1. Making Predictions and Asking Questions
The Politics of Food:
Surveying the Text

2. Surveying the Text
Read the titles of the two articles and guess what they might discuss. Jot down your ideas.
Wendell Berry’s essay, “The Pleasures of Eating”, comes from a collections of his essays titled, What Are People For? What do you think the title of the collection might mean?

3. Things to consider…
What do you think the subject of these essays will be?
What do you think is the purpose of these essays?
Who do you think is the intended audience? How do you know?
What do you think the writers want us to do or believe?
Based on the titles, what information or ideas might these essays present?
Will the articles be negative or positive in regard to their topic? What makes you think that?

4. Diving In
Read the first two paragraphs of Berry’s article. Jot down your predictions of what Berry might discuss.
Read the first paragraph of Pollan’s article. Jot down what you think his point of view might be.
Will these writers make arguments? For what?
Turn the title of each essay into questions that you might keep in mind while reading.

5. Key Vocabulary: Berry Urban shoppers (4) Specialization (5)
Industrial food consumer (5)
Cultural amnesia (6)
A pig in a poke (6)
Food esthetics (8)
Perfunctory (8)
Obliviousness (9)
Relentlessly (11)
Estranged (20)
Comely arts (20)
Concentration camp (21)

6. Key Vocabulary: Pollan
Dubious (1)
Domestication (2)
Insinuated (3)
Subsidize (4)
Wreaks havoc (6)
Metabolized (10)
Predators (13)

7. Homework: Advertisement and Vocabulary
Cut out a food product from a magazine or printed page from the internet or bring in a food product from home. Create an advertisement for that product. Use at least five of the vocabulary words provided from the articles. Be sure you keep in mind literal meanings as well as connotations. Your use of the word must agree with its contextual use in the article. Remember to use persuasive techniques to “sell” your product.