Unit 2 Paper: Food and You

English 101-24372; Prof. Rebecca Chmiel

Background: The issues surrounding food are manifold and
increasingly political. America is torn between ethical
concerns (like environmental impact and taking a stance on
local/global businesses) and practical issues (such as food
prices). This unit we will be working through the issues
surrounding the food industry. You will enter the
conversation on food as a well-read individual.
Prompt: In 5-7 pages, summarize the issues surrounding your
chosen topic and respond to those positions in such a way
that the reader understands your own ideas. You must include
supporting details from at least 3 of the assigned readings
during this unit. Should you choose, you may also include
information from other understanding or observations.
Topic Options:

1) Morality and Food:

There are many issues surrounding the idea of morality in relation to food, and many disagree
about the best solution. In The Locavore Myth James E. McWilliams responds to concerns
about green farming, in Escape from the Western Diet Michael Pollan argues that the food
industry uses science to produce unhealthy food choices for its own financial gain, and in
What Are You Buying When You Buy Organic? Steven Shapin suggests that the idea of
organic being better is too simplistic. If you choose this topic, you will write an essay in which
you take part in the on-going conversation of one aspect of food ethics. You will summarize
the various opinions surrounding the issue and provide a response that indicates your own
ideas on the topic.
(or)
2) Food, Health, and Responsibility:
The idea that there is something wrong with the way Americans are eating is not new. Obesity
has a massive impact on health and healthcare in America, causing diabetes, heart disease, high
blood pressure, and more long term illnesses. The CDC reported in 2015 that no single state
had less than 20% obesity in all of America, with 25 of the 50 states having more than 30%
obesity rates. Although all the authors recognize that this is a problem, there is an ongoing
discussion over the best solution. If you choose this topic, you will write an essay in which you
take part in the on-going conversation of food, health, and responsibility. You will summarize
the different sides of the debate and provide a response that indicates your own ideas on the
topic.

Write five full to seven pages in MLA format. You should:

1. Ensure your reader understands your ideas by including a well-written,
debatable response to the conversation as your thesis. It should be
somewhere towards the end of your introduction.
2. Summarize key issues surrounding the topic you choose.
3. Use templates from They Say, I Say to frame your responses to the
authors, present evidence, or provide clear transitions between ideas.
4. Respond to the authors ideas using analysis and well-written prose.
5. Maintain MLA format and academic writing style throughout the
essay.
 Unit 2: Updated Reading List, Lecture Series, and Workshop Overview
The dates indicated below are only essay-specific dates and do not include reading responses or other assignments.
In the outline detailed below, (L:) stands for lecture and ( WW:) stands for Writers Workshop or in-class
activities. ( ) indicates which readings are due that day. Keep updated with Canvas for confirmation.
Mon. L: Final round of editing Wed. UNIT 1 ESSAY DUE
3/6 WW: Final peer review process, peer grading 3/8 L: Reading a Prompt and Reading to
Respond to a Prompt
: What Should We Eat due
WW: Locating key ideas in texts
Mon. L: What Do We Eat and Why? Wed. L: Is There a Choice? & Prospectus Writing
3/13 : Dont Blame the Eater and What You Eat 3/15 : Escape from the Western Diet and
is Your Business due Food as Thought due
WW: Summary/response format; tracking WW : Building background; tracking
possible quotes possible quotes
Mon. L: Being Green & The Art of Being Analytical Wed. L: Whos Responsible & Outlining/ Idea
3/20 : What Are You Buying When You Buy 3/22 Order
Organic? and The Locavore Myth due : Your choice of 2 due
WW: Model essay 1 assessment due, pre- WW: send thesis over the weekend
writing and brainstorming for approval; outline draft in class
Mon. L: Personal Choices with Drafting Wed. L: Peer Review with Incorporating Sources
3/27 : Against Meat due 3/29 1
WW: Model essay 2 assessment due; draft in WW: Draft #1 due; incorporating
class quotes; peer edit essays

Spring Break!!!
Mon.
4/10
L: Peer Review with Incorporating Sources 2 Wed.
WW: Draft #2 due, final round of peer-review, 4/12
Unit 2 Paper Due &
finalize all changes to Unit 2 paper Mid-Term Exam
*How Junk Food Can End Obesity, The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Food, Bad Food? Tax It and
Subsidize Vegetables or The Average American Ate Literally a Ton This Year due

