CLUSTER M1B
Food: Lens for Environment and Sustainability
Description: (Same as Environment M1B.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, two hours. Enforced requisite: course M1A. Limited to first-year freshmen. Food as lens for local and global environmental and sustainability issues. Integration of environmental, social, economic, and technological solutions for fair, sustainable, and healthy food production, food security, and access. Focus on human impacts on Earth's biological and physical systems, including how food production and consumption contributes to, and is impacted by, global problems, including climate change, pollution, and overpopulation. Laboratory exercises included in discussions. Letter grading.
Units: 6.0
Units: 6.0
2 of 2
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2021 - I have genuinely never met a group of more flexible and empathetic educators. The food cluster was a wonderful experience all 3 quarters of my freshman year; workload is manageable, exams are fair, and the writing assignments are explained very well and spaced out over the quarter, so as to make sure it's not being done at the last minute. I found the material to be interesting and engaging, and I think if you have an interest in sustainability you will find the same. What sets this cluster apart from any other class I've taken is how much the professors and TA's care about their students mental health, physical health, and overall well beings. Whether it was giving me an extension when I had a fever the night before a major assignment was due, or constantly doing mood check ins at the beginning of lecture, I honestly believe this team would go above and beyond to accommodate the needs of their students no matter the circumstance. I am so glad I took this class, as it gave me an amazing impression of UCLA and a ton of GE credits! Also shoutout to Carlin, the best TA ever!!! - Sara Cortes
Fall 2021 - I have genuinely never met a group of more flexible and empathetic educators. The food cluster was a wonderful experience all 3 quarters of my freshman year; workload is manageable, exams are fair, and the writing assignments are explained very well and spaced out over the quarter, so as to make sure it's not being done at the last minute. I found the material to be interesting and engaging, and I think if you have an interest in sustainability you will find the same. What sets this cluster apart from any other class I've taken is how much the professors and TA's care about their students mental health, physical health, and overall well beings. Whether it was giving me an extension when I had a fever the night before a major assignment was due, or constantly doing mood check ins at the beginning of lecture, I honestly believe this team would go above and beyond to accommodate the needs of their students no matter the circumstance. I am so glad I took this class, as it gave me an amazing impression of UCLA and a ton of GE credits! Also shoutout to Carlin, the best TA ever!!! - Sara Cortes
AD
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2017 - Overall I really enjoyed this freshman cluster, which was taught by a combination of professors including Nordby. I found the class engaging and a great experience for freshman (on the Hill, field trips and other activities over a year long period). I found some of the assignments busywork but the grading seemed fair to get an A. The structure is three classes over three quarters, the final spring quarter being a seminar, which I really enjoyed as it was experience with seminars and research.
Fall 2017 - Overall I really enjoyed this freshman cluster, which was taught by a combination of professors including Nordby. I found the class engaging and a great experience for freshman (on the Hill, field trips and other activities over a year long period). I found some of the assignments busywork but the grading seemed fair to get an A. The structure is three classes over three quarters, the final spring quarter being a seminar, which I really enjoyed as it was experience with seminars and research.
AD
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2025 - Shanna Shaked is one of the top 3 best professors I have had at UCLA. She is so understanding. For example, one lecture my class didn't really do well on one specific question on a quiz (which isn't even worth that many points in the first place), so right after we all finished the quiz she told us we could redo the entire quiz next lecture (same questions and everything) and she would give us the grade of the average of the two quizzes. In addition to this I genuinely just enjoyed learning about what she was teaching, especially functional units. She really tied together the math and science aspects of the course in the most efficient and least stressful way. Loved this professor so much.
Winter 2025 - Shanna Shaked is one of the top 3 best professors I have had at UCLA. She is so understanding. For example, one lecture my class didn't really do well on one specific question on a quiz (which isn't even worth that many points in the first place), so right after we all finished the quiz she told us we could redo the entire quiz next lecture (same questions and everything) and she would give us the grade of the average of the two quizzes. In addition to this I genuinely just enjoyed learning about what she was teaching, especially functional units. She really tied together the math and science aspects of the course in the most efficient and least stressful way. Loved this professor so much.
2 of 2
