Let's Discuss

Social Studies educators believe discussion is a crucial aspect of instruction which allows students to think critically and logically. This promotes the skills needed for civic engagement. Planned discussions reflect what the teacher thinks his/her students need to know and should be obtained through dialogue.

Discussing Food Industrialization:

1. Do you think the food purchased in grocery stores is safe to eat? Why or why not?

2. If there are federal laws (FIFRA, TSCA) on the use of hazardous materials when it comes to the food citizens consume, why is the government not enforcing them?

3. Why do you think many citizens do not know the negative health risks connected to the use of pesticides and hormones on farms?

4. How does desertification contribute to poor land use? According to http://www.dictionary.com/ desertification is the rapid depletion of plant life and the loss of top soil...usually caused by the over exploitation of grasses and other vegetation by people.

    How can the use of land be improved based on your previous answer?

Four Kinds of Approaches to Discussion:

• Responding to a problem
• Responding to an observation
• Responding to a question
• Reflecting on classroom activities

An example of approach number one, responding to a problem, would be "How can citizens learn about specific hazardous farm practices, and the food that is affected?" This would be in response to the problem that not enough people are aware of the harmful affects of farm practices or where their food comes from.

Best Practices to Facilitate Discussion:

• At the beginning of the year discuss what makes a good discussion with students.
• Create a set of rules for discussions that ensure civility.
• Plan the discussion. What topics do you want to cover? In what order? What happens if nobody answers?
• Create a starting question to create controversy, it should grab students attention.
• How will you respond to students propositions and questions?
• This should not be a lecture! Insert the planned agenda through student's comments so that it feels natural.
• Use whole-class and group discussions.
• Open up one student's question to the whole class for further thinking.
• Ask students to relate their comments to the specific content they read, viewed, or heard.
• If you are silent, the students will speak!
• The pace should be slow so students have time to reflect.
• Instead of responding ask another student their opinion.

To start a discussion on food industrialization  I would ask, "In recent research why has some corn created kidney and liver failure in rats?" This question provokes concern and inquiry, while also discussing a current event about the Monsanto company. Discussing about a vegetable that many students would have eaten or at least tried in their lifetime brings it into personal context.

As a teacher it is important to understand what students already know about the subject. I would ask students, "What do you already know about farm practices such as the use of pesticides and hormones? Where does your food come from?" Students will be able to apply what they have heard or seen about food industrialization, whether they heard it on TV or read it on the Internet.

After placing students in groups to research the issue of food industrialization I would ask students, "What laws/acts are in place to protect citizens, farm workers, and farm animals from the use of pesticides and hormones?" This allows students to discuss the issue in groups and as a whole-class.

During this lesson/unit I would have the students keep a journal filled with questions, concerns, reflections, and ideas about the issue. Some questions could be written on the board for students to answer in their journals such as "What does the word pesticide mean to you?" or "What improvements could farms make to create less health concerns with their product?" This will give students time to think about the questions before discussing them with the whole-class.



Check point for service learning project: Our plan is to visit two separate farms and compare their practices, such as the use of land, pesticides, and hormones. Katlin is planning on visiting Connors Farm in Danvers MA due to its convenient location. They have apple trees, pumpkins and grow other plants like tomatoes, and butternut squash. Greg would like to visit a farm in Western MA, where his friend works during the spring, that grows exotic plants such as kiwis. As for presenting solutions to our problem we have some great links and Greg is creating a lettuce garden plan that involves little work.