SHSU Common Reader Program 2017-2018 Curriculum Infusion Guide The son of a sharecropper, Will Allen had no intention of ever becoming a farmer himself. But after years in professional basketball and as an executive for Kentucky Fried Chicken and Procter & Gamble, Allen cashed in his retirement fund for a two-acre plot a half mile away from Milwaukee’s largest public housing project. The area was a food desert with only convenience stores and fast-food restaurants to serve the needs of local residents. In the face of financial challenges and daunting odds, Allen built the country’s preeminent urban farm—a food and educational center that now produces enough vegetables and fish year-round to feed thousands of people. Employing young people from the neighboring housing project and community, Growing Power has sought to prove that local food systems can help troubled youths, dismantle racism, create jobs, bring urban and rural communities closer together, and improve public health. Today, Allen’s organization helps develop community food systems across the country. Curriculum Infusion Committee Lisa Brown Kevin Clifton Mae Cox (Lane) Mary Funck Mike Vaughn Robert Maninger Christine Cardinal Simone Camel Melissa Mednicov Todd Primm Jeff Wozniak Brandy Doleshal Cole Williamson Candice Wilson 1 Good Food Revolution Curriculum Activities The Curriculum Guide is written as an aid to course instructors across the university to make integration of educational activities related to the common reader as straightforward as possible. Feel free to use and modify these suggestions as needed for your students. We hope the reader serves as a common educational experience illustrating to students the importance of lifelong learning and that true understanding is often interdisciplinary. -Best regards, the Curriculum Infusion Committee and FYE First Year Experience http://www.shsu.edu/commonreader Professional & Academic Center for Excellence http://www.shsu.edu/pace/ College Success Critical Thinking Academic Landing a New Job Teamwork & Skills For many college students, getting a good job in a specific field is their end goal. As you read through Will Allen’s Problem Solving Business personal story, you notice he is often offered a new position, sometimes in a very different industry. He went from professional sports to managing a disco to the fast food industry to selling his own produce locally, just to name a few. What are three specific ways to prepare for a new job in an environment in which you have no prior experience? What are three specific ways to adjust to the university environment, coming from high school, in the first year? Make a compare and contrast chart: how are these situations/adjustments similar, and how are they different? [Each question is an individual activity, to be followed by group or class-wide discussion.] What two adjustments will you implement for college success personally, and why? Community Academic Career Exploration Engagement Skills Pre-Lesson Assignment Prompt: In the Foreword of The Good Food Revolution, Eric Schlosser identifies several Critical Thinking social problems that are addressed in the book. What central problems did you identify after reading The Good Food Teamwork & Revolution? Identify at least two important social problems, provide background for these problems, and identify the Problem Solving actors involved and how they are affected. Social Justice Gather Information - Assign individual students or groups a social problem to tackle. The students will be responsible for researching their problem to provide a more in depth explanation of it. Students must use sources that the class has decided are legitimate and credible enough for academic work and informed discussion Be the Solution - Students will identify one or two career fields/professions that can provide a solution to their social problem based on their Strong Interest Inventory results. They will also identify specific organizations related to that profession or field. Post-Lesson Reflection Questions: Are there any problems or issues in The Good Food Revolution that you had not considered before this assignment? Why or why not? What did you learn from researching your problem? What did you learn from other students? How difficult was it to find relevant information for your presentation? Communication, Academic Motivation Case Studies written/oral/visual Skills Character Study – Students are responsible for providing a brief background and history of the character as well as Critical Thinking quotes in the text related to that character’s development in the book. Character options: Will Allen, Karen Parker, Teamwork & DeShawn Parker, or Damien Coleman. 