Course Syllabus
Eating Cultures
GenEd Human Behavior
Spanish 0837 Section 001
Fall 2025
Instructor: Camila Franco-Rodriguez
Syllabus PDF
The course syllabus will provide you with the course schedule, course objectives, explanations of assignments and assessments, grading policies, and instructor contact information. Please read it carefully. You should have a deep familiarity with the schedule and process of the course.
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Basic Course Information
General Education*
This course fulfills the General Education area of Human Behavior
Welcome Message
Welcome to Eating Cultures! We'll be spending the semester together in an exploration of the intricacies of Food and the World. Along the way you will also get an oportunity to learn new writing and research skills. Such as, academic writing, database research, food writing and historic studies!
Meeting Time and Location
M W F 1:00 -1:50 PM MAZUR HALL 103
Emergency Meetings
In the event that we are unable to meet in person, such as due to bad weather, expect a Canvas announcement directing you to a Zoom meeting or providing other guidance.
Students are to register for the TUAlert System to be made aware of University closures due to weather or other emergency situations and follow all additional university-wide emergency instructions. Students can register for this system on the Campus Safety Services website.
Please note that online classes are generally not affected by campus closures
Instructor Information
My Name: Camila Franco-Rodriguez
Professor Camila (Learn how to pronounce it.)
Please refer to me as Camila or Professor Franco. My pronouns are She/hers
Instructor Biography
Nice to meet you all! I will be your professor for Eating Cultures. I am a B.A in Linguistics, M.A in Linguistics and soon-to-be doctor at the Spanish and Portuguese department! My specialty is bilingual communities and L2 learning. I have researched the caribbean and the United States.
During my research I have noticed the importance of global thinking, and the inmense richness behind cultures and their food. I hope I can help guide you into a delicious world of wonders!
I have published 4 different articles in different journals and books, and I know how hard feeling comfortable with your college-level writing can be. I will use my experience and the university resources to help you become a bit more confident in your writing!
My Contact Information
Please reach out to me at any time for assistance with the course or just to chat about the field or navigating university life. The best way to reach me is to send me a message through the Canvas inbox or email me at tul02251@temple.edu. I will generally respond within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. Please do not send a follow-up email before 24 hours have passed
My Office
Mazur Hall 451
You may also book a Zoom Meeting!
Student Drop-In Hours*
If you feel like you require individual assistance, know that this is a normal part of the learning process. I set aside 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Mondays and Fridays for you to come to my office with no appointment necessary. This also includes Zoom. We can discuss the course content, your progress on the assessments, your future in the field, or anything else you need to talk about. If my regular Drop-In Hours don’t fit your schedule, please email me to make an appointment. I want to help you succeed!
Purpose of the Course
Overall Purpose
Taking a General Education Course is intended to broaden your academic and social mind as a college student. In my course I expect to open your mind to the possibilities of culture and food, while also providing you with helpful skills in professional writing.
General Education Courses are also good reminders about taking a break and enjoying what the world has to offer, they help you reduce academic stress by giving you time to focus on other ventures while in school. One of my best memories in College come from fun GenEds that I took and enriched my experience!
This General Education Human Behavior course expands the breadth of your knowledge and skills, adding to the depth acquired in your major. This course emphasizes the critical competencies of critical thinking, oral/written communication, and information literacy while delving into the history of food transportations, food creativity and food knowledge.
Overview of the Course
Course Attributes: GB, SI
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
3 Credit Hours
Learning Goals
Upon successful completion of this General Education course, you will be able to address the relationships between individuals and communities. Courses focus on the relationship between individuals and communities in general or may engage those relationships from specific perspectives (such as art, music, education, religion, economics, politics or education), or look at them within specific themes (such as food & eating, crime, crisis, sexuality, or adolescence).
