Introduction

Chapter 1. Story of the Egg

Video Case Study

In this activity you will be watching a 5:58 minute documentary produced as part of the Lexicon for Sustainability initiative by The Independent Television Service (ITVS) and Rumplefarm, LLC. The documentary examines the truthfulness of the language used to market eggs. Consumers' desire to choose more sustainably raised eggs, and marketers' desire to attract those customers, have led to a fundamental flaw in the way that egg products are labeled. To form your own conclusions about how marketing language effects purchasing behaviors, you will be encouraged to evaluate the validity of the information presented in this documentary. You will also extend your ability to assess information presented to you in the marketplace.

In each section of the activity you'll be asked to think about elements of the video's content and presentation as they relate to information literacy, which you learned about in Chapter 3.

Instructions

1. Watch the video with this question in mind: What is the viewpoint expressed in this video clip?

1.

What do you think this video is about?

2.

How did the video make you feel?

3.

Do you think that the video's content is directly related to the theme of sustainability?

4.

Why or why not?

Instructions

1. Watch the video again.

2. As you watch, jot down brief notes on the types of images you are shown and how you would describe the emotional tone of the video to a classmate.

5.

Which of the words below would you use to describe the video's tone?

Word
serious
happy
unbiased
pessimistic
sad
biased
uncaring
optimistic
scientific
angry
other:

6.

What kinds of images are you shown most frequently in this video clip?

Images
factory farms
chickens
people holding chickens
eggs
words
people
chickens in large pastures
henhouses
Other:

Instructions

1. Watch the video again if necessary.

2. This time concentrate on the language in the video. What key terms are used? What do they mean? Why are they important to understand? For each term listed below, indicate whether they represent a sustainable farming practice, an ethical farming practice, both, or neither. Describe what each term means.

7.

Indicate the nature of each of the following terms relating to egg production:

Term Sustainable farming practice Ethical farming practice Both Neither
Cage-free
Factory Farm
Free-range
Pastured

8.

In reference to the term free-range, what does the chicken farmer mean by the term hijacked?

9.

How does the type of setting in which chickens are raised influence growth potential?

10.

What is marketing?

11.

How important is product labeling?

12.

This video clip is primarily meant to:

Briefly explain your answer to the previous question.

Before watching this video, were you aware of the different ways that chickens are raised?

13.

Do you tend to pay attention to product labeling when shopping?

14.

Did your opinion about what kind of eggs to buy change after watching the video? Why or why not?

15.

16.

Is this video about animals rights, truth in advertising, or sustainability?

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