Literature

Critical Thinking Assignment (120 Points) Variables and Hypotheses The American Community Survey (ACS) (Links to an external site.) is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Insert your county and state of residence into the search field located on the upper right-hand side of the ACS home page. You will not only find population statistics, but a wealth of other aggregated demographic information about people residing in your county of residence (e.g., household income, schools, poverty, veterans residing in the county, etc.). Pay attention to the type of information collected and whether the variables are nominal, ordinal, or interval/ratio. Using the handout (located in Module 1’s folder), answer the 12 questions (which pertain to the ACS 2007 census data on the entire U.S. population). Also compare the information discussed in the handout on the general U.S. population with two of the pieces of information you discovered about your county of residence from the ACS website. Your answer formatting should conform to the CSU Global Writing Center. (Links to an external site.) Rubric CRJ575 Mod 1 CT

The Close Reading is a one-page, single-spaced mini-essay about any of the assigned PRIMARY sources we’ve read in this course up to the point of the due date. There will be two close reading assignments in this class for 10% of the grade each (a total of 20% of the grade for both). The close readings are one-page, single-spaced mini-essays. One of the two that you write, ideally, will be developed into the full length (5 pages, double-spaced) Final Essay due at the end of the class, so that by the time you have to write that essay, you’ll already have done half the work and had a couple of relatively low-impact attempts to write literary criticism, which will help you do a much better job on the final essay. So first, don’t get too worked up about these–don’t let them worry you; even if you turn in half a page of confused mumblings, you’ll still get at least a D, or a 60 out of 100 – and you could still theoretically make an A in the class. And by making two attempts at a mini-essay, you’ll improve each time, until by the end of the class, the 5 page essay isn’t going to seem so intimidating. You can develop the mini-essays from your discussion posts, if you want. Each discussion board prompt should be regarded as a possible essay prompt for writing a close reading. You should definitely write about something that interests you, and you should feel free to use an old discussion post to get started. I’m attaching, below, a few documents and links that should help you. First, here is an example of a close reading that a Troy University student wrote. I’m putting it here as an attachment. If you have trouble looking at this or printing it out, please send me an email and I can send them directly to you as .pdf files, (Please make sure you indicate clearly which documents you need; my email address is [email protected].) Student Close Reading.docxPreview the document Make yours look like this. Okay, so what is a close reading? Googling the term “close reading” could help, but be aware that what you’ll find isn’t the same as my assignment but rather explanations of a term used in literary criticism. Basically, a close reading is a focused argument about some very particular feature of a text – a single character, a single setting, a single plot element, a single recurring theme, etc. – in support of a specific, arguable, literary thesis about that particular feature of the text; this thesis usually appears at the end of the first paragraph. Assume that your reader has read the work you’re discussing, but you’ll still need to give them guideposts to the exact episode or feature of the work you’re discussing; assume they’ve read the book but don’t have it open in front of them and, more importantly, haven’t spent as much time reading it carefully as you have. Here are a couple of links that may be helpful. First, here’s a list of General Questions (from Ann Charters’s anthology “The Story”). You can print this out and use the questions listed on the two pages to help you come up with ideas about the work you want to write about. (Sorry about the poor quality of the scan. Before this term is over, I intend to type out these documents so that I’ll have a better digital copy to share with you.) General Questions for the Study of LiteraturePreview the document Here’s a link to a website that basically tells you EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO QUOTE CORRECTLY. Please, please, take the time to read this! https://writingcenter.unc.edu/ (Links to an external site.) Here’s a link to a discussion of quotes, paraphrases and summaries. (Be careful to make an argument and not simply to summarize what happens in the book or chapter or episode you’re talking about–the more specific your focus, the more you’ll have to say!) http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/01/ (Links to an external site.) Our first close reading is going to be due in the fourth week of class. I’ll post due dates for the other close readings in the coming weeks. I hope I’ve covered everything, but if I haven’t, please ask questions on the “Ask the Teacher” discussion board or by sending me an email. Good luck! And, seriously, don’t let this stress you out…. CLOSE READINGS: ADDITIONAL NOTES As for helping you with ideas, here is what you do: Pick your favorite primary text we’ve read so far. If you’re still unclear about what a primary text is, Google it! Ask yourself, “Why is this my favorite text?” and jot down your answers – be specific. For example, “I liked the part in Equiano’s narrative when he described the slave ship because ….” The “because” part is the important part of the answer. Make a list of notes. Look over the list and compare your notes about the text you’ve chosen with the question areas from the “General Questions” handout (i.e. did you seem most to focus on the plot, the characters, the setting, or what?). Looking at the “General Questions” handout, ask yourself the questions under whichever heading you’ve chosen in regard to the particular work (preferably the particular character, episode, or feature of the particular work) you’ve chosen. Start writing down your answers to these questions, ideally in complete sentences, using brief, targeted quotes from the text to support your answers. Turn your answer(s) to one or more of these “General Questions” into an essay in which you TEACH a FELLOW READER (that is, someone who has also read the work in question, someone who DOES NOT NEED YOU TO SUMMARIZE) about the meaning of the text. Be sure you have a clear thesis statement, if possible (and Googling “literary thesis statement” will help you get a grip on this, but partly, the assignment is a way to help you figure out what a thesis is), and be sure you support that thesis. Be sure you have some organization for your essay, which, at a minimum, means paragraphs! Ideally, you will be building an argument that has at least a couple of propositions that need some support, and each of these propositions is likely to require writing at least one paragraph. Be sure you use at least a few concise quotes from the text that support your argument. (Again, Googling “quoting litarery sources” will help you with this if you’re unsure about how that ought to work). Rewrite/revise, edit, and proofread the essay a couple of times, making it as seamless, coherent and concise as you possibly can. Make it look (in terms of format) like the sample I gave you. Make it one page ONLY! A VERY good idea (basically, a requirement) would be to CLEARLY IDENTIFY the text in the title and in the first sentence of your essay. In other words, a title like “Monstrosity in Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love,” and a first sentence like this: “The character of Arturo the Aqua Boy in Katherine Dunn’s 1989 novel Geek Love is….” My point is that in only one page, there’s simply no time to beat around the bush. Start on topic from the beginning. You may find that the Rhetorical PrecìsPreview the documentPreview the document format helps inspire you to identify what you think is most important and valuable about a text.

