NSC 1948 - SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN ITALY

credits: 3.0
Crosslisted/Same As: SSC 1948
NSC 1948 and SSC 1948 CO-REQUISITE Courses. Course provides students with an introduction to sustainable agriculture, while learning how the acquisition and preparation of foods have shaped Italian culture. Both on campus and in Italy students will study foods nutritional characteristics and indicators. Will also be a social history course where we study how the culture and society of Italy have been heavily influenced by their physical environment. Will have a scientific influence. Students will learn about “farm to table” programs with Italian agricultural specialists and chefs committed to sustainable agriculture. Discussions will center on how the Italian peoples, culture and economics have adopted sustainability and thrived. Objectives: A) Discuss and evaluate nutritional terminology, value and characteristics of food products; B) Use the scientific method to determine the nutritional content of various foods; C) Discuss and evaluate major ecological regions of Italy and their relationship to the agriculture; D) Discuss and evaluate comparisons of sustainable practices in Italy with those found in Europe and the USA; E) Analyze issues related to modern food culture, such as industrial verses small farm food production, organic and various food movements, food marketing, and proliferation and effects of fast foods; F) Demonstrate a basic understanding of the concepts of sustainability in agriculture and food prep. Method of Instruction: Two to three informational meetings will take place on campus during Term II to prepare students for a travel course. Lectures, and it is expected that students will have an introductory level of knowledge of sustainable agriculture prior to visiting Italy. They will be acquainted with the concept of certain farms/regions and ecosystems they will observe. Based on the readings they will be aware of the Italian culture. Students will also participate in labs to evaluate nutritional content and tastings of foods. Will also learn about and participate in The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is a non-profit membership organization that empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. Method of Evaluation: Lectures and assigned readings. Quizzes on campus to help prepared for the visit to Italy; While in Italy, each student will keep a journal of their experiences. The journals will be evaluated on a regular basis. Students will also have written ‘discussion questions’ while in Italy about the common experiences we have had and associated lectures. Attendance and active participation in all aspects of the course is expected at a minimum. Thoughtful participation in discussions will be used as a basis for evaluation. Each student or group of students will report on an aspect of what we observed in Italy. These reports will be presented to the group at various break days and submitted to the instructor at the course conclusion. Meets *WEP Distribution Requirement. TRAVEL COURSE, FEES ASSOCIATED.

Prerequisite(s): SIGNATURE IS REQUIRED
Co-Requisite(s): With SSC 1948 - SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN ITALY