Human Behavior courses are intended to teach students how to:
- Understand relationships between individuals and communities;
- Understand theories or explanations of human behavior used to describe social phenomena;
- Examine the development of individuals' beliefs, behaviors, and assumptions and how these affect individuals and communities;
- Apply one disciplinary method to understand human behavior or explain social phenomena;
- Access and analyze materials related to individuals, communities or social phenomena; and
- Compare and contrast similar social phenomena across individuals or communities.
All materials, activities, and assessments of this course are designed to help you achieve these goals. If at any time you feel that you are not making progress towards one of these goals, please reach out to me. It is my job to help you get there!
General Education Competencies and Area Learning Goals
Critical Thinking
Think critically
Within GenEd, students who think critically recognize an object of investigation, frame questions about it, and interrogate assumptions—explicit or implicit. Critical thinking includes the evaluation of evidence, analysis and synthesis of multiple sources, and reflection on varied perspectives. Critical thinking generates a well-developed investigation that incorporates supporting and countering claims. A student engaged in critical thinking produces an informed account, a hypothesis for further study, or the solution to a problem.
Contextualized Learning
Understand historical and contemporary issues in context
Within GenEd, students who contextualize learning understand and integrate historical, contemporary, and cultural phenomena and their underlying principles in two broad applications. First, contextual learners recognize the interaction of complex forces that give rise to specific phenomena. Second, contextual learners understand and analyze related events, artifacts, practices and concepts across geographic, chronological and cultural boundaries.
Interdisciplinary Thinking
Understand and apply knowledge in and across disciplines
Within GenEd, students who use interdisciplinary thinking recognize the world presents problems, topics, or issues too complex to be satisfactorily addressed though a single lens. Thus, interdisciplinary thinkers apply multiple perspectives, paradigms, and frameworks to problems, topics, or issues.
Communication Skills
Communicate effectively orally and in writing
Within GenEd, students who communicate effectively use spoken and written language to construct a message that demonstrates the communicator has established clear goals and has considered their audience. Effective messages are organized and presented in a style appropriate to the context.
Scientific & Quantitative Reasoning
Identify and solve problems using scientific and quantitative reasoning
Within GenEd, students who exercise quantitative and scientific reasoning use and apply these reasoning processes to explain phenomena in the context of everyday life. Quantitative reasoning includes statistical and/or logical problem-solving, the relationships between quantities, and the use and misuse of quantitative data. Scientific reasoning introduces students to the evolution and interdependence of science and technology and includes problem identification, hypothesis evaluation, experimentation, interpretation of results and the use and misuse of scientific data.
Civic Engagement
Function as an engaged citizen in a diverse and globalized world
Within GenEd, students open to civic engagement view themselves as connected to local and global communities where they participate in activities that address issues of public concern. Critically engaged students define issues, pose, probe, and solve problems with an awareness of and an inclusion of diverse values and interests.
Information Literacy
Identify, access and evaluate sources of information
Within GenEd, information literacy encompasses a broad spectrum of abilities, including the ability to recognize and articulate information needs; to locate, critically evaluate, and organize information for a specific purpose; and to recognize and reflect on the ethical use of information.
Lifelong Learning
Promote a lasting curiosity
GenEd cultivates these skills and abilities throughout the required undergraduate curriculum, and students will experience these ways of being through readings, discussions, activities, and classes throughout GenEd.
The Learning Environment
How Class Will Be Conducted
Most class sessions will combine a brief lecture and one or more learning activities based upon the assigned reading for the day. You are expected to complete the preparatory reading, video, or podcast assignment before coming to class in order to ensure that we can all engage in an informed dialogue. I will generally be available for a few minutes after class to discuss individual issues, but, as a courtesy to the next class to use our space, we may defer lengthy and/or serious matters to an appointment in my office.
Classroom Civility
It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse.
Treat your classmates and instructor with respect in all communication, class activities, and meetings. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea, but you are not to attack an individual. Please consider that sarcasm, humor, and slang can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Profanity should be avoided as should the use of all capital letters when composing responses in discussion threads, which can be construed as “shouting” online. Remember to be careful with your own and others' privacy. In general, have your behavior mirror how you would like to be treated by others.
