Dear Metro student:
Each summer, Metro students are inducted into the Metro experience much like first year OSU
students - through a summer reading. This summer the Ohio State University has selected The
Good Food Revolution by Will Allen. Students are asked to read the book and to write
reflections based on guided questions prior to the start of the fall semester.
The Good Food Revolution is much more than a book about food. It is also a book about African
American history, American agriculture, resilience, and the challenges facing inner-city
communities. The book is filled with engaging human stories, and it can provoke useful
discussions about race, class, opportunity, health, and the future of our food system.
Here is one recommendation for getting the most out of the summer reading: Read the questions
and look over the projects and use them as a guide as to the kind of information to capture while
reading.
When you begin classes in late August, your advisory class will discuss the book, as will all the
other advisory classes. Just think - 500 Metro high school students all reading and discussing the
same book! No need to worry about having something in common with your classmates; just ask
what they thought of The Good Food Revolution!
Best wishes for a wonderful summer and happy reading! If you need help locating a copy, feel
free to contact us.
Sincerely,
Anthony Alston
Assistant Principal - MECHS
Andy Allmandinger
Assistant Principal - Metro Institute of Technology
Metro ECMS/HS/Metro Institute of Technology
SUMMER READING
The Good Food Revolution by Will Allen
This book is available in a variety of formats - hardcover, paperback, e-Book, pdf
(http://ogoapes.weebly.com/uploads/3/2/3/9/3239894/allen2020the20good20food20revolution_20growing20healthy20food2c20people2c2) and at various locations,
including local libraries and bookstores.
AFTER READING THE BOOK, please reflect on what you have read and answer the following
questions. Your response to each should be a minimum of two to five complete sentences:
1. Mr. Allen devotes several chapters to his backstory—as a professional basketball player,
corporate salesman, discotheque and fast-food manager. Mr. Allen also is open about his own
failures and setbacks, including his financial struggles and his battles with cancer. One review of
the hardcover edition suggests, “Will Allen’s life proves that success often grows from failure.” Do
you feel that this statement is true? Do you feel that detours and failures you have experienced
personally have been beneficial or destructive to you? Please explain.
2. “The fate of a seed can be predicted by the health of the soil where it takes root,” the author
writes. “This is true of summer crops. It can be true, in another sense, of people.” In what ways
does The Good Food Revolution try to draw a connection between the ecology of humans and
plants? Please cite 2 specific examples from the text.
3. Mr. Allen has described his urban farm as a “work in progress,” and the book reveals how his
urban farm has developed incrementally over two decades. He says, “All big things are created
by a slow and steady accumulation of small, stumbling steps.” Are there cases in your life where
you have not pursued a passion because the road ahead seemed too long or where your
idealism has led to inaction? What did you learn from those cases?
4. After reading the book, how do you feel about Mr. Allen’s vision for the food system? Are you
more or less skeptical about the future of food? Did the book change you in any way or inspire
you to do things differently? Please explain.
5. As you become more familiar with the Metro Habits of Active and Responsible Decision Maker,
Engaged Learner, Critical Thinker, Effective Collaborator, Effective Communicator and Inquiring
Learner, provide an example of how one of these habits was demonstrated throughout the text?
Also discuss how that same habit might be helpful to you if used during the upcoming school
year.
Be prepared to discuss your responses with your advisory groups.
Key Terms to Explore in The Good Food Revolution
Review the key terms that appear throughout the text. Choose 6 words that you are unfamiliar with.
