Food and Agriculture
Ironically, despite the necessity of food for our survival, many of us have a very limited understanding of where it comes from and how it is produced. This is a byproduct of the increasing urbanization of our culture. This unit seeks to give students a basic understanding of the modern food production system. A comparison of traditional farming is placed against the more common industrialized system in place today. Students will understand the difference between conventional, organic, cage-free, free-range, and genetically modified food products. At the end of this unit, they will all be smarter consumers, and more able to make educated decisions in the grocery store.
Food and Agriculture Powerpoint
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Purpose: This lecture begins with a basic history of humans and farming. The increasing amounts of different inputs are shown, including fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, and irrigation. Nutritional differences are also compared between developed and developing countries. A detailed explanation of meat and dairy production is given, with illustrations of the specific living conditions faced by each animal. Finally, students are introduced to the idea of genetically modified foods. Several examples of genetically modified crops currently in production are given.
Essential Concepts: Food and agriculture, subtheraputic antibiotics, meat production, dairy production, milk production, antibiotics in farm animals, lifestock, erosion, contour plowing, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, irrigation, bovine growth hormone, food additives, organic food, gmos, gmo, genetically modified organisms, industrialized agriculture, factory farming, free range, cage free, grass-fed, animal welfare, slaughtering, animal slaughtering, meat processing.
Human Health and Environmental Toxins Lecture Notes Outline
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Purpose: Taking efficient notes can be a big challenge for many students, especially when working from a Powerpoint lecture. This outline gives students a means to take notes that guides them toward important concepts and avoids the pitfalls of writing word-for-word or simply not taking notes at all. The outline is written as a series of questions, fill-in-the-blanks, or diagrams. This outline is based on the Powerpoint lecture written specifically for this unit.
Essential Concepts: Food and agriculture, subtheraputic antibiotics, meat production, dairy production, milk production, antibiotics in farm animals, lifestock, erosion, contour plowing, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, irrigation, bovine growth hormone, food additives, organic food, gmos, gmo, genetically modified organisms, industrialized agriculture, factory farming, free range, cage free, grass-fed, animal welfare, slaughtering, animal slaughtering, meat processing.
Food, Inc. Student Worksheet
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Purpose: This 2009 documentary covers many of the unseen consequences of the industrialized agriculture system. The first segment explores the underside of factory farms and meat processing plants. The second segment looks at the effects of a diet heavy in processed foods on human health. Finally, a discussion of the future of foods and the growth of the organic industry is shown. This worksheet contains critical thinking questions for students to consider and answer as they watch each segment of the documentary.
Essential Concepts: Agriculture, factory farming, industrialized agriculture, nutrition, human health, malnutrition, food poisoning, subtheraputic antibiotics, animal welfare.
Death on a Factory Farm Student Worksheet
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Purpose: This 2009 documentary begins with footage taken from an investigator working undercover at the Wiles Hog Farm in northeast Ohio. The worker, named "Pete", documents several instances of what appear to be cruelty to the piglets and hogs by the workers on the farm. The footage is eventually shown to the state and the owner and operator of the farm is brought to court. The documentary concludes with coverage of the court case and its verdict.
The footage in this documentary is extremely graphic and recommended for high school upperclassmen and college students only.
Essential concepts: Agriculture, factory farming, industrialized agriculture, animal welfare, animal cruelty, euthanasia.
Fresh - Student Worksheet
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Purpose: Many of the documentaries covering issues relating to food and agriculture tend to be very negative, foreboding, and gruesome. Movies such as Food, Inc and others tend to focus mainly on issues relating to animal welfare in the factory farm setting. Fresh is a good counter to these types of documentaries. This movie is much more positive and uplifting. Specific examples of farms and farmers, such as Joel Salatin, that have opted out of the industrialized system in favor of free-range organic practices are showcased. Students who feel turned off and repulsed by farming after learning the details of factory farming will feel the positive impact of small and medium free-range agriculture.
Essential concepts: Agriculture, factory farming, industrialized agriculture, animal welfare, animal cruelty, euthanasia.
Dirt! The Movie - Student Worksheet
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Purpose: One of the overlooked aspects of food and agriculture is the importance of soil. A quick glance at a map of the most impaired soils around the world reveals that this is a growing issue, especially in the most productive areas. Multiple famines throughout history, the Dust Bowl being the most famous, are the direct result of the misuse and abuse of soil. This documentary seeks to show students the importance of caring for soil, giving perspectives of people from multiple different cultures.
Essential concepts:Agriculture, factory farming, industrialized agriculture, monocultures, topsoil, impaired soil, erosion.
The Meatrix Student Worksheet
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Purpose: The Meatrix is an series of humerous animations available online about factory farming, loosely based on the Matrix trilogy. Each clip, less than 10 minutes in length, explores different consequences of industrialized agriculture. The Meatrix also has a companion website that provides students with information about which dairy producers in their area have pledged not to use bovine growth hormone. This assignment is a series of questions students answer as they watch the animations and explore the companion website.
Essential Concepts: Agriculture, factory farming, industrialized agriculture, nutrition, human health, malnutrition, food poisoning, subtheraputic antibiotics, animal welfare.
Writing Prompt - "Mystery Ingredients"
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Purpose: This journal writing assignment has students take an ingredients list from a processed food item, research each one, and determine its purpose. The goal is to draw attention to the huge number of artificially derived ingredients that are added to many foods to enhance their flavor, texture, or shelf-life.
Essential Concepts: Food processing, food additives, nutrition, ingredients, food labeling.
Food and Agriculture Study Guide
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Purpose: Once the instruction for the unit is completed, students can complete this study guide to aid in their preparation for a written test. The study guide is divided into two sections: vocabulary and short answer questions. The vocabulary is taken directly form the lecture, sequentially. The short answer questions are meant to model the type they may see on the exam.
Essential Concepts: Food and agriculture, subtheraputic antibiotics, meat production, dairy production, milk production, antibiotics in farm animals, lifestock, erosion, contour plowing, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, irrigation, bovine growth hormone, food additives, organic food, gmos, gmo, genetically modified organisms, industrialized agriculture, factory farming, free range, cage free, grass-fed, animal welfare, slaughtering, animal slaughtering, meat processing.
