AGEC 1113 CLASS PAPER ASSIGNMENT
The papers are due by ...
- for a maximum grade of 100, by 5 PM on March 14
- for a maximum grade of 90, by 5 PM on March 24
- for every day late after March 24 papers will be penalized ten percentage points.
You must submit your paper in two ways (not one of two ways, but BOTH ways):
- Submit an electronic copy to D2L Dropbox (note that it will automatically be checked for plagiarism by Turnitin.com).
- Submit a hard copy to the box labled "AGEC 1113 Class Papers" in AGH 419.
The Assignment: Students must read Food Police by Jayson Lusk and write a paper demonstrating the author’s arguments against food paternalism in food. You do not have to agree with the author, but must only understand his arguments and their justification. The paper should incorporate examples from numerous instances in the book, demonstrating you did indeed read the entire book. Students should also address at least one food controversy not covered in Food Police, and anticipate how Dr. Lusk would view it. Some homework and questions will contain material from Food Police.
Jayson Lusk is a faculty member here at Oklahoma State University, and is probably the world's most influential agricultural economist. Students interested in background information on the term "food paternalism" and want to see interviews of Lusk on television can consult the article Food Paternalism.
Paper format: The paper should use Garamond, 12 pt. font; the page margins should be one inch throughout, and the paper should be double-spaced and between 5 and 6 pages. Number the pages in the footer, centered. You do not need a reference list, only refer to the title and author of the book. This is a style of writing used for editorials or book reviews, like an essay. For this reason you don't have to have a references section, but if you wish to refer to other sources simply give me enough information in the text that I can find it with a quick Google search. If a source cannot be located using Google you may provide the source as a footnote to the paper using these guidelines.
My advice on writing: I have experienced both professional success and failure in writing, and from this I have two pieces of advice about writing. First, we are all vain, and it is normal to believe that just because you have worked hard writing that what you have written is indeed good. We all love our own words and resist criticism—myself included. Avoid this. How? This is what I do, and it is my second piece of advice: read what you have written aloud. Read it slowly, exactly as it is written, as if you are reading to an audience. It is easy to detect bad grammar and incoherent sentences. Does it sound thoughtful? Do you sound smart reading it? If not it probably needs improving, if you want an A.
If anyone doubts the importance of writing and good grammar in the business world, I encourage you to listed to this alumnus.
How the paper will be graded: Each paper will be read carefully by Dr. Norwood and compared to the list of questions below. The more "yes" answers the higher your grade. A paper with almost all "no" answers will receive an F (you won't be passed just because you submit a paper containing words) and a paper with almost all "yes" should receive at least a B—but no guarantees, as it depends on the quality of your writing, and that is a personal judgement on my part.
- Did the student articulate a clear understanding of who the “food police” is?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - Did the student understand the arguments against the food police?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - Did the student incorporate examples from the book?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - Did those examples reflect a reading of the entire book?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - Did the paper flow well between paragraphs / sections, possessing an identity as a whole paper (isn’t just various sections awkwardly and carelessly stitched together)
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - Is the paper written well, free of misspelling, grammatical errors, and/or awkward sentences? Is the paper articulated well, easily understood by anyone (not just Dr. Norwood)?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - Did the student identify a food controversy not in Food Police and guess how Lusk would view it?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - The student doesn’t have to, but if they wish, they can support or refute Lusk’s views with arguments of their own. If so, were the arguments clear, logical, and/or supported by evidence?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - Did the article contain one but only one pull quote?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - Did the article contain very few sentences beginning with the word "I"?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - Was the paper formatted correctly?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no - Does the paper have consistent formatting, like the same indentation beginning each paragraph?
Good paper = yes; Bad paper = no