Write the page number in which the word appears and a brief definition or explanation of each term:
Anaerobic digester
Closed-loop
Food desert
Planogram
aquaponics
Composting
Forty acres and a mule
Reconstruction
Bee colony collapse
CSA
Freedmen’s Bureau Act
of 1866
Redlining
Black favoritism
Disinvestment
Fringe retailers
Rust Belt
Black gold
Farm subsidies
The Great Migration
Sharecropping
Black towns
Federal-Aid Highway
Act of 1956
Jim Crow
Suburbanization
Brown v. Board of
Education
Fencerow to fencerow
Megalopolis
The Talented Tenth
Tuskegee Institute
Urban renewal
USDA
Vermicomposting
Vertical farm
Waggle dance
Worm castings
Worm tea
Example
Brown vs. Board of Education - pg. 67 - In May of 1954, the Supreme Court decided Brown v. Board of
Education, ruling that it was unconstitutional to have separate schools for blacks and whites. This meant
that blacks and whites could now attend the same schools and in theory receive exactly the same
education. (Please do not use this example)
Key Characters in The Good Food Revolution
Choose one character and follow their journey throughout the text. Describe their characteristics and
their role at multiple points throughout the text.
Erika Allen
O.W. Allen
Will Allen
Cyndy Bussler
Major Kenner
Ray Kenner
Willie Mae Kenner
DeShawn Parker
DeShell Parker
Karen Parker
Summer Reading Project Ideas--- Summer Reading projects will be
presented during the first 3 days of school.
Choose one of the following:
Newspaper: Create and write a newspaper, including multiple pages, detailing the various subjects
explored in your book. You must include five to ten articles having to do with your story. Remember, there
is no “white space” in a newspaper. The layout of your newspaper should cover every available space.
Cartoons, classifieds, advertisements, pictures, and editorials are examples of what you can add to your
newspaper to make it more interesting and creative. Remember that every part of the newspaper needs
to relate to the events in your book.
CD: Imagine that you have been hired to develop a soundtrack to your book. Find at least ten songs that
showcase the book’s themes, settings, emotions, characters, etc. You must include the following with
your project: a CD with the songs (if possible), a CD jacket including lyrics and illustrations, and, for each
song an explanation of your song choice and how the song relates to your book. You must also include
song lyrics in your explanation.
Piece of Artistic Expression: If you are artistic or good with your hands, create a painting, sculpture,
diorama, or other visual media object connected to your book. You’ll need to write a summary of the book
and an explanation of the object and how it connects to the book you just read.
Comic Book: Create a comic book using the plot of the book you just read. You don’t need to include
every little detail, but all the main events and main characters should be covered. The project should
include at least fifteen different frames. Your comic book should be illustrated in color (or produced with a
Comic application).
Character Journal: Choose one character from your book and write five to ten journal entries from his or
her point of view. Detail the thoughts and feelings of this character as he or she experiences the plot of
the book . Each entry should be one page in length, typed, double-spaced.
Poetry Journal: If you enjoy writing poetry, you can write a collection of poems that chronicle the book.
You need to write five to ten poems that correspond to characters, themes, events, or other elements
seen throughout the book. Along with each poem, your collection should include some kind of illustration
or image to go along with each poem.
Movie Trailer: If you think the book you just read would make a great movie, create a movie trailer to
show to the class. It should be 2-5 minutes in length and you should be able to show the final product to
the class. If you choose this project, please be sure that your technology works with the technology we
have here at Metro. Check before the day you present that your trailer is all set to be viewed in the
classroom on a projector via airplay/Apple TV.
Other: You may propose an alternative idea, but your advisor must approve the project.