For more information, please visit the IDEAL website.
In this course, we will have conversations that address racism, sexism, imperialism/colonialism, gender identities, religion, political polarization, and other issues that some may find challenging and uncomfortable to discuss, so we will prepare as a group and develop agreements about how we can have these discussions in a productive and respectful way, and help us consider viewpoints that may be different from our own. In this class, we want to make space for each student and create an inclusive environment where we respect each other’s different identities, lived experiences, and perspectives. Please do not ever hesitate to reach out to me if I can do something better or differently to support your learning or our collective learning experience.
Materials
There are no required materials for the course, everything will be provided for free through Temple Libraries. However, you will be expected to allocate some budget to go out and eat at 3 different restaurants during the course.
Links to other required readings, videos, etc., will be supplied electronically in Canvas in the appropriate module. These items will be provided to you at no additional cost.
Software or Other Supplies
If you need access to basic software for creating documents, slideshows, or spreadsheets, you have free access to Microsoft 365.
Whether you use a paper or digital tool, you should have a calendar for managing your schedule. I use Outlook calendar, a software available to you as part of the Microsoft 365 suite of tools. Similarly, I expect you to take notes while reading course materials and during lectures, but the choice is yours whether to use software or paper.
Accessibility*
It is important to me that every student has the opportunity to succeed in this course. Please reach out to me if any obstacle is in the way of your success. Please remember the 3 No Questions Asked, and reach out to me if you require additional acommodations.
Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) located in the Howard Gittis Student Center South, 4th Floor at drs@temple.edu or 215-204-1280 to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential. Students can learn more about the accommodation process and pre-register on the DRS website. Students may register at any time during the semester, but accommodations are not active until you register, so I recommend doing so as early in the semester as possible.
Information regarding accessibility for additional technologies is provided below:
Resources and Support
Sometimes the biggest factors impacting student success are things happening beyond the scope of the individual classroom. Temple provides a wide array of resources both to help you overcome academic challenges and those not directly related to the educational challenges of the course. Please reach out to me if you need help deciding which resources might be right for you.
Undergraduate Research Support
Disability Resources and Services
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry is in operation, as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.
Library Resources
You may use this hub to familiarize yourself with research and citation
Temple University Libraries provide resources to assist Temple students with their class projects and research needs. Visit the Libraries’ website to find millions of articles, books, video, and other resources, both in print and online.
This library guide developed for our course will be used for the writing assingments
The site also provides tutorials to help you start your research, as well as subject and course research guides to help you identify resources that may be particularly useful for this class.
Contact the library at any stage of the research process. You can chat with a librarian 24/7 or make an appointment with your subject librarian, who can help you explore a topic, craft a research question, and identify and cite sources.
Course Schedule
|
Week |
Dates |
Prepare for Class |
Assessments Due |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Aug 25- Aug 29 |
In class readings |
None |
|
2 |
Sep 1 - Sep 5 |
Labor day, in class readings |
Discussion Post due on Tuesday at midnight |
|
3 |
Sep 8-Sep 12 |
In class Readings |
None |
|
4 |
Sep 15 - Sep 19 |
In Class Readings |
Choose your volunteering org Sep 15 Food Ethnography 1 9/21 11:59 |
|
5 |
Sep 22 - Sep 26 |
In Class Readings |
Final Essay Prompt |
|
6 |
Sep 29- Oct 3 |
In Class Readings |
None |
|
7 |
Oct 6- Oct 10 |
In Class Readings |
None |
|
8 |
Oct 13 - Oct 17 |
In Class Readings NO CLASS FRIDAY 17TH |
None |
|
9 |
Oct 20 -Oct 24 |
In Class Readings |
Food Ethnography 2 Due Oct 26th |
|
10 |
Oct 27- Oct 31 |
None No Class on Friday 31st to work on civic engagement |
Oct 29th List of Sources for the Final DUE |
|
11 |
Nov 3 - Nov 7 |
None |
Civic Engagement Presentations Due on Sunday Nov 2 |
|
12 |
Nov 10 - Nov 14 |
In Class Readings |
Food Banquet, bring food! Due Nov 16 Food Ethnography 3 |
|
13 |
Nov 17 - Nov 21 |
Watch Videos |
None |
|
14 |
|
THANKGSGIVING BREAK |
|
|
15 |
Dec 1 - Dec 5 |
In class readings |
None |
|
Finals |
Dec 08 |
|
Final Paper |
Grading & Assessment Guidelines
Grading Scale
|
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
|---|---|
|
94-100 |
A |
|
90-93 |
A- |
|
87-89 |
B+ |
|
84-86 |
B |
|
80-83 |
B- |
|
77-79 |
C+ |
|
74-76 |
C |
|
70-73 |
C- |
|
67-69 |
D+ |
|
64-66 |
D |
|
61-63 |
D- |
|
0-60 |
F |
Course Minimum Grade*
A grade of “C-” or better is required in all GenEd courses for you to satisfy a General Education requirement.
