- present organic AND chemical approaches to fertility
Homework
- Jigsaw followup assignment
- Food History Project
- Local Food Challenge: Farmer’s Market visit
- Civic Agriculture Ch6, pp 84-98
- Three sisters planting from Mother Earth News
- need better source explaining the interdependence of these species
Wednesday, May 12
Morning (9-12)
- Film: Growing Awareness
- Moderated Discussion (Discussion Rubric)
- Activity: For your assigned crop planting, convert the NPK needs from conventional sources to organic sources.
- add link from Soil Fertility 101 notes @ GO
Afternoon (1-3)
- Three Sisters Planting at Community Garden (plant the beans and squash)
Homework
Thursday, May 13
Morning (9-12)
- Campus Food Assessment Planning Session (Students without car)
- Identify Stake-holders
- Devise plan for contacting and surveying stakeholders
- Assign Tasks to groups
- Map out Guide
- 2009/2010 Local Food Guide to Georgia (Georgia Organics)
- Identify Stake-holders
Afternoon (1-3)
- Project Meetings with groups
Homework
- Complete Food History Project
Friday, May 14
Morning (9-12)
- Food History Project Due
- 5 min presentations followed by class/small group discussions
- Food Assessment Project Updates
Homework
- CAFO Case Study – need ref
- Food Fight, pp 72-88, 150-151
- Readings on Slow Food movement
Week 2: Animal
Monday, May 17
Morning (9-12)
- A&S 2-54 requested
- Social Movement Activity
- identify activist organization from mission statements
- Discussion about the slow food movement
Afternoon (1-3)
- NPK revisited
- Pesticides – Fruit washing experiment
Homework
- CAFO Case Study – need ref
Tuesday, May 18
Morning (9-12)
- CAFO Case Study Analysis
- Clips from Food, Inc about CAFOs
Afternoon (1-3)
- Day 2 of Pesticide washing experiment
Homework
- Local Food Challenge: Farmer’s Market Visit
- Readings on State/Federal Legislation that affects small chicken producers in Georgia
- Chicken Little by Suzanne Welander
- The Search for Alternative Poultry in Georgia by Suzanne Welander
- http://www.georgiaorganics.org/Files/Chicken_Resources.pdf
- Yahoo Group
Wednesday, May 19
Morning (9-12)
- Small poultry producers in Georgia – Case Study Analysis
- Discussion
- Activity – some action, letter writing??
Afternoon (1-3)
- Salmonella test on chicken??
- Omega-3 test on eggs??
- Check GOB Labs
Homework
- Readings on Polyface Farms (OD)
- Policy readings from Food Fight
Thursday, May 20
Morning (9-12)
- Discussion/Activity about Polyface method of raising meat
- Blackbelt presentation/discussion (Veronica)
Afternoon (1-3)
- Community Garden Workday
- Visit to my chickens?
Homework
Friday, May 21
Morning (9-12)
- Class project discussion followed by individual group meetings
Homework
- Readings about measuring poverty/social class and access to food
Week 3: Human
Monday, May 24
Morning (9-12)
- Measuring Poverty / Social Class
- Film Clip: Beans & Bordu
- Clips from Food, Inc about family with diabetes
- Moderated discussion
- Restaurant Exercise: Finding a locally owned alternative
Afternoon (1-3)
- NEED KITCHEN! REQUESTED 1ST PRESBYTERIAN ($100 charge)
- make yogurt
Homework
- Census assignment??
Tuesday, May 25
Morning (9-12)
- Statistical Exercise using Census Data
- Look up USDA Farmer data
Afternoon (1-3)
- Project Meetings
Homework
- Local Food Challenge: Farmer’s Market Visit
- Buy what you need for your dish
Wednesday, May 26
Morning (9-12)
- LITC Mac Lab requested
- ALL DAY: Work on Campus Food Guide
- compile group work into one document
- Meet and work in the LITC
Afternoon (1-3)
- Print Campus Food Guide
Homework
- Local Food Challenge: Make your dish for potluck
Thursday, May 27
All day event!
- Class meets at 10:00 to set-up for Event
- 11-12: Potluck Lunch
- 12-1:30: Clips from Film
- 1:30-2:30 Panel discussion
- Bob Burns & Isabel Crabtree – permaculture
- Cortnie Turnberger – Sodexho Food Services
- ??? – Kroger Produce Buyer
- Bobby – small scale breadmaker
- ??
Friday, May 28
Morning (9-12)
- Final project presentations
- SALG Survey??
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