Vocab Quiz on Tuesday

Shared Inquiry Circles, Into the Wild

The Groups:

Jordan - Mackenzie - Alyssa
Lindsay - Joe - Michelle  R
Neill - Lulu - Alexis C
Jessica - Caleb - Robin
Tyler - Alexis M - Briel
Dominic - Victoria - Sam
Kaila - Brian - Michelle A
Annalise - Sandra O - Sarah
Jacob - Monet - Israel
Jazmine - Sunny - Brennan
Rebecca - Marquis - Johnathan

Floaters:  Marissa - Heidi - Ronnie

Decide who is the leader for the discussion on Wednesday. (This first Wednesday, we decided that the first person on the list will be the leader).  That person writes discussion questions that can be answered in more than one way.  These are not "fact-finding" questions, but questions that lead to more open-ended, philosophical discussion.

From the slides on Shared Inquiry Circles:

Four rules:

1. Only those who have read the selection may take part in discussion.
2. Discussion is restricted to the selection that everyone has read.
3. Support for opinions should be found within the selection.
4. Leaders may only ask questions—they may not answer them.

What the leader does:

1. The leader poses a question that can be validly answered in more than one way.
2. The leader allows time for students to respond.
3. The leader only asks questions.
4. The leader often asks students to support their ideas with evidence from the text.
5. The leader asks students to listen to and consider the ideas of others.
6. The leader and the group remain focused on the question posed at the beginning of discussion.

The first circle:

• The leader must have read the assigned reading and come to the discussion with FIVE original questions. No Sparknotes!
• The other group members must also have completed the assigned reading and should come ready to discuss.

Next Wednesday, April 20th is our first Shared Inquiry Circle, and it will cover chapters 1-5.

A Changed Mind, A Changed Kind (Possibly)

     I know for a fact that my mindset about what is food, and where I get my food from has shifted rapidly in this course, no pun intended. I've learned so much about the harsh injustices of the mechanized and hyper-industrialized food industry. I can't believe that not only processed foods are put on the conveyor belt and shipped so inhumanely; somehow, it's almost like everything from vegetable to animal suffers in this fast paced environment and we appear to have no intention in stopping it. My consciousness about the food industry makes me a bit squeamish and makes me feel appalled, I feel that it's only right for us to eat other living being, only if their death was respectful and as painless as possible. I've changed my diet around to compensate for such feeling; I eat more organically when possible, and I've convinced my parents, mostly because my mom loves animals, that we eat from approved farm sources where the animals don't have to suffer as they do in their factory cages.
     If I had went back four years ago in my life with this knowledge I have currently, it goes without saying that I would have changed my entire diet. I wouldn't have the gall to consume processed foods, and I would have taught myself how to cook tastier, more filling meals back then, besides the common egg and ramen I was accustomed to. I would have made sure my parents understood that'd I would only eat from cruelty free labels and that no other source would be efficient for my diet. My dad is a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to food, whatever he can afford, most often at the cheapest price, would suffice. But, I would have tried my damnedest to persuade him to think about the treatment of these animals rather than solely money-we were tight on money in those days, but I think there would have been a probably compromise between the two of us.
     If I had to change the food industry in one way, I would have to say that I would have insects added to the world's distributors of food. This would most likely raise the prices of beef and chicken, thusly improving their treatment, while the lower class would be able to feed on this new chain of food. Insects seem to be far more healthy than what meats we consume as of today-they have far less fats and cholesterols than pork, beef, and even chicken, and to that fact, they also come with a smaller price tag. This could very likely reset the poor dieting in the United States, as well as first world countries; it would destroy the incentive to only eat cheap and heavily processed junk food, and to consume much more healthy, and in many people's opinions, much tastier alternatives. The variety as of now of what you can buy on the internet such as crickets or meal worms is stunning; sour cream and onion flavored crickets, baked not fried, and barbecue mealets are just some of the odd, yet fascinatingly delicious foods that could substitute for the chips that everyone seems to buy, day-to-day, in corner stores across the country. The addition of insects, would revolutionize not only the food industry, but the health of every nation across the planet.