I will do my best to warn you if you are in danger of not meeting this minimum, but you should reach out to me if you become worried about not achieving the minimum needed grade.
Assessment Summary
The assessments in this course have been created for two reasons: (1) For you to demonstrate your progress towards the learning goals for the course and receive useful feedback. (2) For you to practice skills and develop ways of thinking that will be of use to you in the future.
|
Grading Item |
Due Date |
Percentage |
|---|---|---|
|
Food Ethnography 1, 2, 3 |
Sept 21 / Oct 26 / Nov 16 |
35% |
|
Online Discussion |
Biweekly |
10% |
|
Participation Weekly |
Weekly |
15% |
|
Final Paper |
Dec 8 |
25% |
|
Civic Engagement |
Nov 3 - nov 7 |
15% |
More information on each assessment is provided on the published modules of this Canvas page
When planning your semester, I recommend adding all due dates to your calendar. For the more extensive assessments, I recommend scheduling at least two separate hour-long work/study sessions per week for the two weeks before the due date. The final project will require more time. You should schedule time beginning just after the midterm.
Late Submissions
Life gets in the way for all of us from time to time. Please notify me if you may miss a deadline as soon as possible. Please do not delay in informing; as soon as you suspect a problem, let me know. Depending on the timing and the specific assessment, I may ask you to give me a copy of your current draft. Whether you will be given an additional opportunity to complete the assessment will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Class Attendance & Participation
Your attendance and participation are expected at all our class meetings. The classroom is an inherently social environment where we are all mutually responsible for each other’s learning. I encourage you to make friends so that, in the event that you must miss class, you can borrow someone’s notes for the session. Furthermore, if you miss class, we lose your perspective in classroom discussions and learning activities. If unforeseen circumstances cause you to miss multiple sessions, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss the situation.
School-Life Conflict
Many unpredictable things can happen over the course of a semester. If you find yourself struggling to balance your education and your other commitments, please reach out to me immediately so that we can work together to build a plan for your success. Some of the resources in the next section may also be of use to you.
Attendance and Your Health
To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is your responsibility to contact me to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you can, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.
Religious Holidays
It is your right to observe religious holidays without impacting your opportunity to learn and succeed in this course. Please reach out to me at the start of the semester so that deadlines can be reviewed in advance of your religious observations. You will still be held responsible for course content and any assignments, but you will not lose points for attendance and participation on days important to your faith.
Caregiver Responsibilities
I have great respect for students who are pursuing their education while responsible for the care of children or other family members. Please contact me if you encounter challenges that require you to miss a class session or if your caregiving responsibilities are interfering with your success in the course. Together, we may be able to find some flexibility to support your learning.
Withdrawal
If you are considering withdrawing from the course after the add/drop date, please don’t make that decision alone! Withdrawing from the course without talking to me first eliminates the possibility of finding a path to success for you. Furthermore, it is extremely important that you consult your academic advisor before withdrawing. They will be able to walk you through how the withdrawal would impact your progress towards your degree and your graduation date.
