ENGL 111 – Fall 2018

Paper 2
Informative: Food Histories

Due date: Tuesday, October 9 on Canvas by 11:59 p.m.

Drafts due for Online Peer-Review: Tuesday, October 2 on Canvas by 11:59 p.m.
Online Peer-Review due: Thursday, October 4 on Canvas by 11:59 p.m.
Length: 1,250 words
Percentage of final grade: 9%
Number of sources: Two sources (see “Research” section below)
Citation style: MLA
Document design: 12 point font, 1” margins, Times New Roman or Calibri font
Acceptable file types: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf (do not submit Google Docs or you will not receive credit)
Corresponding chapters of Allyn & Bacon: Chapter 9 and 22
Corresponding readings and viewings: Psyche Williams-Forson, “Suckin’ the Chicken Bone Dry: African
American Women, History, and Food Culture”; Lisa Heldke, “Let’s Eat Chinese! Reflections on Cultural
Food Colonialism”; Ugly Delicious, “Pizza”

Assignment Description
Whether you are a well-known chef or eat merely for sustenance, we can all argue about food from a
variety of perspectives. Somewhat ridiculous questions (Do hot dogs count as sandwiches? Is cereal
actually a soup?) illustrate the possibilities of categorizing various food items. Your goal in this paper is
to select one type of food (think, for instance, of the “Pizza” episode of Ugly Delicious we watched in
class), examine its history, and inform your readers about the variety of perspectives which surround
this item. You might find inspiration from a dish your family makes, a meal you particularly enjoy or even
despise, or you might research some food you’ve never heard of. For example, my mom is Lebanese and
Syrian, and we cook a lot of traditional Arabic foods for holidays. If I were writing this paper, I might
want to investigate a food like grapeleaves or even something more widespread like hummus. A little
further below, you’ll find two frameworks for your informative essay, both will be discussed in class in
detail so be sure to attend, take notes, and ask questions.

Getting Started
After you’ve decided on a food item, brainstorm your responses to these questions1:
 What is the first evidence of its use as a food item?
 How it was first produced and have there been any significant changes in its production up to
the present day?
 What sort of labor is required in its production?
 Has it been identified with a particular ethnic group or nationality and what has happened to it
as it has moved to other countries?
 Is its production, preparation, or consumption gendered, i.e. more frequently done by men or
women?
 Has it taken on any metaphoric cultural meanings (e.g. is used in a familiar phrase, like, “You’re
the apple of my eye”)?
 Are there any myths or origin stories?
 Has it been involved in discussions of globalization or GMOs?

1
Questions and research suggestions adapted from the Yale University Library library guides
Research Requirements and Where to Look
You are required to find two appropriate, outside sources for this essay. While there are little
restrictions on these papers, you should select appropriate sources for college level writing.
Inappropriate sources include Wikipedia pages, less popular blogs, unverified webpages, and social
media posts (this does not include articles you might find on social media). All sources must be
documented in MLA. You must include a works cited page and include in-text references anytime you
mention the sources (this includes quotes, paraphrases, and summaries).

Here are some ideas about where to find research for this paper:
 Review cookbooks about the food. Some cookbooks, especially those about a single food item,
will often include a history of it.
 Look for books or articles about the history of the key ingredient in the dish. If you are making
corn tortillas, look for information about the history of corn and its uses as a food.
 Look for books and articles about regional food. If you have chosen a dish that is distinctly
regional, like New England clam chowder, books about the history of food in New England would
likely have useful information.
 Look for books and articles about regional history or social customs. Try a keyword search that
combines the name of the country or geographic region with terms like social history, social
aspects or social customs. You could use Google or our library databases.
 If you have chosen a popular food item, search for that dish. You should have little trouble finding
books and articles on historically popular or culturally significant foods such as pizza, ice cream,
chocolate or tea.
 If the dish is affiliated with a holiday or has religious significance, look for books and articles about
food and the holiday or the religion.

Reading Recommendations
For this paper, we will be reviewing the structure of Informative essays through our readings. Some of
our readings will provide information about how to craft this type of essay, while others will provide
inspiration for style, grammar, even sentences you might want to emulate. The important fact is that
you follow-through on the reading. Sometimes the reading will be challenging, exciting, and yes, even
boring. We will be discussing these readings together. You should take notes in whatever way you feel
comfortable, but make sure you have something to say about each reading when we discuss them in
class. It will help you gain the skills of being a critical thinker, something that you will need in your
courses and beyond.

Framework
There are two kinds of frameworks for this paper: an informative report and a surprise-reversal.

Informative Report
Title An interest-grabbing title
Introduction (one to Provides background and context and arouses interest
several paragraphs)
Body section 1 (brief) Explains your research process and the sources of your data
Body section 2 (major) Provides the information in a logical sequence
Conclusion Suggests the significance of the information provided
Informative Essay Using the Surprising-Reversal Strategy
Title An interest-grabbing title
Introduction (one to  Engages readers’ interest in the writer’s question
several paragraphs)  Provides background and context
Body section 1 (brief) Explains the common or popular answer to the writer’s question
Body section 2  Provides a delayed thesis—the writer’s surprising answer to the question
 Supports the thesis with information from personal experience or
research
Conclusion Suggests the significance of the writer’s new perspective on the question

Peer Review
Each student will be randomly assigned a peer-review to complete outside of class. This assignment will
be completed on Canvas. I will explain how to access and complete this assignment in class. Once you
receive your feedback from peer-review, you should carefully consider incorporating the suggestions
into your own essay. You do not have to incorporate every suggestion, but make sure you weigh the
pros and cons. If you do not submit a draft, you will not receive credit for this assignment. If you do not
complete the peer-review on time, you will not receive credit for this assignment. Merely completing
the peer-review does not guarantee credit for the assignment. I will read your feedback carefully to
determine the effort put into the assignment.

Grading
I will be looking for strong utilization of the framework that we discuss in class. I will also be looking for
good use of appropriate sources and proper documentation. I use the ENGL 111 rubric, which can be
found on Canvas, to grade each of your papers. Most importantly, however, you should be incorporating
comments about how to improve and strengthen your writing I left in the paper into this one. Failure to
do so will result in a lower grade.