Make a map of the origins and channels of a food item you have.
-Post a picture with a description (insert or upload file accompanied by a 1-paragraph to 1-page description).

– Q: Should I pick just one crop, a processed food item, or a whole dish with several ingredients?
– A: It is up to you, these all can be ok!

– Q: What if I can’t find the information about the origin of the food item (and its ingredients), or anything specific about the channel by which it reached me?
– A: Do the best you can with the information you can find on the food packaging, company websites, or researching other sources that you can cite (the way Melissa did in her example). You can also talk about the historical origin and historical path of that food item (for example, I could have discussed how wheat was originally domesticated in the Middle East, and brought to the United States and California during a particular moment). In your short text that accompanies the map, you should try to explain where you got your information (e.g. from the packaging? company websites? magazine or journal articles? department of agriculture?) and provide citations when those are relevant. If you are struggling too much with a food item, pick a different one that is easier for you to work with!

– Q: What will “count” as a map for this assignment? What format do we need to use?
– A: A map is an image that shows the relationship between places. You can use a baseline map and add your own information to it (the way I use Google Maps),  and you can draw your own map (like Melissa), and you can reproduce a map from a research paper, news article, or magazine (but you need to cite that clearly, and add your own text explaining the origin and channels of your food item). It does not necessarily need to be a traditional map, it could be an image (or video) like a chart, graph, cartoon, painting, or something else that shows the relationship between places. When you make your own map, or add your own information to a baseline map, you need to label at least a point of origin and a destination, and show the relationship between them on the map. Additional illustrations of the food supply chain or of your item can be included as well, but there must be an image of a map showing specific places and connections between them.

– Q: What is the expected length of the assignment?
– A: What matters the most is the quality of your work. There needs to be an image of the map, and a text (or audio) explaining it. A good map with a full paragraph can be enough, if they are very good quality, showing and explaining clearly the origin and channels of the food item you selected. If you are working with a text, try to keep it within one page of pure text. If you are working with audio-video materials, try to keep it within 5 minutes. If you are adding more maps, tables, text, or other images, try to keep the whole assignment within 5 pages.

– Q: What needs to be included in the text (or audio/video) narrative?
– A: You should explain how you are interpreting and identifying the “origin” of this food item (is it where it was first domesticated and cultivated in history? where it was first produced and processed? is it the specific location where this item was farmed or made? is there any specific brand, person, or group associated with it?). You should also explain how you are interpreting and identifying the “channels” that this food item went through to reach you (how did it go from its historical or geographical origin to you? are you able to identify some of the specific companies and locations of the food supply chain? are there some ingredients from a long, globalized, mainstream supply chain, and other ingredients from a shorter, local, alternative food network?).

– Q: What is the rubric? How will assignments be graded?
– A: The examples posted by me and Melissa are different examples of A+ (10 points).

5 points will be assigned to the map itself, that is, the image that shows the location(s) of the origin(s) and the connections, flows, or other ways to show the “channels” by which the food item reached you.

5 points will be assigned to the accompanying text, audio/video, and images that you use to explain how you are interpreting and identifying the “origin” of this food item, and how you are interpreting and identifying the “channels” that this food item went through to reach you. If you only identify “origins” but forget to identify “channels” (or vice versa), you will only get partial credit for this portion of the assignment.

This is a creative assignment. As long as you show your effort, dedication, and positive attitude in your assignment, and follow the instructions and explanations in this announcement, you will get a good grade. If some aspects of your assignment are not very clear, not complete, or seem sloppy and careless, you will not receive full points for that aspect of the assignment.