The Politics of Food

Surveying the Text

About WENDELL BERRY • He earned a bachelor's degree from the

University of Kentucky in 1956 and continued on to complete a master’s degree in 1957. In 1958, he received a Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University. Berry has taught at Stanford University, Georgetown College, New York University, the University of Cincinnati, and Bucknell University. He taught at his alma mater, the University of Kentucky from 1964-77, and again from 1987-93. The author of more than 40 works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, Wendell Berry has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors. He lives and works with his wife, Tanya Berry, on their farm in Port Royal, Kentucky.

• "The Pleasures of Eating" from WHAT ARE PEOPLE FOR? by Wendell Berry. Copyright © 1990 by Wendell Berry.

About Michael Pollan• For the past twenty-five years, Michael

Pollan has been writing books and articles about the places where nature and culture intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and in the built environment. He is the author of four New York Times bestsellers, most of which have won awards. Pollan was named to the 2010 TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people. In 2009 he was named by Newsweek as one of the top 10 “New Thought Leaders.” A contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine since 1987, his writing has received numerous awards. In addition to teaching, he lectures widely on food, agriculture, health and the environment.

• When a Crop Becomes King By Michael Pollan Published: July 19, 2002, New York Times.

Surveying the text

• Based on what you have just heard about the authors and articles answer the following questions:– When and where were these originally published? Should

you trust these publishers? Why or why not? Should you trust the authors? Why or why not?

• Read the titles of the two articles and guess what they might discuss. Jot down your ideas.

• Berry’s essay “The Pleasures of Eating” comes from a collection of his essays titles What Are People For? What do you think the title of the collection might mean? Jot down your ideas.

Making Predictions1. Read the first two paragraphs of Berry’s essay. Jot down your

predictions, based on the title and these paragraphs, of what Berry might discuss.

2. Red the first paragraph of Pollan’s essay. Jot down your predictions, based on the title and this first paragraph, of what Pollan’s point of view might be.

3. Will these writers make arguments? For What?4. Read the first four paragraphs of Berry’s essay. Adjust your

predictions about what Berry might try to do in his essay.5. Turn the title of Berry’s essay into some (3) questions that you

might keep in mind as you read the essay.6. Read the first four paragraphs of Pollan’s essay and adjust

your predictions about what Pollan might try to prove.7. Turn the title of Pollan’s essay into some (3) questions that

you might keep in mind as you read the essay.

Key Vocabulary• The following vocabulary

words are important to your understanding of these essays. Work in small groups of three or four to find the meaning of these words and record them in your notes. You may use the dictionary, your groups previous knowledge, or the context of the words to determine meaning, once finished we will go over the words as a class.

• “The Pleasures of Eating”– urban shoppers (paragraph

4)– obstacles (4)– specialization (5)– industrial food consumer (5)– cultural amnesia (6)– a pig in a poke (6)– food esthetics (8)– perfunctory (8)– obliviousness (9)– relentlessly (11)– estranged (20)– comely arts (20)– concentration camp (21)

• “When a Crop Becomes King”– dubious (1)– domestication (2)– insinuated (3)– subsidize (4)– wreaks havoc (6)– metabolized (10)– predators (13)

Key Vocabulary• “The Pleasures of Eating”

– urban shoppers: city folks who buy things– obstacles: things that get in the way of something else– specialization: to focus attention on one thing; to be an expert on one

small aspect of something– industrial food consumer: those who eat unnatural foods that are

produced by a specific industry– cultural amnesia: to suffer a certain forgetfulness related to one’s group

history– a pig in a poke: something that is purchased without the buyer seeing it or

knowing its value beforehand – food esthetics: a set of principles having to do with appreciating food, its

tastes, its beauty– perfunctory: superficial, careless– obliviousness: to be unaware, unconscious of something– relentlessly: to continue without stopping, stubbornly pushing ahead– estranged: to be separated from– comely arts: pleasing, attractive practices– concentration camp: a prison where torture or death might occur- often

people sent to such camps are of a certain religious or ethnic identity

Key Vocabulary

• “When a Crop Becomes King”– dubious: doubtful, suspect– domestication: subduing, making tame– insinuated: subtle hinting or manipulation; to move in

on someone or into a certain situation– subsidize: money provided by the government or

state– wreaks havoc: causes a great deal of chaos– metabolized: to produce energy, to digest– predators: those that prey on something in order to

attack it

Food Product Advertisement

• Cut out a food product from a magazine, print one out from the Internet, take your own picture, or use the actual food product to create an advertisement for that specific product. You need to use at LEAST FIVE of the new vocabulary words from this unit. Be sure you understand the word and use it in correct context. Remember to use persuasive techniques to “sell” your product and to edit and revise before you turn in the finished product next class.

Food Product Advertisement Rubric4 3 2 1

Use of new vocabulary words

Used more than 5 words correctly in the advertisement

Used 5 words correctly in the advertisement

Used 5 words in the advertisement, but not entirely in the correct way

Used less than 5 words in the advertisement

Creative and persuasive advertisement

Was creative & original. It included very persuasive language

Was mostly creative & original. It included mainly persuasive language

Was somewhat creative & original. It included some persuasive language

Mildly creative & original. It included little persuasive language

Organization and convention use

Very well organized and error-free

Well organized and mostly error-free

Somewhat organized and contained some errors

Poorly organized and had frequent errors

1. Bring Articles2. Complete food advertisement project with vocabulary

words.