Overview

This activity will help you develop your thesis for Essay 2 and help generate some content for the body paragraphs. It will also give you some guidance for your research.

Directions

1. Scroll down the screen until you find your topic.
2. Once you find the list for your topic, copy and paste the list into a Word or Google Docs document.
3. Then brainstorm for solutions to at least 4-5 problems on the list. Feel free to add additional problems to the list that you have personally experienced or observed.
4. When you brainstorm for solutions, use your own ideas and do not research yet. Use your own logic and creativity; this way, your ideas will end up dominating the essay, and you will get the opportunity to work at the highest level of learning: the “create” level.

5.) Then revise your thesis by adding the 4-5 solutions that you came up with.

Example Thesis (for Topic 2): Sit-down restaurants, like the Old Town Mexican Cafe where I work, could reduce food waste by keeping track of the food wasted, offering different size portions, repurposing food that would have been thrown in the trash, and starting a program to donate uneaten food and wrong orders to help people who are food insecure.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Topic 1: Food Insecurity Problem for College Students

• Problem: Food-insecure students feel ashamed to ask for help.

Solution(s):

• Problem: Students are afraid people will judge them for using the campus food pantry; there is a stigma associated with using a food pantry.

Solution(s):

• Problem: Applying for government food assistance programs like CalFresh and California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is overwhelming for students.

Solution(s):

• Problem: Students do not know about the food pantry or other support services for food insecurity.

Solution(s):

• Problem: Food pantries need more partnerships with community organizations and business to support the service.

Solution(s):

• Problem: Rates of basic needs insecurity were highest for students who were financially independent from their parents or guardians, identified as LGBTQ or were racial or ethnic minorities.

Solution(s):

• Problem at Grossmont College: Grossmont’s food pantry has limited hours.

Solution(s):

• Problem at Grossmont College: Students can use Grossmont’s food pantry only once a week.

Solution(s):

• Problem at Grossmont College: Grossmont’s food pantry is small and can only hold so many donations.

Solution(s):

• Problem at Grossmont College: Grossmont’s food pantry relies on donations which might not always be reliable or steady.

Solution(s):

• Problem at Grossmont College: Grossmont’s food pantry does not get food donations from the campus cafeteria.

Solution(s):

• Problem at Grossmont College: Grossmont’s food pantry can only accept non-perishable items, so no fresh produce, meat, dairy can be accepted.

Solution(s):

Revised Thesis (the topic you are writing about and a list of 4-5 of your solutions for the problem you are writing about. Refer to the sample above):

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Topic 2: Food Wast Problem in Restaurants/Food Service

• Problem: Mishandling of food (like overcooking it or making the wrong order) causes waste.

Solution(s):

• Problem: The unwanted parts trimmed from food (like potato skins or broccoli stalks) create waste.

Solutions:

• Problem: Making too much food causes waste.

Solution(s):

• Problem: When food doesn’t sell within a certain time limit, it is thrown out.