Intro: Food and Ethics

Guiding question: What is our relationship with food? 

1.       Read the poem Comfort Food by Raymond A. Foss

a.       Comfort Food by Raymond A. Foss

Dinner after dinner, as the weather changed
we enjoyed, were warmed, comforted
by staples, meals we love, count on
hearty beef stew, shepherd’s pie,
steak and potatoes, lasagna, cheese cake
Mmmm, so good, smiles welling up on
the family’s faces, shining in the glow
of the warm feelings of our tummies
after the fruits of her labors
slice past the tastebuds,
knowing the skill and finesse,
expressions of love,
coming in the next one
or in seconds tonight.

b.      Respond in you writer’s notebook, under the title Food #1 what emotions, thoughts, and feelings the poem brings out in you.

2.       Analyze your eating habits.

a.       What healthy habits do you have?  How could you improve?  How does eating/food help create a sense of community with those you eat with?

3.       What sort of meaning does food have for you and others?

a.       Is there social importance related to food?

                                                               i.      Consider birthdays, holidays, and the memories you have that are associated with food.

b.      Is there personal meaning brought to our relationship with food?

                                                               i.      What emotions are connected with eating?

                                                             ii.      Boredom? Happiness? More?

4.       Read the introduction to The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Guiding question: What are ethics and how do we navigate challenging situations using ethical behavior?

5.       How do you define “ethics”?

6.       Why are ethics important to society?

a.       What would happen if ethical behavior was unimportant?

                                                               i.      Brainstorm some ethical/moral behaviors and think about their importance.

7.       Write your own personal code of ethics.

a.       What ethics/morals are important to you and why?

8.       Analyze an ethical dilemma and determine the proper action.

a.       How did you come to your decision?

b.      Dilemma:  You have an opportunity for an internship at a respected business in the community. Part of your qualifications comes from a senior project that you worked on with several other students. Through the interview process, you discover that you are given credit for a key section of the project that really impressed the company. In fact, another member of your senior team, with little input from you, did that section. How do you proceed?