[KC]: How to post your reflection video to the blog!

Seniors, below are some YouTube videos that provide instruction on how to upload videos. The first video explains how to upload it to YouTube; the second from YouTube to Blogger (the class blog).

Follow these instructions exactly!

When you do upload your video, please make sure to title your post as follows:

Student first and last name (video title) 

Example:
Justin Turner (Swing for the Fence)

*** IMPORTANT: Your video cannot be listed as "private" otherwise the embed will not play on this public format. ***

Here are the instructional videos:

[KC]: Shared Inquiry Circle Groups

Hi all!

For this unit we'll be conducting shared inquiry circle discussions. There will be three of them across the next three weeks.

Here are the rules of a Shared Inquiry Circle (SIC):

1. Only those who have read the selection may take part in discussion.
2. Discussion is restricted to the selection that everyone has read.
3. Support for opinions should be found within the selection.
4. Leaders may only ask questions—they may not answer them.

Here are the things you need to know: 

• Everyone needs to have actively read the week's chapters and come prepared to speak.
• The week's leader will need to prepare FIVE thought-provoking questions for the group to discuss. These should be open-ended questions centered on the text. 

Here are the groups: 

(If you're a "floater", I'll talk to you Monday about your role in this)

On Monday, you'll need to meet for a minute with your group to figure out who is A, B, and C (meaning which week you will be the leader). 

Our first SIC will be next Thursday 4/26 on Chapters 1-5. 

Get ready, yo!

[KC]: PoF Dear Reader Letter

This handwritten reflection should be turned in on Friday with your final draft. Don't forget to be thorough in your discussion. I want to know what went on behind the scenes. Reflect honestly and completely. How on task were you? How much research did you do? How much revision did you do? How much advice did you seek? Was this process hard? etc. 

[KC]: 3P Self-Eval Quarter 3

Remember, you should be truthfully evaluating yourself in your participation and progress over this quarter. Give yourself a score out of 100 for each and justify it with a paragraph responding to the prompts in the image. Due by FRIDAY - no exceptions. Happy reflecting! :]

Taxing Unhealthy Foods May Be Our Only Option

In the article, "Bad Food? Tax It, and Subsidize Vegetables," written by Mark Bittman, it is discussed that the main contributor to obesity found amongst Americans is based on the amount of spending that goes into promoting unhealthy food for consumers. When the food industry does everything with the idea of, "how much can I profit from this product?" in mind, the battle against changing our eating habits gets harder and harder. Knowing that a large percentage of Americans are diagnosed with obesity aren't doing much about it becuase no healthier options are being advertised. Cheetos on a commercial look more appetizing than a brocolli does in a store... that is just how the food industry operates and I am concerned with the future of American health and spending. The article goes on to say that, "rather than subsidizing the production of unhealthful foods, we should turn the tables and tax things like soda, french fries, doughnuts, and hyperprocessed snacks." I completely agree with this article and it perfectly ties into my research paper because my topic concerns unhealthful advertising in low-income communities. Taxing foods that are harmful to one's health will do more help than harm and not enough people are aware of that fact. We must become more of a generation that cares about what we are deciding to put into our bodies. Promoting healthy and clean eating is a major priority in the fight against diabetes, obesity, and other diseases affecting the heart. 

My research topic is on how unhealthy advertising is affecting low-income communities immensely. This artcle and the other written by Waters, show the reader that promoting a healthy lifestyle cannot be done alone. I found this website on how unhealthy advertising affects children at such a young age. It could be helpful for psychological aspects of advertisement as well as "the cause and effect."

http://www.apa.org/topics/kids-media/food.aspx

In Bittman and Waters' articles, they both focus about Americans to change their diet and how the unhealthy foods that are being served in public schools. Furthermore, Alice Waters talks about how the school lunches are unhealthy because schools are only receiving a certain amount of money to pay for school lunches. However, Mark Bittman talks about how taxing unhealthy foods will help society to eat more healthier. I believe that is unnecessary, because I don't think people should pay extra money to fast- food restaurants and comforts food.  

A helpful website that provide me information on the agriculture for my research paper is http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/analysis/2016/04/06/healthy-school-lunches-can-reduce-childhood-obesity-and-diabetes. 
This website talks about of many statistics about the agriculture negatively impacted in America. 

The Bitman and Waters articles both discuss the cheap, unhealthy food options being served to the public by the government. Bad Foods? Tax it and Subsidize Vegetables exposes how the government makes it easier for us all to purchase processed foods rather than healthy options. They have made organic, healthy food unobtainable for many of us, and dramatically lowered prices for fast food. Bitman believes that there should be higher taxes placed on unhealthy and processed foods to steer consumers away from buying those products. By doing this there would be a drastic decease in dietary diseases, and he even goes on to talk about how, "... a 20% increase in the price of sugary drinks nationally could result in abut a 20% decrease in consumptions," which will prevent millions of Americans from reaching obesity. Furthermore, Waters and Heron write about how the system for school lunches needs to be replaced and remodeled to fit the current needs of the students. The school food system fails to meet standards and American children end of getting diseases they wouldn't have with the proper nutrition

The following article discusses family farming and the economy https://www.farmaid.org/our-work/family-farmers/rebuilding-americas-economy-with-family-farm-centered-food-systems/