Research on Honeybees and the CCD

• What are public perceptions of this theme?
The public’s perception of the problem is that the population of the Honey Bees is drastically dropping. However the problem seems to be unclear to most. While some of the public don’t even know what really is going on.
• What is the problem?
The problem is that the Honey Bee is not living very long. The populations have dropped nearly half since the 1970’s, and this is causing problems not only for the livelihood of bee keepers, but is concerning the agricultural world as a whole. Without the bees how will our crops get pollinated?
• Who is affected?
The first to be majorly affected by this is the beekeepers. Many have lost thousands of their bees and are worried about not only their own future, but also the future of their hives.
• What are the causes?
The main cause attributed to the death of the bees is called Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD. CCD is a condition that has become present to beekeepers and researchers, where very small numbers of adult bees are counted in a have. While it is not uncommon for hive to drop population in the winter, the amount of decrease is overwhelming. What is also strange is that a queen, non mature bees and honey are still in the hive, but there is no sign of the missing adults, meaning there are no dead bodies found in the hive.
• Various statistics related to topic
Recently, the population of the honeybee has dropped nearly half, going from 4 million to about 2.5 million today. To the food industry, the Honey Bee is worth about $15 billion, and is attributed to about one third of the nations diet. Many crops are suffering from their dependence on bees, such as almond and other nuts, fruits, berries and vegetable crops. For example, the Pennsylvania apple crop, which is one of the largest in the nation and worth $45 million, only depends on insect pollination, and 90% of that comes from Honeybees.
• What are the cultural and social circumstances?
Well mostly the need for food. Without the Honeybees crop production will drop, people will be out of jobs and one third of the nations diet will be lost. This is also a problem that has become a concern worldwide. And even though manual pollination does exist, can we keep up with the 66lbs of pollen per hive per year?
• Why is this an issue?
The two main reasons are this: a creature is losing population mass quickly and no one really know how or why, and the lose of the honeybee means the lose of a huge section of food and jobs.
• Who are the major organizations working for this cause/topic, and how do they promote themselves?
Some of the organizations are the Penn State University, the Nature Conservancy, and the United States Department of Agriculture.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/business/27bees.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/148826/honeybees_are_dying_all_over_the_united.html?cat=7
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/indiana/misc/art21971.html
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/honeybee.html
http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572
http://www.backyardbeekeepers.com/facts.html
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/impact/2008/lgu/144_bees_in_crisis.html

300 words about a Bee.

Yellow, fly, flower, pollen, buzz, sting, environment, pollution, nature, tree, hive, honey, bears, wind, fields, weather, fire, logging, home, people, fear, bee keeping, safety, calming gases, bee keepers, Bee movie, Bumble Bee, Honey Bee, Hornet, Wasp, Yellow Jacket, funding, research, explanation, climate change, migration, killer bees, nectar, insects, sunshine, traits, life, life span, queen bee, drones, workers, species, bee wax, landscape, disappear, distance, seasons, locations, tracking, saving, breeding, cloning, habitat, capturing, protecting, endangered list, populations numbers, predators, black, territory, human impact, relocation, ow, stripes, legs, honeysuckle, honeycomb, hexagon, nest, antennae, thorax, dead, dying, daisy, stinger, sweet, sticky, royal jelly, sad, mad, waxy, pissed, light, fast, sneaky, up, down, breeze, sound, animal, US, Africa, mountains, planes, grass, wheat, weeds, negative, bounce, clover, work, collect, needed, important, nourishment, big, small, cute, mean, busy, happy, sleepy, moody, evil, good, fuzzy, wing, flight, height, high, low, slow, aerodynamics, exoskeleton, head, abdomens, gossamer, fussy, hairy, splat, swarm, running, blue wasp, stinger, dwelling, hibernate, pheromones, dance, dances, dodge, military bee, likeable, dislikable, allergies, allergens, larva, pupa, adult, flock, aggressive, territorial, orange, hives, bees knees, drugs, insecticides, money, born, hurt, reaction, awake, thick, golden, pets, workers, soar, glide, hover, transport, strong, flap, beat, rush, flew by, assault, humming, murmur, tone, warning, signals, sight, sound, sent, fragrance, flowery, honey nut cheerios, cereal, medicine, study, scurry, zoom, zip, insect, vibrate, buzz off, wild flower, mount, purple clover, white clover, four leaf clover, plant, spring, winter, short life, happy life, food, window, nasenx, wheat, pink, sun, segments, sex, walls, fly swatter, car grill, windshield, noisy, stink, rock, stream, creek, bushes, shrubs, plant-life, bugs, crawl, creepy, scary, cool, neat, clean, messy, dirt, sand, gravel, clouds, rain, snow, sleet, hail, woods, forest, travel, move, spread, summer, fall, playing, serious, disaster, horrible, frightening, tools, wood, nice, nasty, good, bad, hills, missing, hard, crawly.

