Agricultural WebQuest Series

 Missouri Farm Bureau
and
Missouri State University

Teacher Page

Introduction

This WebQuest is intended to accompany the DVD, "Agro-Security - Safeguarding the American Food Supply."  A free copy of the DVD can be obtained from Missouri Farm Bureau.

Task

Students will write a one to two page paper to complete this assignment.  Students will then debate the topic,  "That companies should actively report names and information about potential employees who have unusual names or ethnicities to the proper authorities." 

Process

Be sure students read the case study closely and then research the resources provided before beginning the assignments. Remind students to write using appropriate rules and citations.

Students have been given links to help them research their debate topics.  Since this is such a volatile topic, timely articles may appear in newspapers and magazines.  Perhaps your school librarian can provide guidance. You may have to adapt the debate activity to your student numbers and available space.  You may also want to add judges, posters, note cards, pictures, videos  etc. to the activity to get everyone involved.  You might  contact state or local transportation authorities in your area to present materials and speak on the this subject to your class.  

Here is a website that will give some basic guidelines for student debates.  Perhaps you might ask your school's speech and debate teacher for advice.  It is important that  sarcasm, negativism or put-downs are not  tolerated.  The topic selected here is a challenging one in that both sides will have good arguments in favor of their position.

Conclusion

This case study is designed to highlight the issue of  workforce diversity and its impact on agricultural food safety initiatives. Students need to understand the sensitive issue of profiling.

Evaluation

Rubric For Evaluation

Competency 
7 pts.
5 pts.
2 pts.
0 pts.
Identification of the Issues Paper is well written with identification of 3 major issues. Paper is well written with identification of 2 major issues. Paper is well written with identification of 1 major issues. No issues of importance were discussed.
Discussion Points Paper provides a discussion of all 3 points. Paper provides a discussion of 2 points. Paper provides a discussion of 1 point. No discussion of the points.
Written Arguments Discusses both sides of each of the 3 major issues. Discusses both sides of two major issues. Discusses both sides of one major issue. Did not discuss both sides of any issue.
Debates
 Actively participated in the research, preparation and delivery of the debate. Teamwork was evident. Debaters were respectful of each other's views. Shows evidence of research, preparation and delivery of debate. Good teamwork. Some attempt at research, preparation and delivery of debate. Little evidence of teamwork. No attempt.
 

National Curriculum and Content Standards for High School

 

INFORMATION LITERACY

Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.

Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.

Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.

INDEPENDENT LEARNING

Standard 6: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Standard 7: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and recognizes the importance of information to a democratic society.

Standard 8: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and practices ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology.

Standard 9: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

Social Studies

I. Culture
 Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity, so that the learner can:

  1. analyze and explain the ways groups, societies, and cultures address human needs and concerns;
  2. predict how data and experiences may be interpreted by people from diverse cultural perspectives and frames of reference;
  3. apply an understanding of culture as an integrated whole that explains the functions and interactions of language, literature, the arts, traditions, beliefs and values, and behavior patterns;
  4. compare and analyze societal patterns for preserving and transmitting culture while adapting to environmental or social change;
  5. demonstrate the value of cultural diversity, as well as cohesion, within and across groups;
  6. interpret patterns of behavior reflecting values and attitudes that contribute or pose obstacles to cross-cultural understanding;
  7. construct reasoned judgments about specific cultural responses to persistent human issues;
  8. explain and apply ideas, theories, and modes of inquiry drawn from anthropology and sociology in the examination of persistent issues and social problems.
English Language Arts Standards

3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, and graphics).

4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, and vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

The above standards are from NETS: National Curriculum/Content Area Standards

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This page was developed  by Drs. Lyndon Irwin and Arbindra Rimal and is maintained by Missouri Farm Bureau.

Please address questions to Diane Olson at Missouri Farm Bureau or Dr. Lyndon Irwin at Missouri State University. 

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©2006 Missouri Farm Bureau, All Rights Reserved!

Last revised on July 19, 2006