Eating Healthy

Everyone says to lose weight you have to eat work out or go on a diet. When I think about you can't lose any weight without EATING HEALTHY! If you just work out and lose a little weight, and then eat something that isn't healthy like a burger, fries, or pizza then you just gain all of you weight back on to your body. Also, instead of stocking all of the cookies and ice cream up in your home, people can switch out all of those unhealthy things with healthier things like vegetables, fruit, and like yogurt. Another thing about going on a diet its unhealthy for your body. People need a certain amount of proteins in the body, and if a person doesn't getting enough then you mess something up. So eating healthy made me think that i was doing something wrong with my diet. I should start eating more healthy foods, and start working out more; as should everyone else. EAT HEALTHY!

District Writing Assignment

The TED talk today was interesting even though the lady speaking wasn't very enthusiastic. This just goes to show you that almost anything in proper amount is good for you. This writing assignment for the district is going to be a piece of cake but the last article didn't really do it for me the others made their stand obvious and supported right away. The way he finishes his article is by telling us that there isn't evidence proving whether the internet has positive or negative effects.

My Grocery List

This unit about food and politics has opened my eyes to a lot of things.
1. Production. The way our country produces food is frightening - frightening in the sense that if we continue down this path of mass production it will ultimately lead to a path of mass destruction. We are quickly destroying our environment by allowing big corporations to abuse the land. When all the fish in the seas disappear, when there's no more clean water to drink, and when we discover that soil is no longer habitable for seeds, that is when we will see that we can't eat money.
2. Government. Our government encourages everyone to stay in shape and be healthy. The first lady's "Let's Move" program encourages young kids to live a heathy lifestyle by eating the right types of food. However our government subsidizes crops like corn which is a cheap way to get sugars. Sure our government is promoting a healthy lifestyle, but what they have neglected is our health - by which the foods available to us and the process in which those foods are made.
3. Labeling. Whatever is on a products nutrition label says a lot about the product. Before I would get distracted by a product marketing itself as "zero-calorie" or "hormone-free" or "gluten-free". But after doing some research on how to properly read labels I can say I'm more cautious of what products I purchase at the store. I now know that matodextrin is sugar with glucose and "gluten free" has nothing to do with your glutes.
4. Distribution. America produces enough food to feed the world; but why do we still see world hunger as an issue? It all comes down to the uneven distribution of food and resources; the bottom line is America has a lot of resources and third world countries don't fair too much. Whenever I see fast food toss food out, I feel bad because I know there are people starving out there.
5. Junk Food. Prepackaged food like a bag of chips and a can of soda are convenient since they are easy to carry, however they can cause some serious health problems. Our nation is plagued by obesity. I now keep in mind the consequences before I buy chips from the black market at school. I also try to cook and prepare food at home more often. By doing this I'm actively participating in my eating process.

🍴

We have all been able to learn something valuable by the end of this unit. In the beginning when the topic of food was brought up we were all thinking of how easy this would be since we all love good. However, we of course were wrong. There is so much more to food politics then we would have ever thought of. The government is involved in everything our country does, but what I didn't know was how heavily involved they were in the food system. The food system is all around messed up but there is not much being done about it because of the governments strong involvement. This unit has also taught me how hard it is to write a paper with such a broad topic and freedom. Just today another ERW student and I were talking to a friend who was not in ERW. We were speaking about the topic, and like us in the beginning, the non ERW student went on how easy that would be. All in all, I was able take away information from this unit that I will be able to use in the future.

My writing process

My writing process i would say is very complicated. I am really liking this unit but finding sources for my topic. My topic is why organic food so expensive. I found articles that really catch my attention but have nothing to do with my article but as I was finishing my final draft I started to realize that I was just looking in all the wrong places. It was my first research paper and I was really scared to start writing it but as we went over things in class I felt way more confident. This is going to help in me college what also helped me with my research was say what mean chart we did right in the beginning of the unto. It helped by reading each article and made it easier for me to fit it isn't my research paper. Many little tools like that totally helped me with my paper.

