“From Mocha to Java – The Story of Coffee”
(adapted lesson for AP Human Geography Agriculture/Economics)
Standards 5B-1,2,3
All parts of the following assignment are DUE !!!
Introduction: Write a response to the following quote.
Look at the things in your living room or refrigerator and realize they were made by thousands of people on different continents. The lemons we buy at the grocery connect us with a food chain, with people coming up from Mexico, being sprayed by pesticides. It's easier to see just a lemon, but only when we see the whole line can we feel connectedness and responsibility. Novelist Barbara Kingsolver
Part I – article “From Mocha to Java – The Story of Coffee”
Read the article, highlighting any place names.
On the outline map provided, create the history of coffee from its origin to its diffusion around the world – use arrows to show diffusion. Locate and label the places mentioned in the article. Use colors!
Part II – Tables of Coffee Facts
On a separate map, identify and color in all countries that export more than 2 million 60 kilo bags of coffee from March 2008 – February 2009. (3rd column)
Select another color to identify countries that import more than 100,000 60 kilo bags per month. (indicate which month you used for data)
Notice the import numbers for the European Community (EU). What is the advantage of being part of the EU?
Using a third color, draw in arrows to represent the likely flows of coffee from areas of production to areas of consumption. (from exporting countries to importing countries)
Part III – Evaluation and discussion – Write out the answers to the following questions using information from Parts I & II.
Where are the coffee producing countries?
Where are the coffee consuming countries?
How does this illustrate the Core-Periphery Model? See p. 322 in text book.
How is the Demographic Transition Model of population growth reflected in the maps and the article?
What is a value chain? (See section of article “The Economics of Coffee”.)
List all of the links on the value chain.
How does the cost of a cup of coffee flow backwards along the value chain? Draw a flow chart illustrating the steps in this chain. (See section of article “The Economics of Coffee”.)
Part IV – Internet activities – click on the website above (you may work in pairs on this but you each must complete the activities and questions.)
Scroll down to the link “Your Coffee Dollar”
Click on the link and complete the activity.
Define these terms: price quota______
loss leader______
profit margin______
cost of production______
How do your dollar allocations match up to reality?
What happens to the price of coffee beans if production exceeds consumption?
Click on the link “The Story.” Read and answer the following questions.
What are some of the ways coffee growers have reacted to low coffee prices?
How do our decisions as consumers help or harm struggling farmers and factory workers in developing countries? Use an example from “The Story”.
Investigate “fair trade coffee”. See the link under Facts and Stats. What makes a product “fair trade”? Check p. 321-322 in text book for additional explanation of Fair Trade.
Go to this web site. You will see the article you just read. Investigate the left side menu items, especially the vocabulary of coffee. What is the difference between Robusta and Arabica coffee? Make a vocab list of relevant coffee terms.
***Create an advertisement (print or media) for fair trade coffee. Draw it on another sheet of paper. If it is a commercial, write the script and describe the visuals and actions. If you do this with a partner, be sure to put both names on the ad. Make it colorful and creative!