Essay 1: Literacy Narrative Due Date: Sunday, July 19, 2019 Length: 1000 words (include word count at end of essay) Assignment: (Please scroll down to read) In the literacy narrative, your goal is to reflect on the role that reading and writing have played in your life. In other words, you will write a story about yourself as a literate person. At one time, you could neither read nor write, and now, many years later, you are taking a composition class at a university. So, how did you get here? What people, events and literature shaped you as a writer? What does writing (or books, or language) mean to you? Explore the part of your identity that is immersed in language through first person narrative. Your essay will include the elements of narrative, including characters, plot, setting, and theme, as well as vivid details and dialogue. Examine your experiences and pick out several memories that helped to shape the kind of reader and writer you are today. Consider both the negative and the positive experiences you’ve had with literacy. This means you will expose conflict and tension. Embarrassing moments can be just as interesting to your audience as academic triumphs. Consider your audience in choosing the experiences and details you share. For this assignment, your audience is high school students who are considering whether to go to college or go to work. Objectives: To use narrative for a specific purpose (e.g. argue a point, provide an example, communicate an emotion) To tell a clear, cohesive story with a beginning, middle and end To practice rhetorical sensitivity, bearing in mind your tone, audience, and purpose – To connect positive and negative events from the past to your current feelings about reading and writing To practice a writing process, including invention, drafting and revision Suggested Techniques: Tell a story by depicting connected events over time Include tension or conflict Use concrete details to evoke image and emotion Use figurative language to help the reader share your experience Show—through resolution, recognition, or retrospective interpretation—what the events mean to you Convey an appealing voice appropriate to your subject matter

