Longer Writing Assignments
1) Where Did Important Crops Originate?
This assignment follows the group discussion described earlier. Each student leaves with a map of the origins of some major crops.
Follow-Up Writing Assignment (~350 Words):
Answer these questions in a short essay (not individual answers to the questions):
- Did the origin of any major crop surprise you?
- Do the foods you prefer reflect the national origin(s) of your family, or do they mostly reflect the culture in which you grew up?
- Why might it be important to know where the major crops originated? (Speculate.)
2) Media Report or Disease of the Week
Notes: This Exercise Can Be Used in Various Ways:
- One way is to have students start doing their reports about the fourth week of the semester, when they have some background. Each student turns in a written report and, if the class is small enough to accommodate this, gives a 5-minute summary report to classmates, so they all hear about additional topics.
- Instructors can watch for media reports during the year and accumulate possible topics for students to choose from. These can include subjects that are not specifically plant pathology, such as the die-off of bats from a fungal disease.
- In addition, it is possible to receive e-mail alerts about current disease outbreaks from the International Society for Infectious Diseases. This idea is summarized in a Teaching Note in the APSnet Education Center, but detailed instructions for students follow
Directions to Students:
These are the instructions if you signed up for either a media report or a Disease of the Week. This is a way to enrich the course with topics you find interesting. It is also a way for you to practice researching a scientific topic and determining a source’s accuracy and possible bias. When using a website resource, include the title of the site, as well as the URL.
To prevent duplication and to ensure the selection of appropriate topics, you must have your topic approved at least one week before your presentation. (Do this as soon as possible, so you can be sure someone else does not select your topic.) Feel free to e-mail the instructor with your proposed topic: [insert instructor’s e-mail address]. The instructor may have some additional sources to suggest.
Here are some sources of possible topics:
- American Phytopathological Society Website
-
International Society for Infections Diseases - Search for plant types to see what new disease outbreaks are occurring.
-
US Phytosanitary Alert System
-
Science News Magazine
-
EScience News
You will make a 5- to 10-minute presentation to the class and turn in a written summary 3–4 pages in length. The class presentation should be a summary of your report—not a reading of the whole thing. Five minutes should be adequate to cover the key points, in most cases.
Follow These Guidelines:
- Media Report
Find a report related to this course in the news media: a newspaper, news magazine, Internet, and so on. Read the report and summarize it for the class. Explain how the subject relates to the course. Also explain why this particular subject was of interest to you and why it should be of interest to students in this class. Some suggested topics to watch for in the media include loss of biodiversity, food safety, food supply, pesticide use, genetic engineering, and global warming.
Analyze the report for bias and accuracy. Do not assume that because someone is a scientist, he or she is unbiased. An unbiased article may take a side on an issue but will include a fair appraisal of both sides. Include the source of the original report and at least two other sources related to this subject that you used to evaluate the content. These should be reliable, science-based sources, such as APS websites and journals, other scientific journals, and science magazines. List the questions and concerns you have related to the information. In the early weeks of the class, you are likely to have more questions than answers and opinions. Try to use the information learned in this course to speculate on possible answers/solutions.
Your class report will be short, but your written report should demonstrate that you have learned about this topic and developed a science-based opinion on its controversial aspects.
Evaluation of Media Report: 45 pts
| Presentation to class: clarity, accuracy, reason for interest | 10 pts |
|
Written Summary: |
| Appropriate information sources | 5 pts |
| Accurate Information about Subject | 10 pts |
| Writing quality (includes correct grammar and spelling, correct use of scientific names: uppercase for first letter of genus, all lowercase for specific epithet; italics for name) | 5 pts |
| Questions listed that were not answered by source | 5 pts |
| Analysis of accuracy and/or bias of information (two other sources) | 5 pts |
| Complete citations of sources | 5 pts |
|
Total: 45 pts |
Note: Please read your report and make sure it includes all of these elements before turning it in. If one of them is missing, you will not get the points for it.
- Disease of the Week
- The significance of the disease
- The type of pathogen (e.g., bacterium, fungus, nematode, virus), its scientific name (uppercase for first letter of genus, all lowercase for specific epithet, italics), and some details about its biology (e.g., how does it spread? how does it survive when the plant is not around, as in winter?)
- What kinds of plants are affected (one species, many species)
- Where the disease is a problem (worldwide, North America, only in Wisconsin, only in New York etc.)
- What can be done to manage or prevent the disease (chemical or biological controls, genetic resistance, cultural practices such as irrigation or crop rotation)
List questions that come to mind as you try to find information about the disease. Use at least two sources (and cite them) for information on the disease. Also note if there is conflicting information between sources and how you determined which source was more accurate.
Evaluation of Disease of the Week: 45 pts.
| Presentation to class: clarity, accuracy, reason for interest | 10 pts |
|
Written Summary: |
| Appropriate information sources | 5 pts |
| Accurate Information about Subject | 10 pts |
| Writing Quality (includes grammar, spelling) | 5 pts |
| Questions listed that were not answered by source | 5 pts |
| Analysis for conflicting information and resolution | 5 pts |
| Complete citations of resources | 5 pts |
|
Total: 45 pts |
Note: Please read your report and make sure that it includes all of these elements before turning it in. If one of them is missing, you will not get the points for it.
3) Analysis of a Book Related to the Course
Example:
The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
Notes:
- Many curricula emphasize critical thinking as an important component of core courses. It is very important in science courses, because students read media reports and websites every day that might look authoritative but are inaccurate.