Kids Are The Future

For the past couple of weeks, I've been researching about food and children. I've found out different information about how to teach children about food and how it could help the planet if the next generation knows how to eat healthy. So many foods have ingredients that affect our body in a bad way. Children should know what is bad for them and what is good for their body. By them getting into the habit of how to eat healthy at a young age, then the obesity and diabetes percentage would drop. Not only that, but it would help the earth by saving food to last, because we are running out of food. That is no good. We need to do something about this before it gets any worse. Kids need to know this stuff because they are the worlds future. Boom! Have a great day!

Throughout writing my paper I have found my question taking many different directions.  Now I have found it turning out solid the more I started to write. One of my major problems is the length of the paper, I cannot get it to reach five pages. Much of my paper is my opinion expressing how I feel about the subject but I have realized it should be based more upon facts since it is a research paper.  My question is about how food industries/companies get us to eat all of their product with the help of mass production. It seems to be really specific but it works out with all the articles that I have read. Hopefully my paper isn't boring because I really rather inform instead of just stating things that could be just repeated.

the way we eat.. right or wrong?

Throughout this whole process of whether or not we should eat processed food, I've come to figure out that its doing nothing but harming my body. Will I stop eating fast food? No, but I will try to only eat fast food once in a great while. I definitely think that through all the researching and watching videos I've learned more than I thought I would. Its sickening to see how the animals are being treated. I guess we expect our food to be handled with care and consideration but that's not the way it is. I think I want to start eating organic foods, just simply because organic food is way healthier. In five years I want my body to be healthier than ever, and by eating fast food that won't happen. Hopefully they start treating the animals with good care so that we can start living healthier lives. I guess its a matter of when. This whole food process has brought light to the end of the tunnel, if that makes any sense.

People are pretty awful

We've all learned recently that the food industry is behind a lot of the awful things currently going on in our world today. Obesity and diabetes are fueled by fast food and are more common in poverty stricken areas. Kids are dying from acid resistant bacteria. Food companies are polluting our skies, oceans, land, and wildlife. They lie about whats in their products and pay off legislators so that they can continue to lie. We all know this now, but as enlightened as we are, this isn't totally true. Companies are not responsible for all of this, they're just companies. Inanimate, non-sentient, unable to make decisions for themselves. What's truly to blame are the people running those companies. Abhorrent piles of sludge that somehow fool others into thinking they're people. These are people that care more about adding to their already unspendable pile of money than they do about the life of a human being, or the well being of a population, or the ever decreasing lifespan of our planet. How could we ever fix the problems that plague our society when there will always be people like this that exist? People like that will never acknowledge their misdeeds and will continue to act that way until the day they finally die and head back down to where they came from. We'd have to somehow change the way our society thinks. Thankfully, we're already in the process of doing that. Our generation is more forgiving, helpful, and selfless than those before it. We're doing a wonderful job, but it's not quite enough. We need to raise the generation after ours to be even more selfless than us. Eventually, the majority of people will care about the majority more than themselves. Only then will companies truly have our best interest at heart.

vegatarianism

My perspective of food has changed drastically in many ways since we started this food research project. I believe that it changed so much because I chose to research the conditions for the animals and the workers in the slaughter houses. At the beginning of this research paper I never really thought about how our food got to where it is or what it went through to get there. I would just eat it without any thoughts because without this further knowledge I did not know any better. Therefore, when we first started watching Food Inc., I did not think it would have much of an impact on me because I never really understood the harsh reality of it all. After watching the movie my main thought was to further research the conditions of the animals and the workers. To my surprise it just seemed to get worse and worse because I assumed that maybe Food Inc. was just making it seem worse than what it really was, but it was clearly showing the reality. Therefore, it got me thinking about becoming a vegetarian. I have always kind of wanted to become one, but now I actually have a reason to and I have been one for about two weeks now and plan to continue. This assignment has made more of an impact than I ever thought it could have because it has actually changed my mind on a huge part of my life for the better.

Are we the problem?

