Introduction to Environmental Science and Studies Essay

The topic is Dates (the fruit)

Food. It is essential for any living organism to acquire energy to continue on living, which typically involves consuming food unless that organism is autotrophic. Biologically, food is essential. However, food also can be viewed as a characterizing feature for cultures and can be the center of economic and political debate. When analyzing a particular food, any of the following subtopics may be pivotal for your expository discourse of the food. These are good places to start researching, but the story of your food may lead you to surprising locations, so don’t limit yourself to this list.

Biological description and/or habitat requirements for your food

The varieties that have been developed (GMOs vs non-GMOs, etc.)

Where it is grown/produced

The farming (traditional, industrial, pesticides, etc.) and/or processing methods used on these foods

The companies/people that produce it

Its functional region in production and/or transportation

History of your food, possibly including its development into a large-scale production food

Its relevance in the economic, political, and/or cultural landscape

Threats to your food (diseases, etc.)

References

Any project starts with some research. After visiting the library, you should be fully equipped to find the information you need for the project. This deliverable will contain at least 10 sources, with at least one of them being a peer-reviewed, academic journal article. All of the sources and the document format (font, text size, spacing, etc.) must be formatted in according to the Environmental Science and Studies Department’s Citation Style Guide (as can be found on Canvas under General Information). This is a check in deliverable to make sure that (1) you have started research on your project and (2) you understand the citation style. You do not have to use all of these exact sources on your final poster, but this sets the standard for what will be expected for your poster.

Map

Organizing information geographically is a tool used by environmental scientists to uncover patterns that otherwise would be missed. The map you will create should be detailed and serve as a visual aid to the telling of your food’s narrative. The map probably would show at least the production centers of your foods but can also include whatever embellishments and features necessary to aid in the story telling of your food. Be aware that the map should be able to be understood on its own. That means proper map making skills get to be exercised to at least include a title, legend, the map itself, and feature labels (probably). The map can be in color, but depending on your comfort, you may want to consider adaptability for a back and white printer for the next step.

Poster

A way to think about the poster for this project is an abbreviated essay formatted graphically. In this case, the expository study of your food should be fully encapsulated through your poster alone. It needs to follow the guidelines in the Environmental Science and Studies Department’s Citation Style Guide (as can be found on Canvas under General Information) as expressed into a poster format. You may have some different section headers than are included, but you at least need to have the following features: title, abstract, main body of content, conclusion, figure(s) (which includes your map), references, and author (which is you). Your map, which is a separate deliverable, may be adjusted to better fit your poster but it must have all of the same features (e.g. switching the elements of the map from a landscape to a portrait format). Your references for the poster is not required to be the same exact list as it was for your deliverable previously, but it should meet the same standard as the deliverable and any source listed under your reference list should have a matching intext citation somewhere else on your poster. Note: the poster standard is legibility from 3 ft away (adjust font sizes accordingly).

This should be a 3 foot high x 4 foot wide poster for when we present it during the final examination time, but you will turn it in at 11:59 pm of the last day of class in a digital format so I can preview it before the event. At the poster session itself, I am asking you to print the poster, but this does not have to be printed at a print shop with high gloss paper. You can print the poster on a mosaic setting on a regular printer, and then tape the separate pieces into a contiguous map. It also can be printed in black and white.

Presentation During our final exam time, the class will enjoy our mock poster session. The poster will be mounted and you will be approached and asked questions about your poster. This is to mimic an actual conference environment. At most academic conferences, there are typically judges that evaluate the posters and designate a prize. In this simulation, I will be the judge and will come around and ask you some questions and this is where the presentation comes in.

Reflection

This is the place where I want to hear your opinion. This is your space to reflect on your research project. Some things to consider are the following:

Musings of the research/map making/poster making process

Surprises and/or difficulties in acquiring the information you sought

The most interesting/disappointing things you discovered while researching your food

What you learned from this overall in terms of your food choices, understanding of food systems, etc.

750 words maximum. Format the document according to the Environmental Science and Studies Department’s Citation Style Guide (as can be found on Canvas under General Information) including text size, spacing, and etc.