- The analysis of The Omnivore’s Dilemma has led to many interesting discussions. It will be helpful for instructors to prepare a set of questions for students to investigate in their assigned sections to help them identify where inaccuracies and/or bias occur. This book is particularly easy to use, because it is divided into three sections. The entire class can be assigned to write a short response to each section and one longer response at the end. This will encourage all students to engage in the weekly book discussions.
- The last question on the last writing assignment asks students if they would recommend the book to their friends. Many students have said they would—but with the warning that they should not believe everything they read in it! A number of students have asked how a book can be published if some of the information it contains is not true.
a) Book Chapter Discussions
Directions to Students:
If you signed up to lead a book section discussion, you will work with a partner. Together, you will use the guidelines to prepare a 10-minute class discussion. The purposes of this discussion are to help the class focus on the key points, detect bias or inaccuracy, determine if there is missing or incomplete information, and compare the content of the reading to content in the textbook or other sources.
All students will be writing on the three larger sections of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, so these discussions should help them prepare for those assignments. Your job is to stimulate thinking and discussion as the class moves through each section. It is expected that all students will have read the section at the time of the discussion, so they should be ready to respond to your queries and opinions.
You will need to read your section in more detail and sometimes ahead of the class to be prepared for your discussion. You also should leave enough time to meet with your partner to discuss the section and prepare your presentation. Feel free to consult with the instructor if you have questions.
Here are some items to consider for discussion:
- What are the most important points in your section of the book? (Keep this brief.)
- What information confused you or left you with questions?
- What are facts versus opinions? Do you agree or disagree with the opinions?
- What, if any, examples of inaccuracy or bias did you find?
You will also be given some specific questions to consider for each section of
The Omnivore’s Dilemma after you sign up. You will not have time in class discussions to go over all of these questions, but choose the ones you think will be most helpful to the class in understanding the section. Some of these questions were chosen because they point out inaccuracies in the book. Please research these issues to determine the correct answers. Each partner also will write his or her own more detailed response to the book section (3–4 pages).
Evaulation of Book Analysis: 45 pts.
|
Presentation of Material for Class Discussion | |
| Queries and opinions to provoke responses | 5 pts |
| Presentation of key points | 5 pts |
| Identification of bias, missing information, opinions in reading | 5 pts |
|
Written Response: | |
| Summary of key points | 10 pts |
| Writing Quality (grammar, spelling) | 5 pts |
| Detailed discussion of bias or opinions in reading | 5 pts |
| Answers to questions provided by instructor | 10 pts |
|
Total: 45 pts |
b) Class Papers on Book Sections
Section I - Industrial/Corn (Chapter 1-7)
This section of the book covers what the author calls “industrial” agriculture based primarily on corn (and soybeans). In your discussion, consider these questions:
- We are dependent on corn. How is corn dependent on us?
- How have corn yields grown in the last century? What energy inputs are required to obtain these yields? Is this sustainable? Can it be made sustainable? Where does ethanol production from corn for energy fit into this?
- “The free market has never worked in agriculture and it never will.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Consider both biological and economic reasons.
- After reading this section of the book, do you look at many common U.S. food products differently? If so, what particular aspects are of most interest/concern to you? If “fat is fat” and “protein is protein,” does it matter if you are eating a taco or a Twinkie?
Section II - Pastoral/Grass (Chapter 8-14)
This section of the book covers what the author calls “big organic” agriculture, as well as pasture-based, small farm agriculture. In your discussion, consider these questions:
- In what ways are “big organic” and “industrial” agriculture similar?
- What
advantages and limitations do you see in local, small farm agriculture and pasture-based agriculture, in particular? Consider energy issues, food quality, distribution, ability to produce on a large scale, safety, etc.
- Was it possible for midwestern people to have a healthy winter diet before long-distance food distribution became the norm? What kinds of things did they eat, and how did they preserve these foods?
- Is it important to support local farmers? Would your eating habits have to change if you supported local farmers? Would you prefer to support organic farmers (as defined by the federal regulations—i.e., no synthetic chemicals or fertilizers and strictly organic feed for animals)? Or might it be better to encourage farmers who choose ecologically based practices using the most benign chemicals (fungicides, herbicides, insecticides—whether synthetic or not)? Would it be better to eat organic foods (which may be produced many hundreds of miles away) or locally produced foods (which may not be organic)?
Section III - Personal/The Forest (Chapter 15-20) and Conclusions
This section of the book describes the author’s attempt to return to hunting and gathering for food. In your discussion, consider these questions:
- The author suggests that both the first meal in the book—the industrial agriculture meal—and the last meal in the book—the hunter-gatherer meal—are unsustainable. Do you agree? Why?
- How have your views about food changed after reading and discussing this book?
- What changes would you like to see in American agriculture? Should we return to a U.S.-based agriculture completely, partially, or only if we can compete with the costs of importing food from other countries? What are the political, economic, and safety implications of relying on other countries for our food supply?
- How should we create sustainable agriculture? The following statement is printed on the grocery bags from Whole Foods: “We actively support organic farming—the best method for promoting sustainable agriculture and protecting the environment and farm workers.” See this website for a detailed statement on
sustainable agriculture from the University of California. Read also Chapter 14 in the textbook.
- Consider some different kinds of agriculture in your answer—for example:
- Would it be more efficient to grow our large field crops (e.g., corn, wheat) using herbicides (to reduce tillage) to preserve topsoil and synthetic fertilizers because of the difficulties of delivering large amounts of organic fertilizers to those large fields?
- Should we use biodegradable, low toxicity synthetic fungicides to produce abundant, affordable fruits and vegetables?
- Should we use genetic resistance as our preferred line of defense again pests and pathogens? If so, what do we need to do to preserve biodiversity?
- hould we use modern tools to move genes along with traditional breeding?
- Would you recommend this book to your friends?