My research question is asking ,” Is the population taking enough precaution in what we eat in order to keep our health in good condition ?” This topic was a hard topic to research because I had to really find the main roots to our food processing. I learned the main source of many food productions today is corn. Corn can be alternated in diverse forms. It can also be used in replace of sugar. High fructose corn syrup, for example is a common sweetener that many manufactures use instead of sugar because it is cheaper to process and less expensive for federal budget. Although, what we Fail to realize is that it  puts us at risk because of the amount of hidden sweeteners( high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose) used in foods, leads to common diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and High cholesterol. When we just eat whatever we see without taking our health in consideration we risk the cause of diabetes. I would consider thinking about all the foods you consume and make sure you being wise about what you are putting in your mouths.

Alexis Mora 

period 5

After viewing articles, watching videos, and discussing about this unit of food politics it has really opened my eyes to how industries simple mass produce animals to fulfill our hunger needs. I find it surprising how corporations use antibiotics to enable the animal to grow at a abnormal rate. I believe the reason for all these antibiotics being injected to the animals is due to the lack of food policies that are being placed, which my research question is based upon. as I researched I came up across articles that the head honchos of food corporations pay off congressmen in order to look the other way of these food policies which is quite shocking, it goes to show that these head honchos don't seem to care about what happens to the animals because they simply care about profits. as well as how Americans have a high chance of getting diseases from these foods the have poor food policies

My knowledge on the food industry has grown a lot over the lessons we have learned. My mindset for food started changing before I learned about this stuff, but it changed even more after learning about all the horrible things that happen with our food. I gave up drinking soda and eating chips one day, and two years later I still continue to not eat chips or drink soda. I see my fellow classmates eating chips all the time, and I just think to myself "Don't you know how bad these chips are for you, and how they will affect you in the long run?" I now order a hamburger and think to myself, was this "cow eating a normal grass diet, or did this cow eat corn as their diet?" We need to be informed of these things because if someone is allergic to corn, we have to know so we don't die from it. Another thing is, people think just because they eat strawberries or blueberries that its healthy, but we don't know is if they have been sprayed with pesticide to keep the bugs away, and keep the fruit fresher for longer. That is why I would advise you to always wash off the fruit before you eat it, to ensure your not eating the pesticides. When I go to the grocery store with my family now, I pay attention to all the labels and make sure I know a little about the product before I buy it. I now know how important reading the food labels are, and making sure you understand what you are eating. I don't usually buy foods that have ingredients that I have no idea what they are.

What I've gained from Food and Politics

Throughout my whole writing process I've learned so much about Food and politics. Because of the research required I've learned different things such as the process of becoming an organic based company, the rules and regulations of organic farms and so on. This unit has taught me a lot of things about food and politics that I didn't even know existed. My writing process was all research before I started anything and that's where I just kept reading and reading different articles. I now know some statistics and found out some interesting information on where my food was coming from. This just wasn't a writing assignment it was also a learning experience.

Knowledge Gained From "Politics of Food"

When we began this unit, I had very little knowledge about our country’s food policy. Now that I’m more educated on the topic, I see it everywhere; gallons of milk with “Growth Hormone Free!” Stickers and articles on GMO’s seemingly everywhere I visit online. I have learned that a lot of the labels on our food are deceiving. Just because you're eating an apple does not mean that it hasn't been sprayed with pesticides and even though the milk came from hormone free cows, the doesn't mean the cows weren't treated poorly. Everyone seems to be jumping on the organic band-wagon, like big snack companies such as General Mills, buying smaller companies like Annie’s Organic. Did General Mills really buy Annie’s because they believe organic foods are better? I don’t think so.

As eating organically becomes increasingly popular, big companies see it as a business opportunity. I wonder if clean eating and organic foods are just a fad or if these are lasting lifestyles that will still be around in 20 years. A decade ago, no one was doing pressed juice cleanses and there wasn't a vegan donut or cupcake shop on every block in Los Angeles. We knew people who were vegetarians, but to come across someone who was vegan, was rare. It’s encouraging to see this organic and non-GMO movement take off like it has, but I’m doubtful that it will last.

While this unit has been very informative and has opened my eyes to our food policy, I admit that it has not impacted my diet. If anything, it has made me more understanding of the process our food goes through. I now know the difference between regular produce and meats and organic meats and produce. I’m now more educated on the issues and don't just turn a blind eye to them.

