Write an essay of at least 1,000 words reflecting on the most important lesson you learned in this class and how you will incorporate it into your life.
Be sure to answer this seemingly simple question with a well-developed essay, starting with a clear thesis statement and supported by evidence from lectures and readings. The best answer will provide a thorough engagement with the course materials, including all the major course themes: food cultures, flavour, health, sustainability, and justice, and spanning the entire semester, from definitions and concepts to production, distribution, and consumption, to politics and transformation.
As with previous course assignments, begin with a thesis statement clearly articulating the basic idea that you develop with your essay. When you introduce a concept (like food culture or commodity) define what it means. Take some time to make sure you have clear organization. Outline your work before you start writing. When you finish the first draft, go back and move material around to make sure you that your paragraphs develop your argument clearly. At the very end, read carefully over the entire essay. Only then are you ready to rewrite your thesis statement so that it clearly articulates the point of your paper and introduces the main sources of supporting evidence.
As with the previous writing assignments, you will need to discuss the lectures and course readings, although you should paraphrase the major arguments of the readings rather than provide long quotes from the text. (In any event, quotes will not count toward the 1000-word minimum). There is no maximum word length, but you will get no extra credit for writing significantly over the minimum.
The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate what you have learned in this class. Therefore, you will be graded based on how effectively you use a wide range course lectures and readings. A thoughtful and competent essay that makes use of course materials will receive a better mark than a brilliant exposition that does not draw on class materials.
The format will be the same as in previous course work. Use parenthetical citations (Montgomery 240) or (Module 5 Lecture 2). If you use non-course materials, you must include a bibliography, but I encourage you to focus exclusively on course materials.