This essay is worth 250 points. Your essay will be graded on the following criteria:
Inclusion of Course Readings (Pass/Fail): You must include supporting details from at least 3 of the assigned course
readings.
MLA Format (Pass/Fail): Your essay must be submitted in 12 point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins (double
spaced) finished by a Works Cited page.
Peer Review (20 points): The writer will bring 2 fresh, printed copies of his/her rough draft on each of the peer review days.
Unity/ Focus (80 points): The writer presents a cogent, thesis-driven response to the prompt. The thesis is clear and original.
The entire essay is controlled by the thesis, and each paragraph is controlled by a clear topic sentence.
Support for Thesis (40 points): The writer supports his/her thesis with well-chosen examples, in depth and thorough
analysis, and persuasive reasoning. The central idea is developed in the essay through well-chosen and appropriate concrete
details. Each detail is explicitly analyzed, rather than left to stand for itself.
Coherence/Organization (40 points): The essay conforms to an organizational pattern that facilitates reader understanding,
using organizational patterns to demonstrate the relatedness of ideas and to enhance the power of the argument. The essay has
a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, which are related to the thesis. Transitions help the paper to flow smoothly.
Conventions of Written English, Citations, and Format (40 points): The essay conforms to MLA format. All quotes are
correctly cited according to MLA standards. The Works Cited page shows developing understanding of MLA format. The
general use of English is grammatically standard.
 Unit 2 Essay: Food and You (200 points)
Student Name and ID: __________________________ Final Score: __________________________
Essay Components (-20 points for each one missing):
1 prospectus 4 peer review rubrics with 1 final draft
1 outline draft meaningful feedback 1 final self-review rubric
1 final outline (typed) 1 self-set calendar with with meaningful, reflective
4 rough drafts with editing deadlines/ commitments for comments
notes other classes and work 1 final Works Cited

MLA Format: Did the student submit the paper in Times New Roman, 12 point font, double-spaced with 1-inch
margins and a Works Cited page? (Pass/Fail)..Y/N
Inclusion of Course Readings: Did the student include references to 3 of the course readings? (Pass/Fail)Y/N
Peer Review: Did the student bring 3 fresh copies of their essay on the 2 peer-review days and participate in the
activities? (20 pts)Y/N
Score 20 15 Excellent 15-10 Good 10 5 Needs Improvement 5-0 Poor
The thesis is clear, Thesis statement is a good The thesis is not debatable or The thesis is not debatable
debatable, and engages response to the prompt, but doesnt engage with key and doesnt engage with
with key issues from the could have been more issues. key issues (or) the reader
unit. focused/clearer. isnt sure of the thesis.
The essay is a cogent, The focus is not always Frequently the writer gets off The essay lacks logic or
thesis-driven response clearly a response to the topic or loses focus. persuasion on a large
to the prompt. prompt. scale; it is unfocused as a
response to the prompt.
The organizational The organization is fair but The essay has some issues The organization in the
pattern demonstrates it doesnt help the reader to with organization but they do essay is very confusing or
the relatedness of ideas understand key concepts. not necessarily detract from could be improved by more
and enhances the power the essay as a whole. revisions.
of the argument.
Multiple viewpoints of Some viewpoints of the Limited viewpoints of the Only one viewpoint is
the argument are argument are represented argument are represented. presented in the essay,
represented well in the but this could have been The dispute surrounding the despite the issues
essay. stronger. topic seems small. surrounding the topic.
The writer supports The writer chooses mostly The writer sometimes choses The writer chooses too few
his/her thesis with well- strong examples to support strong examples to support examples or all weak
chosen examples. the thesis, but there are a the thesis, but at times examples to support
few weak examples. chooses weak evidence. his/her thesis.
Each detail is fully There is a strong sense of Some details are explained or Very little explanation or
explained or analyzed, analysis, but there are analyzed, but more was analysis is given for the
rather than left to stand times where more was needed. evidence chosen.
on its own. needed.
Transitions and Sometimes transitions and Transitions and templates No transitions or templates
templates from They templates from They Say, I from They Say, I Say are from They Say, I Say are
Say, I Say are Say are used, and they are attempted but are not used attempted at all.
incorporated to help the used correctly. correctly.
paper flow smoothly.
The use of English is The use of English is good The use of English is good but The use of English is poor.
strong with only and mistakes do not detract mistakes sometimes detract There are many mistakes
minimal mistakes. from what the writer is from what the writer is saying. or the errors cause
saying. confusion in meaning.

Score 10- 7.5 Strong 7.-5 Acceptable 5-2.5 Satisfactory 2.5-0 Poor
Each body paragraph Most topic sentences The author attempts strong The author doesnt achieve
has a strong topic support the thesis, but topic sentences, but they topic sentences which
sentence that supports there are 1 or 2 that do not. sometimes dont fully support support the thesis.
the thesis. the thesis.
Each body paragraph is The author tries to confine The author tries to confine the No body paragraphs are
controlled by the topic the para. to the TS, but at para. to the TS, but the focus controlled by a topic
sentence. times the focus strays. strays frequently. sentence.
Comments:
 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
3/13 3/15 3/17 3/19

3/20 3/22 3/24 3/26

3/27 3/29 3/31 4/2

4/3 4/5 4/7 4/9

4/10 4/12- Eng.

101 Essay 2
DUE!!! Mid-
Term Exam