Course Syllabus: HON 111 Fall 2005
World Food Issues I: Foundations
Course Information:
Seminar:
403 Charles T. Wethington Building, TR 9:30-10:45 AM
Primary Text:
Other Texts:
Guns, Germs, and Steel; The Fates of Human Societies: Jared Diamond
World Hunger; Twelve Myths: Lappe´, Collins and Rosset
Ishmael: David Quinn
The Bean Trees: Barbara Kingsolver
Life of Pi: Yann Martel
Siberia on Fire: Valentin Rasputin
Instructor:
Office:
Office Phone:
E-mail:
Office hours:
Todd Pfeiffer
329 Plant Science Building
257-5020 ext. 80771
tpfeiffe@uky.edu
Friday 9:00AM - noon
If these times do not fit into your class schedule please contact me by
email to set up an appointment
Course Themes:
1. History – cultural development in response to food
2. Sociology – Why are people hungry in today’s world?
3. Science and evidence – Our ways of thinking are tempered by our cultures. But, not all
stories are true, and facts lead to scientific consensus.
4. Compassion – justice, responsibility to people and the planet, social awareness
Specific Course Objectives:
1. See how the development of societies was strongly linked to the nature of and
availability of food.
2. Most human cultures look at food differently than animals; we store more than we
need. This affects our position on earth.
3. Fiction can be a “selective transforming of reality. The twisting of it to bring out its
essence.”
4. To express your thoughts about the course themes, to identify commonalities between
authors, to allow fiction and art to amplify your connection to factual evidence and to
improve your writing skill.
Course Grades:
Because this course will satisfy your first–year writing requirement much of your grade
will be earned through writing, both initial drafts and revised papers. You will write something
for most class periods (on worksheets or on discussion prompts) that will allow you to write to
learn. While much of this writing will not be ‘graded’ it will be checked for completion.
Questions on the quizzes and final will come from your daily writing assignments.
Writing
Life of Pi essay
Guns, Germs and Steel Chapter 3
Art museum trip 1
Art museum trip 2
World dinner
Primary paper 1
Primary paper 2
Information
Quizzes (top 4 out of 6, 20 points each)
Final
Total
Final Grade
A
B
C
D
E
Points
First draft
Final copy
10
30
10
30
10
30
40
40
20
60
80
Points
80
80
520
Points required
over 470 plus credit for >80% of the daily writing
470-416 plus credit for >80% of the daily writing
415-366
365-310
< 310
Course Absence Policy:
I consider class attendance to be very important. Unless you have a valid excuse makeup quizzes will not be given and late papers will not be accepted. Valid excuses include: 1)
participation in UK events. You must provide a written notice from the sponsoring UK official
in advance. 2) Religious holidays. Please inform me in writing during the first two weeks of the
semester about your planned absences for these holidays. 3) Emergencies such as illnesses,
accidents, and family crises.
Course Schedule:
Date
Reading / Activity
Assignment
8/25
Life of Pi
8/30
Guns, Germs and Steel
(GGS) Prologue
9/1
GGS Chapter 1
GGS worksheet
9/6
The Bean Trees pgs.
Life of Pi rewrite
Activity
Life of Pi – draft 1
Quiz 1
Discussion prompt
9/8
The Bean Trees pgs.
Discussion prompt
9/13
The Bean Trees pgs
Discussion prompt
9/15
GGS Chapters 2 and 3
9/20
GGS worksheet
GGS chapter 3 draft
9/22
GGS Chapter 4
9/27
GGS Chapters 5 and 6
Art museum
Art museum essay
GGS chapter 3 rewrite
GGS worksheet
9/29
GGS Chapters 7 and 8
GGS worksheet
10/4
GGS Chapters 9 and 10
GGS worksheet
10/6
Ishmael chapters 1-4
Art museum rewrite
10/11
Ishmael chapters 5-8
Discussion prompt
10/13
Ishmael chapters 9-13
Discussion prompt
10/18
Ishmael
10/20
GGS Chapter 11
GGS worksheet
10/25
GGS Chapter 12
GGS worksheet
10/27
GGS Chapter 13
GGS worksheet
11/1
GGS Chapter 14
Primary paper 1 rewrite
Quiz 2
Quiz 3
Primary paper 1 - draft
GGS worksheet
Quiz 4
Date
Topic
Assignment
11/2
Activity
World dinner
6PM with section 001
11/3
World Hunger 12 Myths
(myth 1)
World dinner paper
11/8
No Class
11/10
World Hunger; myths 2-4
worksheet
11/15
World Hunger; myths 5-8
worksheet
11/17
World Hunger; myths 9-12
worksheet
11/22
Quiz 5
Quiz 6
Art museum
11/29
Siberia on Fire -
12/1
Siberia on Fire -
12/6
Art museum 2 - paper
Primary paper 2
12/8
GGS Chapter 18
12/16
Final
worksheet
Writing Assignments:
1) short paper (2 pages) – draft 8/30, final version 9/6
“The world isn’t just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding
something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn’t that make life a story?”
Discuss an occurrence in ‘Life of Pi’ that illustrates this idea.
React to this statement as it might relate to your years in college.
2) short paper (1-2 pages) Art Museum trip – draft 9/22, final version 10/6
.
Look at this grave doll and grave blanket from a Peruvian grave about _______ AD. These
belonged to people and were obviously important possessions at the times of their deaths.
How do you feel about their display at the UK Art Museum?
But, if we don’t study the past won’t the phrase ‘Those who ignore the past are bound to repeat
it.’ be self-fulfilling?
What personal guidelines would you develop to protect both the rights of the past and the
possibilities of the future?
3) major paper 1 (4 pages) – draft 10/18, final version 11/1
“The world isn’t just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding
something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn’t that make life a story?”
“Because the community endures beyond the lifetime of any one individual the concept of
community tenure … carried with it an obligation to future generations as well.” World Hunger
12 Myths
How do you understand the two stories in Ishmael?
Is the taker story our religion?
Is this obligation still present in our world community today?
Present the commonalities between Diamond, chapters 4-10 and Quinn’s ‘Ishmael’ as you
answer the above three questions with and emphasis on food.
4) short paper (1-2 pages) after attending the World dinner – final version 11/3
What happened tonight?
How did you feel?
Is this relevant? How?
5) short paper (2 pages) Art Museum trip – final version 11/29
Look at these works which contrast the romanticism of agriculture vs. the pain of poverty and
hunger.
Are the __________ works all positive?
Are the __________ works all negative?
Is food and hunger a scientific issue or an emotional issue?
6) major paper 2 (4-6 pages) - final version 12/6
As the lead interviewer on the TV show “World Food Issues Reports” you have arranged to
interview three authors (you choose three from among Yann Martel, David Quinn, Barbara
Kingsolver, Jared Diamond, Valentin Rasputin, and Francis Moore Lappe).
Pose three questions for this group of authors and record their responses and discussion. Briefly
summarize their points and provide your opinion as you wrap up the show for the audience.