The Ethics and Chemistry of Food and Cooking
In this project, we looked at food through the critical eye of both ethics and chemistry. In humanities, we looked at the ethical side of food. We learned about organic vs. nonorganic, food miles, the meat industry, and much much more. We were given information in order to develop our own food ethics. To learn we read to book “The Omnivore's Dilemma” and watched two documentaries about food. In chemistry, we learned about the science side of food. We looked at energy and calories. We also looked at the science that happens on a molecular level with food. To do this we did labs looking at sugar content and also were given the opportunity to try and create the perfect lemonade using citric acid and baking soda. For the project, we created a delicious meal infusing the chemistry we had learned and the food ethics we had developed. We also wrote a personal essay for humanities and recipe cards for chemistry. All this was presented at All School Exhibition.
The main part of this project was creating a meal and serving a meal. My group decided to cook an Italian themed meal. Overall, I think the experience was really good! The food we made was delicious and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to discuss food and ethics. I loved being able to have open discussions with people about food. It is subject I am passionate about. The only thing I would change about our meal was the placing of people. We had to split up the group and I think that messed up the flow of conversation. Overall though, It was a great experience.
This project was an interdisciplinary project, meaning it combined chemistry and humanities. I think this is a very smart combination to have with a project revolving around food because it shows you two sides of a coin. For me, I loved this because it gave me the opportunity to take my food ethic and learn the science behind it. Being vegan makes baking hard, so I was able to learn why animal products are needed in baked goods. (and then found a way around it.) Learning all sides of a topic is crucial to have a well-informed opinion which is why I think bring both ethics and science together is a match made in heaven when talking about food.
I have two takeaways from this project around food. The first is eat responsibly. Just by eating certain foods, you can change the world. Eating is one of the most powerful tools we have to change this world and we need to use it. So I have learned that it’s my responsibly to eat well and eat for a change. The second takeaway is that food is one of the most intimate things about a person. How they choose to eat really defines a person. From this, I learned to not judge anyone based on the food they put into their bodies. Food is up to the person eating it. This project has impacted me a lot. It’s shown me how to think about food, and for that, I am forever grateful.
The main part of this project was creating a meal and serving a meal. My group decided to cook an Italian themed meal. Overall, I think the experience was really good! The food we made was delicious and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to discuss food and ethics. I loved being able to have open discussions with people about food. It is subject I am passionate about. The only thing I would change about our meal was the placing of people. We had to split up the group and I think that messed up the flow of conversation. Overall though, It was a great experience.
This project was an interdisciplinary project, meaning it combined chemistry and humanities. I think this is a very smart combination to have with a project revolving around food because it shows you two sides of a coin. For me, I loved this because it gave me the opportunity to take my food ethic and learn the science behind it. Being vegan makes baking hard, so I was able to learn why animal products are needed in baked goods. (and then found a way around it.) Learning all sides of a topic is crucial to have a well-informed opinion which is why I think bring both ethics and science together is a match made in heaven when talking about food.
I have two takeaways from this project around food. The first is eat responsibly. Just by eating certain foods, you can change the world. Eating is one of the most powerful tools we have to change this world and we need to use it. So I have learned that it’s my responsibly to eat well and eat for a change. The second takeaway is that food is one of the most intimate things about a person. How they choose to eat really defines a person. From this, I learned to not judge anyone based on the food they put into their bodies. Food is up to the person eating it. This project has impacted me a lot. It’s shown me how to think about food, and for that, I am forever grateful.
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Rhetoric Project
This project explored the way rhetoric is used in a democratic society as well as looking at values that found beliefs.
The Rhetoric Project has taught me more about my country and world than I thought it would. Through this project, I have been able to explore the media, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and most importantly, democracy. It has shaped the way I view the world and the way I perceive it. I feel very lucky that at such a young age, I am learning how to be an active participant in democracy.
We live in a crazy, ever-changing world, that seems to never stop moving. In America, it seems like change is always coming and you must be ready for the next step. For so long in my life, this fast-paced country worried me. I didn’t understand how to interpret it and I always felt like things were being thrown at me at a pace that I could comprehend. It wasn’t until the Rhetoric Project that I realized, this is what supposed to be happening. Everything thing around me from the media to the opinions of my parents are forms of rhetoric, trying, in some way, to shape my perception of the world. Once I realized this, the crazy world seemed a lot less crazy!