Ads found out in the World

1. What is the purpose of the ad you’re bringing in?
The purpose is for brand Adidas.
2. Who is the intended audience?
The main audience is sports players or anyone who likes the brand of shoes and clothing.
3. What does the advertisement look like?
Extremely high contrast, a solid black background with white text and the brand logo.
4. How does the visual and textual content of the ad work together to create a persuasive argument?
Due to the high contrast the text and visual content balance against each other.
5. Which of Neumeier’s “7 Levels of Communication” are prominently used in this ad?
The three main levels are Perception, Intellect, and Identification. With a high contrast, a play with words due to the fact that the statement doesn’t make sense until you read below the logo, and if knows the brand Puma, no one would understand the competition statement.
6. What are the cultural values promoted in this advertisement?
All cultures have a love of competition and Adidas is playing off of the idea of that love. Meaning that not only do we as a culture love competition is sports, but in everything that we do.
7. What works or doesn’t work about this advertisement?
What works is that the focal point is confusing until you look at whom the ad is for. Not only will one get humor but one will also see irony and that tends to cause one to remember the ad.

1. What is the purpose of the ad you’re bringing in?
The purpose is for Southwest Airlines.
2. Who is the intended audience?
Anyone needed to book air travel and not wanting any problems achieving that goal.
3. What does the advertisement look like?
It has extremely high contrast with text and the dotted lines that refer to newspaper coupons.
4. How does the visual and textual content of the ad work together to create a persuasive argument?
The do work together because at one glace, anyone who has seen a coupon can recognize its shape.
5. Which of Neumeier’s “7 Levels of Communication” are prominently used in this ad?
The three main levels are Perception, Intellect, and Emotion. The humor behind the message is what catches the viewer. The composition is very simple, leaving room for the text to explain the emotional experience.
6. What are the cultural values promoted in this advertisement?
We as a culture tend to use harsh words when upset, using that to give the idea of frustration causes viewers to relate to the situation.
7. What works or doesn’t work about this advertisement?
The fact that they use the idea of a bad word without lowering the level of quality to the work, and everyone likes a naughty word.

1. What is the purpose of the ad you’re bringing in?
The purpose is for Eukanuba Dog Food.
2. Who is the intended audience?
The main audience is dog owners.
3. What does the advertisement look like?
The focal point is the cat swimming in the lake with a stick just like a dog would.
4. How does the visual and textual content of the ad work together to create a persuasive argument?
The text is very simple and yet still pops due to it being white on a dark green background. However this simplicity works through the whole ad, a simple main point to focus on and understand pushed by simple text at the bottom.
5. Which of Neumeier’s “7 Levels of Communication” are prominently used in this ad?
The three main levels are Perception, Intellect, Emotion, and Identification. With a strong composition with simple text, an easy to see humor, and if one does not have a dog the ad wouldn’t be relevant.
6. What are the cultural values promoted in this advertisement?
Having pets is a huge part of who we are as a society. Some even feel such a connection to their pets that the become their children.
7. What works or doesn’t work about this advertisement?
What works for the ad is the humor behind it. Meaning that seeing a cat perform a task or behavior common to a dog causes the viewer to have to explore the ad itself to understand the reasoning behind the ad.

Five Public Service Announcements Ideas

1. Wireless AMBER Alerts
Using text messaging as a source to spread the information of a child just as soon as the authorities release the AMBER Alert.

2. The Prison System
The rising turn around rate of prisoners in and out of the system.

3. Education System
Is the "No Child Left Behind" ideal helping today's eduction or is it doing more harm?

4. Foster Care
What can be done to improve the system all around?

5. Save the Bees
The growing concern on the odd disappearances of the common honey bee.

Assignment 1

A. Choose three of the “Seven Levels of Communication” and find example advertisements that utilize those strategies of persuasion. Mount each advertisement on an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of card stock. On the back of the card stock, type the answers to the following questions:

1. What is the purpose of the ad you’re bringing in?
2. Who is the intended audience?
3. What does the advertisement look like?
4. How does the visual and textual content of the ad work together to create a persuasive argument?
5. Which of Neumeier’s “7 Levels of Communication” are prominently used in this ad?
6. What are the cultural values promoted in this advertisement?
7. What works or doesn’t work about this advertisement?

B. Consider 3 interesting topics for a Public Service Announcement. Bring in your ideas for discussion.

Weekly Assignments

Each student will be assigned two dates to present examples of advertising from the real world. Bring in at least two examples of typography from the environment. Examples can come from any source: magazines, billboards, posters, television, etc. Bring the actual object to show your classmates, if available. Attach a photo of the object to an 8.5x11 sheet of cardstock.

Typeset the answers to the following questions on the card:

1. What is the purpose of the ad you’re bringing in?

2. Who is the intended audience?

3. What does the advertisement look like?

4. How does the visual and textual content of the ad work together to create a persuasive argument?

5. Which of Neumeier’s Seven Levels of Communication are prominently used in this ad?

6. What are the cultural values promoted in this advertisement?

7. What works or doesn’t work about this advertisement?

Back to School

First day of class and everything picks up like it was just a three day weekend. Except the weekend had Christmas in it.