Please check the academic calendar for the last day to withdraw from a course.
Incomplete
A student will be eligible for a grade of “Incomplete” only if the student: 1) has completed at least 51% of the work at a passing level, 2) is unable to complete the work for a serious reason beyond their control, and 3) files a signed agreement with the instructor outlining the work to be completed and the time frame in which that work will be completed. The student is responsible for initiating this process, and all incomplete forms must be sent to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to the start of study days in that semester.
Please refer to the following for further details: Temple University’s Incomplete Policy. (Policy #02.10.13).
Technology Guidelines
Technology Requirements
To participate in this course, you will need the equipment, software, and internet access necessary to reliably use Zoom and Canvas, as well as “productivity tools” like word processors and slide show creators.
Limited resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Students with educational technology needs, including no computer or camera or insufficient Wifi access, should submit a Student Technology Assistance Application located in TUPortal and linked from the Dean of Students Support and Resources. The University will endeavor to meet needs, such as with a long-term loan of a laptop or Mifi device, a refurbished computer, or subsidized internet access.
Note that there are technology resources available for students, including on-campus computers available for student use, the Tech Center computer labs and free laptop and battery borrowing at Charles Library, software that is available for free download and other specialty software that may be available for remote access through ITS.
Technical Support
For a listing of technical support services available to Temple University students, see the Tech Support page.
Live Chat or Request Help: help.temple.edu
Phone: 215-204-8000
Email: help@temple.edu
Website: its.temple.edu
Location: The TECH Center, Room 106
Technology Usage
Excellence in any endeavor requires attention. To that end, we need to be mindful of the unnecessary use of technology in the class. To avoid distracting yourself or others, please only use your laptop, phone, or other device for activities relevant to the course. If you find yourself needing to take a call or participate in a text, please excuse yourself from the classroom and return as soon as you are able.
Class Recording
Our Zoom meetings will be recorded, and you will have access to these through the end of the course. These recordings are intended to be for University academic and research purposes only. Individuals are not permitted to record, copy, publish, or redistribute audio or video recordings of any portion of the session to individuals who are not associated with the University without the express permission of the host/faculty member and of any other meeting participants who are recorded. Distribution without permission could be a violation of various privacy laws, including FERPA, as well as the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act, and possibly copyright law.
Attending Zoom meetings using an AI proxy is not allowed.
Privacy and Data Protection
Please see the links below to become familiar with the privacy policies for each of the following:
AI Policies
The use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Dall-e, etc.) is permitted in this course for the following activities:
● Brainstorming and refining your ideas;
● Fine tuning your research questions;
● Finding information on your topic;
● Drafting an outline to organize your thoughts; and
● Checking grammar and style.
The use of generative AI tools is not permitted in this course for the following activities:
● Impersonating you in classroom contexts, such as by using the tool to compose discussion board prompts assigned to you or content that you put into a Zoom chat.
● Completing group work that your group has assigned to you, unless it is mutually agreed upon that you may utilize the tool.
● Writing a draft of a writing assignment.
● Writing entire sentences, paragraphs or papers to complete class assignments.
You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited in order to stay within university policies on academic honesty. Any assignment that is found to have used generative AI tools in unauthorized ways will be graded with an automatic fail . When in doubt about permitted usage, please ask for clarification.
Academic Guidelines
Academic Freedom
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. I have the freedom and responsibility to design and facilitate our learning environment to best achieve the promise of the course as outlined in its official description. You have the responsibility to engage with the course in good faith and freedom from mistreatment when your opinion differs from mine. Note that it is not an abuse of this freedom for me to require that you support relevant opinions with clear argumentation and solid evidence. For more on academic freedom, consult the official Temple policy on the matter.
Academic Integrity
Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity. Plagiarism and academic cheating are, therefore, prohibited. All work you submit for assessment should be your own efforts. For more on this topic, consult the relevant portions of Temple Bulletin and the Student Conduct Code.