When I realized that most forces in my life were trying in some way to shape who I was, it was quite eye-opening. I started to see opinions I had that weren’t truly mine and others that I had but didn’t know were there. It’s helped me to start making decisions for myself, instead of just following like a sheep in a herd. I think that this is such an important finding because I truly believe that democracy only works when each and every person thinks for themselves. For me, this means critically thinking about the media I consume and always checking in with my values to see where they fall. Being able to think for ourselves is such an amazing right that we have in this country and I wish more people could recognize that.
Something that project has really taught me is how to listen. Before this project, I was always “So right”. I knew that what I believed was correct and everyone else was wrong. From this project though, I’ve learned that being right is just about perception. When I think I’m so right, so does everyone else. This project has taught me that you have to listen, take the information, and shape your own view with it. When you listen you can learn a lot about yourself. As said in Margaret Wheatley's Willing To Be Disturbed, “Noticing what surprises and disturbs me has been a very useful way to see invisible beliefs. If what you say surprises me, I must have been assuming something else was true. If what you say disturbs me, I must believe something contrary to you”. By listening to people, you learn things you might not have known about yourself. If this project has taught me anything, it’s that listening is good. Even if it disturbs you.
I have been able to explore my values a lot in this project and it has made me realize that all political views stem from a value. This realization is key when understanding politics because it helps to understand where other people are coming from. By exploring my own values, I was able to see where and why I stand where I do on issues. The interesting thing to about this project is that I found values I didn’t even know I had by looking at where I stand on an issue. For example, one of my core values is care. If I take an issue like healthcare, I tend to lean more to the left because I want people to be cared for. I think that’s really important for me to start recognizing these values at this age so I can make informed decisions. Values shape our perception of the world. I’m glad I’ve started to learn mine.
This Project has been something that had truly made me think. It’s made me think about America, myself, and the people around me. I think that everyone should have to do this project because it teaches you how to be a good citizen of a democracy. I think right now this kind of project is something we all could use.
We live in a crazy, ever-changing world, that seems to never stop moving. In America, it seems like change is always coming and you must be ready for the next step. For so long in my life, this fast-paced country worried me. I didn’t understand how to interpret it and I always felt like things were being thrown at me at a pace that I could comprehend. It wasn’t until the Rhetoric Project that I realized, this is what supposed to be happening. Everything thing around me from the media to the opinions of my parents are forms of rhetoric, trying, in some way, to shape my perception of the world. Once I realized this, the crazy world seemed a lot less crazy!
When I realized that most forces in my life were trying in some way to shape who I was, it was quite eye-opening. I started to see opinions I had that weren’t truly mine and others that I had but didn’t know were there. It’s helped me to start making decisions for myself, instead of just following like a sheep in a herd. I think that this is such an important finding because I truly believe that democracy only works when each and every person thinks for themselves. For me, this means critically thinking about the media I consume and always checking in with my values to see where they fall. Being able to think for ourselves is such an amazing right that we have in this country and I wish more people could recognize that.
Something that project has really taught me is how to listen. Before this project, I was always “So right”. I knew that what I believed was correct and everyone else was wrong. From this project though, I’ve learned that being right is just about perception. When I think I’m so right, so does everyone else. This project has taught me that you have to listen, take the information, and shape your own view with it. When you listen you can learn a lot about yourself. As said in Margaret Wheatley's Willing To Be Disturbed, “Noticing what surprises and disturbs me has been a very useful way to see invisible beliefs. If what you say surprises me, I must have been assuming something else was true. If what you say disturbs me, I must believe something contrary to you”. By listening to people, you learn things you might not have known about yourself. If this project has taught me anything, it’s that listening is good. Even if it disturbs you.
I have been able to explore my values a lot in this project and it has made me realize that all political views stem from a value. This realization is key when understanding politics because it helps to understand where other people are coming from. By exploring my own values, I was able to see where and why I stand where I do on issues. The interesting thing to about this project is that I found values I didn’t even know I had by looking at where I stand on an issue. For example, one of my core values is care. If I take an issue like healthcare, I tend to lean more to the left because I want people to be cared for. I think that’s really important for me to start recognizing these values at this age so I can make informed decisions. Values shape our perception of the world. I’m glad I’ve started to learn mine.
This Project has been something that had truly made me think. It’s made me think about America, myself, and the people around me. I think that everyone should have to do this project because it teaches you how to be a good citizen of a democracy. I think right now this kind of project is something we all could use.