Things Fall Apart, Part I read one-third of the book — Chapters One-Eight. WRITE 1,000 words on it. Questions you might want to consider include: Ask yourself if Okonkwo is entirely responsible for his fate. Does he overreach — in the Classic sense — which will result in his downfall? Note how the real belief in the spirit world comes in in paragraph one — the spirit of the wild. What do you think this means? Unoka is a failure in Ibo terms. Why? Do you think he is? Clearly, the Ibo practice both ancestor worship and human sacrifice. Any thoughts? Okonkwo drinks wine from the skulls of his dead enemies. While I know this has become a popular usage on South Side Saturday nights, what do you think of it? How does it define the man and his culture? Medicine is not only healing it is magic. Define magic. What role does it play in the book? Okonkwo is a wife beater. Hm? Oracles, in this and other cultures, are always believe, always correct. What do you think? Why is the oracle a woman — when women seem to have so little power here? Define chi. Do you believe in it? If so, why? If not, how can you account for the good/bad things that happen to people? Why does Okonkwo kill the boy when he’s told not to? Is this the beginning of the end for him?

ENVS 200-1ONF

Choose one of the Lot of Life scenarios. You should elaborate on the scenario by writing a letter to a relative or close friend or a diary/journal entry from the perspective of a parent writing about his or her child. Your letter/diary should explain what happened in detail, identify the issues you will need to consider and research in coming up with a solution, and a plan of action for how you will deal with the situation. Your paper should have a cover sheet that lists your name, the BEHS 343 section number, and the scenario you have chosen. Your paper should be double spaced and use a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman, 12 pt) A sample Part 1: Setting the Scene is attached. Sample Lot in Life Setting the Scene ( topic below) Use this one “Setting the Scene”- You are expecting your first baby and are thinking about sleeping arrangements. You have heard of the concept of “the family bed” and are considering having the baby sleep with you and your spouse.

After reviewing the lesson on Prewriting and Outlining, please respond to the following questions: https://laketahoecc.instructure.com/courses/3894/pages/prewriting-and-outlining https://youtu.be/JiOySoEv57U https://youtu.be/z5fj5LJMAG8 What method of prewriting is your current preference? Are you willing to try a new method? Why or why not? Why is outlining an important step in writing an academic essay? In order to earn full credit, make sure to respond thoroughly and thoughtfully to the questions above in a minimum of 100 words. There is no requirement to respond to other students’ posts.

In a paragraph write your comment on Katherina’s Final Speech from “Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare

Practice Writing 2: What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism Quiz Go to Indiana University’s https://www.indiana.edu/~tedfrick/plagiarism/ “Understanding Plagiarism (Links to an external site.)” webpage and read, review and complete the tutorials available. Then in 200-300 words, explain in your words the following: what is plagiarism? how do you avoid plagiarism? how do you cite sources? why should you cite sources? On the Overview Module page for this week, the readings take you to additional resources on plagiarism. Feel free to use them when you respond to this practice writing. Be sure to use your own words and CITE all the materials you use.

Today, effective leaders need to be change leaders who can initiate and sustain complex organizational transformation. Scenario: There is enormous pressure within your organization for restructuring. In response to this, the current CEO has just announced his/her resignation, effective in the next year. Now the district is faced with the task of beginning a search for a new CEO. To prepare for this challenge, you have been charged by the Transition Committee to prepare a literature review on educational change and effective techniques for leading and managing change. Please note, unlike an advocacy paper, a literature review is expository writing, logical and dispassionate in tone. Its purpose is to objectively explore and synthesize as many facets of an issue as possible. This review will help committee members to assimilate the current research to begin its work. What does the literature tell us about How change occurs in the world of education/training, and What competencies must a transformational leader possess? Please note, information about a topic can be gleaned from a variety of sources. Use refereed peer-reviewed journals, (they are more reliable and carry more validity than others). Books, textbooks, Since your review should be as comprehensive and as authoritative as possible, choose carefully so that the committee can feel confident in the information you provide. Your paper must have the following sections: Abstract, Introduction, Review of the literature on educational change and characteristics of transformational leaders, ( Minimum of 10 references required 5 of which must be peer reviewed articles) Conclusion ( What conclusions did you draw from the review of literature) Reference list