Practical

Of all the units we've covered so far, I would say that this is the most interesting one. In ERW, I understand that this class explores topics that are practical nowadays. What's not more practical than food? In the last unit, we have looked into the issue of anonymity. We get it; it's a problem that rose because of modern-day internet. But we are not thinking about it all the time unlike food. Essentially, we are the sum of the food we eat that constitutes our growth. Because of this unit, our attention is brought into the contents of the food we blindly take from our local market shelves. I'm pretty sure many of us are now becoming more aware of what is in we eat.

As eye-opening this unit is, we all still groan at each at the need for each of us to write a research paper. The process is definitely tough and frustrating. We all have our sources but the hard part is actually putting everything together to get your point across while making yourself sound clear. Not to mention we have to give credit for each fact written that was not of our prior knowledge. One thing I dislike is just not having enough information from a source. For myself, I really don't like the imbalance of information I receive from my sources.

My Writing Process

I would have to say that this unit by far has been really challenging. I've cone across multiple questions about food in general and just so many other things that we put in our bodies. Its actually quite scary too. This unit has also been very eye opening also, it helped me realize that my topic question not only help me understand the true growing process of most of our fruits, but it also raised many more questions. Not only did I start questioning everything about our food after that, but I also started questioning how it affects our Earth. See, and this is why this unit was so difficult for me, because as I felt like I was headed towards the right direction writing my paper, there would come times where another question would form in my head and just completely throw me off. I'm going through my paper now and I'm noticing that I have to stay focused, because it shows in my paper that I'm completely going off topic and its not flowing how I would like it to. Nothing like a little trial and error to help you to become a better writer right?

During this unit I learned more about food than I thought. I feel more aware of the issues that are in our food system. Even though I'm still going to eat the same way I was, I feel better informed. Every time I'm at the store I tell my mom about GMOs like some nature loving nerd. But I think its interesting how much I've learned by just reading the articles in class. The different videos that were shown also helped me learn a lot. Its really unusual for me to enjoy things like this but I even liked researching my topic. I was curious about the production of these different foods.
While writing this paper I made it a point to try and envision each issue in my everyday life. Relating it to my everyday life made it much easier. Since I've never written a paper this long I made sure to take it one paragraph at a time. I explained the issue only using sources that interested me. This paper however, has been the hardest for me to write. I think it's because I was allowed to pick my own topic and make it as broad or specific as I wanted.

Unfair

This unit has taught me so much about different topics. My topic specifically is about animal cruelty and why it should be considered illegal just like animal abuse. While I was researching I came across so many gruesome descriptions that the animal go through on a daily basis. Some of the daily living included poor conditions and others included a cheater life. To further expand, cheating their lives is one of the top reasons why I am against this issue. I believe that all animal have the right to live the way they want to. I understand that they might not fully understand, but that doesn't mean they don't have feelings. It's just disgusting knowing that the chicken I'm boiling at home was given antibiotics to grow bigger without consent. Why don't these animals get to live on their own? It's unfair! Also, the abuse they are treated with in the factory farms should be stopped because it's just as cruel as kicking a dog around. I just wish that one day the way these animals are treated would stop and that the food producers would think of a better and safe way to treat them.

Trapped

I feel trapped while I write about my topic. My topic is on organic food. There are many links about organic food but most of them don't specifically show me the information that I need for my writing process. There are some things that I grabbed upon. One is that it shows most organic milks are considered unhealthier than regular milk. Many companies lie about the foods they put in to their milks so they can get consumers to buy their products. Also, it is shown that organic food is healthier, but pricier than regular foods. Consumers buy to whatever they consider healthy or foods that make them feel happy. My topic is that if we should change our lifestyles to organic foods. But if not, should we just eat however we please? And in conclusion, I think in my opinion, it really doesn't matter what you eat because there are people who eat unhealthily yet, they are seemingly the healthiest than those who care about themselves to the point where it's annoying. I just feel like organic food is a boost to your life insurance, whereas you might be able to live a little longer because it's healthy.

-Robin Hwang
ERWC 5