2 Good Food Revolution Curriculum Activities Problem Solving In-Class Activity – Students will choose two motivational theories through which to analyze their character. They will present their analysis; below are guiding questions for their presentations: Behavioral Motivational Theory: What were some positive and negative consequences that the character faced? How was the character motivated by these consequences? What motivational techniques did this character use? What motivational techniques would you recommend that this character use? Cognitive Motivational Theory: What were positive and negative thoughts that the character had? What are positive and negative thoughts that you might assume the character had given the description of some circumstances in his/her life? What evidence can you find in the character’s life that would have motivated him/her to succeed or to take certain steps to accomplish his/her goals? Do you believe that this character had low, moderate, or high self-efficacy? Provide evidence to support your position. Humanistic Motivational Theory: List ways in which each level of Maslow’s hierarchy needs was being met and not being met. Using resources that were referenced in the book, what assistance could he/she have gotten to make sure all of his/he needs were met? In what ways was the character intrinsically motivated? Did this motivation increase at any time? How do you know? What did self-actualization look like for this character? Social Motivational Theory: List the important relationships in the character’s life? Did these relationships have positive or negative effects? How did the character seek to establish new relationships? How did the character embrace diversity? What recommendations would you give him/her to embrace diverse groups and people? Post-Activity Assignment: Have students submit their motivation checklist as a journal entry or discussion board. Have them explain why they have included each component of their checklist. Critical Thinking Outrageous Promises (pp. 88-96) Teamwork & Pre-Activity Assignment – Answer the following questions below after you have completed the assigned selection of Problem Solving The Good Food Revolution: What were Will Allen’s goals? Label each as short term or long term. Why were Allen’s goals meaningful to him? Why was he motivated to accomplish them? What specific steps did he take to achieve his goals? Include specific quotes from the text. What setbacks did he face? Include specific quotes from the text. What did he do when he faced setbacks? Identify a personal short-term goal and a personal long-term goal. How do you plan to achieve these goals? Activity – Individually or in groups, have students define and explain the ABCS of effective goal setting and relevant research. Then, groups will find the ABCS in the goals that Allen set. Application: Have students select a personal short-term goal and long-term goal and detail the ABCS in the plan for goal setting, implementation, and achievement. Reflection Prompt: In the initial homework assignment, you outlined a plan to achieve short and long-term goals. 3 Good Food Revolution Curriculum Activities What gaps existed in your plan; what did you have to add to it to fill out the chart? What adjustments did you have to make to your plan? Critical Thinking Reflective Reading Schedule Communication, Students Assigned Day Assigned Reading written/oral/visual 1 pp. xi-18 2 pp. 19-39 3 pp. 43-62 4 pp. 63-87 5 pp. 88-108 6 pp. 111-129 7 pp. 130-151 8 pp. 152-174 9 pp. 175-207 10 pp. 208-236 11 pp. 237-249 Each student is responsible for addressing the following prompts for their assigned reading: What is one thing that you read that squares with your beliefs? What are three points to remember from the reading? What is a question circling in your mind? Business Academic Curriculum Activity Description Skills Areas Critical Thinking Business A group of investors have approached Will Allen with a request to purchase Growing Power. Assume that Will is Analytical considering selling the enterprise to the investment group, but he is unsure where to set its value. Use information Problem Solving provided in the book to complete one of the following small business valuation techniques: Team Work a) A going concern asset-based approach (this will necessitate creating Growing Power’s balance sheet) Written b) Discounted future earnings (use the current rate of return on the S&P 500 index as the discount rate) Communication The activity should include a short (two to three page) report that summarizes you results and recommendations. ** Could be completed as a group assignment Critical Thinking Business Create a short report in which you define the terms business ethics and social responsibility. Describe: Written § A situation from the text in which a business enterprise did not demonstrate ethical behavior. Communication § How Growing Power demonstrated ethical business conduct, particularly through its emphasis on social responsibility § A business enterprise you’ve had contact with that embraces social responsibility Creativity Business Develop a mission statement, a vision statement, and a slogan for Growing Power. The mission statement should Team Work describe the objectives and values of Growing Power, whereas the vision statement should provide a strategy for that Written will enable the organization to achieve these objectives.