Metro ECMS/HS/Metro Institute of Technology
PROJECT RUBRIC
4
Exceeding
3
Meeting
2
Approaching
1
Ineffective
Knowledge of
content
The student
demonstrates thorough
knowledge of content
The student
demonstrates good
knowledge of content
The student
demonstrates some
knowledge of content
The student
demonstrates
limited knowledge
of the content
Understanding of
content
The student shows
insightful understanding
of content
The student shows
good understanding of
content
The student shows some
understanding of content
The student shows
limited
understanding of
content
Organization,
Neatness, and Effort
The student organizes
ideas in presenting
results of inquiry with a
high degree of
effectiveness
The student organizes
ideas in presenting
results of inquiry with
considerable
effectiveness
The student organizes
ideas in presenting
results of inquiry with
some effectiveness
The student
effectively
organizes ideas in
presenting results
of inquiry with
limited
effectiveness
Use of conventions,
vocabulary, and
terminology
The student uses
conventions, vocabulary,
and terminology related
to making and
presenting products for
inquiry with a high
degree of effectiveness
The student uses
conventions,
vocabulary, and
terminology related to
making and presenting
products for inquiry
with considerable
effectiveness
The student uses
conventions, vocabulary,
and terminology related
to making and presenting
products for inquiry with
some effectiveness
The student uses
conventions,
vocabulary, and
terminology related
to making and
presenting products
for inquiry with
limited
effectiveness
Creativity
The student presents the
project through a unique
and unexpected lens
while still accurate
The student presents
the some aspects of
the project through
unexpected or highly
unusual, lens while
still accurate
The student shares an
aspect or glimpse of an
unusual idea (but
accurate) in the project,
but it is not carried
through
The student
presents a project
that is predictable
Works Cited Page
(If applicable)
The student cites all
sources (websites,
books, etc.) used in MLA
or APA format.
The student provides a
list of all sources
(websites, books, etc.)
used.
The student provides
fewer than 3 sources.
The student does
not include any
sources.
Metro ECMS/HS/Metro Institute of Technology
PRESENTATION RUBRIC
Explanation of
Ideas &
Information
Beyond Mastery
Mastery
4
3
Approaching
Mastery
2
Some supporting
information
provided, but with
gaps.
Below Mastery
1
The best
presentation
viewed today
(something you
would go home
and talk about) or
a presentation you
could consider the
standard
Excellent
supporting details
presented with
appropriate
citations and
evident research.
Ideas and
information are
vague with little to
no connection to
the topic.
Organization
Presents
information in an
exceptionally
clear, logical
order.
Paragraphs,
groups, or
subdivides
information
superbly.
Presents
information in a
clear, logical order.
Paragraphs,
groups, or
subdivides
information
effectively
Organizes
information in a
mostly logical
pattern.
Paragraphs,
groups, or
subdivides
information in a
reasonable pattern
Lacks
understandable,
clear pattern of
organization.
Presents
information with
no subdivisions
Eyes & Body
Students maintain
constant eye
contact with
various members.
They maintain
open body
language with little
to no direct
reading of notes.
Students do not
shy away from
questions.
Students make
consistent eye
contact. They
project confidence
in their body
language. They
may refer to
presentation, but
do not directly
state passages
from it.
Students make
some eye contact
while presenting,
but seem timid and
have closed body
language.
Students make
little to no eye
contact while
discussing ideas.
Voice
Uses a clear voice
and speaks at a
good pace so
audience
members can hear
presentation.
Presenter is
engaging and
holds the
Presenter’s voice
is clear. The pace
is a little slow or
fast at times. Most
audience members
can hear
presentation.
Presenter is mildly
engaging, and
Presenter’s voice
is low. The pace is
much too
rapid/slow.
Audience
members have
difficulty hearing
presentation.
Presenter
mumbles, talks
very fast, and
speaks too quietly
for audience to
hear and
understand.
Presenter is not
engaging tends to
Little to no
clarification has
been provided.
audience’s
attention.
holds the
audience’s
attention for most
of the presentation.
Presentation
Aids
The aid is
thorough enough
to accurately
provide all the
relevant
information
required to
understand the
topic
Students have an
aid that is
appropriate and
effective in aiding
understanding of
the topic
Students have an
aid but it is not
helpful in
extending
understanding
Students have no
presentation aids
or have an aid
which offers no
additional
understanding
Response to
Audience
Questions
Students field
every reasonable
question from the
audience with a
timely and
relevant response
that fully answers
every question
asked by the
audience
Students
appropriately
respond to most
questions asked by
the audience by
offering an answer
or by referring the
audience to a
source where they
could find an
answer
Students are able
to respond to some
questions asked by
the audience.
Students are
unable to respond
the audience’s
question(s).
lose the
audience’s
attention.
Notes:
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Final Score ______
Mastery ______
Work in Progress ______