Food and Agriculture-communication assignment.

This is where you will lay claim (no lunar landing) to a particular topic on food and agriculture. My lectures thus far have skimmed the surface on a variety of topics. You need to pick a side on a topic and find evidence in support of it. Then go out and do it. Along with your presentation to the class you will also present some of the changes and challenges you underwent during the process. I will give you a bulk of next week to conduct research. You will work with a partner or on your own. No groups of 3 please. This will generate a portion of your communication mark - you want to ensure that you do extremely well in this in order to make up for any shortcomings you may have in other areas of your mark. **Remember to keep listening to your foreign radio station at the same time! That's why I'm making next week's blog post lighter in content. Topics could include: 100 mile diet (eating locally) Paleo diet GMOs and GE foods (pro or con) Obesity and other weight disorders Fish farms (aquaculture) Wild foods vs. domesticated foods. Vegetarianism vs. meat what should we eat? Veganism Medicinal plants and "super"foods Impacts of agriculture on water supply Urban sprawl and agriculture -Other - pls. clear with me in advance.

Week 5

As mentioned in class, there will be no posts this week in honour of The Turkey Gods. Enjoy the time with your family. Instead we will be listening to an English radio station from another part of the world and reporting on it in next week's blog thread (Week 6). Claim ownership (no colonialism) of your destination in the comments section below. First come, first served basis. What am I looking for? What are the immediate differences you notice between this station and the one you listen to most regularly at home? What are the types of news pieces making headlines? What is the focus of these pieces? Is it to be on the alert / be on guard / is there an imminent threat, a pending strike or action, or are they more soft news pieces (i.e. cat fashion / water skiing squirrels)? In what order does the severity of the news piece get presented? Where is the focus? What countries / continents seem to be the focus? (i.e. England, France, China, U.S.A.?) Ciao

Open thread - current events

Use this thread to bring up any event that happened this week that you feel is significant. Don't simply rehash the who, what, why, where and how of the event; but rather detail it first and then take a stance on it, or at least offer a potential solution to the issue. Don't forget to use credible sources as links and/or to back up your opinion.

Syria

The situation in Syria is trending #2 (after #1 Ebola) this week. Use this thread to inform us of the situation there. Try to formulate your opinion on this issue. Don't be afraid to take a stance, or offer possible solutions - just remember to use credible sources to back up what you are saying. Note: I'm having trouble uploading photos from my location this weekend, so check out some images to get a visual on what it looks like from a civilian viewpoint.

Week 4 religious conflicts

From today's class discussion : Is religion a solution to or the cause of global conflict? (Let's discuss religion and politics - Yes, I just went there). Don't make this personal, keep objective by including credible sources to support your stance.

Your Unit Test

takes place this Friday 1.) youtube clips : Overpopulation vs. myth (pop 101) 2.) Oh Deer – resources vs. population 3.) Growth curves – Thomas Malthus (his theory, why wrong) 4.) China - One Child – ethics of the issue, +ves and –ves of implementing it 5.) Genetics – cells of immortality article 6.) Settlements – reasons people settle 7.) Settle – worksheet, 4 case studies 8.) Urbanization – issues (case: China) 9.) Migration – patterns (refugees) 10.) Article – Megacities 11.) Population pyramids (worksh + video) – DEMOGRP TRANSITION MODEL 12.) Review all ppt notes – check all worksheets, read over all articles, review youtube clips. Nova documentary - population paradox

Week 4 - Hong Kong

There is some serious protesting going on right now in my ol' neighbourhood. I know people involved in this. Watch the youtube clip as well. Comment on this event. First to post owns the who, what, when, where, how, why explanation. Next posters have a more difficult task of getting into the geopolitics and end up focussing on the how and why - which is always where issues develop. Remember to link to sources ALWAYS. youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDJ4ALqLBN4

Photo: Time Mag https://time.com/3444164/hong-kongs-protesters-are-fighting-for-their-economic-future/