AP Biology Final Exam Project 2010

AP Biology Final Exam Project 2014

The Omnivore’s Dilemma. A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

“What should we eat?”

“The way we eat represents our most profound engagement with the natural world.”

“All food,” Pollan points out, “originates with plants, animals and fungi. Even the deathless Twinkie is constructed out of… well, precisely what I don’t know offhand, but ultimately some sort of formerly living creature, i.e., a species.”

The Assignment:

Part I 1. Read the first 2 chapters of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” from Michael Pollan. Highlight interesting facts/ideas to use later.

2. Turn in a one-page synopsis of the first two chapters of what you read in Pollan’s book and from the documentary Food Inc. Comment on what was interesting, what connections you were able to make with what you learned in AP Biology and how you might be affected, if at all, by reading this excerpt.

Part II

3. Decide on a dish to prepare and share with the class using one of the suggestions from the list of ideas below.

 Identify the genus and species (scientific name) of each once living item in the dish. If there are any inorganic components to the dish, what is the origin and role of the ingredient?

 Attempt to create a dish that contains as many trophic levels as possible. Be sure to include a producer, a primary consumer, a secondary consumer, a tertiary consumer a quaternary consumer(if possible) as well as a decomposer.

 Create a dish that contains at least one member of each kingdom within the domain Eukarya. This includes a protist, a fungus, a plant and an animal. Attempt to include a member from the Domain Bacteria and the Domain Archae (a stretch!)

 Create a dish that contains only invertebrate animals.

 Create a dish that contains all plant parts including roots, stems, leaves, fruits, flowers and seeds.

 Create a dish that contains a minimal carbon footprint. The dish must contain at least 3 items that are grown or produced within Salem County.

4. Bring in the dish to share with the class. I will have utensils and paper goods.

5. Present your dish with a description of how your dish meets one of the above criteria. This will be collected.

6. On the day of our Final Exam Feast, be prepared to take a short quiz on the assigned reading.

Modified from Diane Pintavalle, Glasonbury HS, Glastonbury, CT