Final Fast Food Nation Post

Okay, AP students.  So - you now know a whole lot of information about the fast food industry.  Your question has to be, "Why do I need to know this?  My life is so busy -- I have so many other things I need to know -- Why Mrs. Fri, why?"

And you're right.  Information without direction is fairly useless.  Obviously, you can save yourself from the fast food industry, but I would like you to think bigger.  How can we benefit OTHERS with this information? Is there a way to stop - or at least slow down - children becoming addicted to the taste of fast food?  Is there a way to make other students care about this information?  Is there a way to influence the fast food industry?  I'm looking for ideas.  YOU are the smart kids.  YOU are our future hope.  What ideas do you have with how we can make a difference with this information.  Don't be afraid to throw (non-violent) ideas out.  Expand each others thoughts.  Let's look for a way to make a difference.  (This is like a final challenge for y'all).

Week 4

Good morning class!  This week's posts are going to be a little more academic / close reading of our Fast Food Nation book.  But, before I get to that, I wanted to ask you all to remind other students to keep up with the blogging.  I love those of you who have participated -- and participated well, I might add.  But we are missing a huge group of students; some of whom participated in week one and then just disappeared.  Did the directions make it seem like it was a one time thing?  I currently have 2 AP Lit classes set up (first and sixth periods), but if I look at my participants, there only needs to be one.

Anyway, this week, let's look at some close reading aspects:

• Analyze the arrangement and order of Schlosser’s book. 
• What organizational trends (how fast food companies are run) coincide with the arguments he makes?  
• Why does he use an overall specific diction (word choice and vocabulary)
• and a predominating tone (an expression of his attitude to his audience)? 
• What words does Schlosser use most often? 

 

Now, I don't want you all to go back to a just answer each question format, like week one. I would rather have some "I agrees" and "I would like to adds".   I realize that most of you have finished the book by the comments you have made.  But I am interested in what diction and tone you see in the book.  This book could be really "heavy", technical, and hard to read.  However, he has made the topic engaging to the average reader.  How was that accomplished? 

 

An example of diction is to call the chemists who develop the tastiness of fast food "flavorists". 

 

I am also interested in how you will use this information in your life. It has, for example, made me very picky about where I eat out.  Those of you who have been in my class know that I will only eat hamburgers at In-n-Out Burger.  I know they are the only fast food restaurant to use grade A beef and all fresh ingredients.  But, you know, that burger is pretty darn tasty.  I wonder if a flavorist has gotten a hold of their beef...

 

I believe next Monday is our last blog.  If you are still reading, finish by then!  I do miss seeing your smiling faces - BTW.  I'll be in Orlando Florida for an academy conference most of this week, but I'm taking my computer so I can check up on my class. : )  Oh - and did any of you look at last week's food picture - and note the lack of decomposition?  No one said anything... so I wondered.
 

 

Week 3

Good morning class!  I love typing that in, BTW.  So most of you should be at least half way done with Fast Food Nation - and we really haven't yet talked about the book at all.  This week's question is rather broad - what factoid or story line have you found to be the most amazing/horrifying so far?  As stated in a prior post, mine is the story of McDonald's French fries - which, until I first read the story, was my favorite fast food purchase.  In fact, I wouldn't eat anything else at McDonald's except their fries.  I thought, "how can anyone mess up French fries?  They're just potatoes, right?"  Au contraire!  (I just had to throw in a French phrase because I was talking about French fries.)  But the book is packed with amazing/horrifying facts, so I'm sure we all have the facts that shocked us the most.  I'm including an interesting photo for you all to check out as well.
Stay out of the heat and well hydrated.
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