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The Page and the Plate

Teaching Composition and Argumentation through Food

Writing

Kristin Cerda

My goals in a classroom

• Offer a rich experience to a wide range of learning styles and skill levels.

• Erase the idea that some people simply cannot write.

• Help students draw from their personal worlds to create solid content.

What is Food Writing?

• Not actually a genre

• Relatively new as an idea

• Encompasses popular entertainment, the sciences, cultural studies, etc.

Food Writing includes…

• Menu• Recipes• Restaurant reviews• Yelp profiles and reviews• Travel Writing• Memoir• Scholarship • Culinary technique• Food histories• Hybrid texts• Coffee table books

Food Television

• Cooking competitions• Travel programming • Cuisine-specific cooking shows• Celebrity Chef competitions• Restaurant battles

What are the benefits in class?

• Greater student ease and familiarity with forms and topics from the onset

• Built-in bounty of student material

• Encourages concrete description

• Tailors well to individual students

• Bridge between Beginning-Middle-End structure and Claim-Evidence-Analysis.

• Since FW stretches across many genres and mediums, there is a rich variety from which students can draw.

Obviously…

Food can be very enticing.

Three Assignments

• A Favorite Dish

• Compare Two Food Texts

• Food Issues Research Paper

A Favorite Dish

• Choose a dish that you love.

• Write a persuasive paper on why this food is important or meaningful.

• Entice others to try the dish.

• Include the recipe

• Begin with a 10 minute response “What is your favorite food and why?”

• Break into pairs for brainstorming and discussion

• Description and analysis of evidence are the focus.

Compare Two Food Texts

• Choose two short texts

• Compare and contrast the texts, focusing on clarity and strength of argument and description.

• Write 3 to 5 pages dealing with these texts.

Food Issues Research Paper

• Choose a food-related issue from a list.

• Explore both sides of three major arguments regarding the issue

• Use research to support work.

• Stage small group debates

• Partner on revision process

• Present on paper with Q&A

Pay extra attention…

• Cultural sensitivity—food is an intimate part of all cultures.

• Be aware of different levels of food security within your classroom.

• Food is not always apolitical.

Tips for using food writing

• Involve your own tastes and experiences.

• Keep it accessible.

• Use a variety of genres.