Readings and Resources

Readings and Resources

Topic One: Setting as a Literary Device

Even though we are all reading the same texts, our views and experiences can be poignantly varied because of our own experiences. Think about what your experiences bring to these stories and poems as you read them. Enjoy!

Kirszner, L. G., & Mandell, S. R. (2024). Portable literature: Reading, reacting, writing (10th ed.). Cengage Learning US.

Chapter 11: “The Secret Lion” by Alberto Alvaro Rios

pages 222-226

Chapter 26: “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes  

page 726

Chapter 26: “Bucharest” by Harriet Levin Millan

page 731

• Chapter 32: Fences by August Wilson

pages 1221-1234

• Read Cultural Context, Setting, The Play, and Act 1 Scene 1

This interactive course was created to assist you in your mastery of setting. 

• Topic Two: Academic Integrity: Plagiarism, Citations, and Generative Artificial Intelligence

Plagiarism has likely been reviewed in each of your courses up until now. A good portion of plagiarism occurs because the writer does not understand the parameters and formatting of quotes, paraphrases, and researched information. Further, Artificial Intelligence Modeling Software can be an excellent research tool if you understand how to use it properly and its limitations. You should have begun the course by reading the announcement that discusses plagiarism. Please also be sure to read the University Policy on Academic Integrity linked in this course’s left-hand menu under University Policies. 

• Post University created this interactive presentation to give you insights into using Generative AI in your coursework and how to utilize it best. 

Post University. (2023). Generative AI guidelines. 

• Topic Three: Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking skills build confidence and enable you to efficiently gather knowledge, quickly process information, and intelligently analyze data.

• Films Media Group. (2009). Critical thinking and problem-solving [Video]. Films On Demand.

How can evidence be presented for maximum effectiveness in arguments? Simply laying it all out is not always enough, but hiding parts of it is not the answer, either. This program begins by illustrating the meaning and significance of evidence and the presentation of evidence in numbers, percentages, rates, and over time. An argument against zoos then allows viewers to evaluate how evidence is used to support the arguments.

• Films Media Group. (2009). Evidence in argument: Critical thinking [Video]. Films On Demand.

Supplemental Resources:

To achieve a deeper understanding of the literary device of setting.

• The article offers tips and advice to authors on establishing a setting in a literary narrative. The author reflects on the disorienting impact of the Internet and social media on society. Topics discussed include finding a key detail in order to evoke further details, appealing to many senses, and establishing the relationship between character and setting. 
• Stolar, D. (2011). Here & now: 6 steps for creating convincing, compelling settings that will bring your stories to life. Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co.), 124(9), 30–32.

The setting of children’s books has probably been given less prominence than their plots or characters, yet, as Rosie Webb Joel shows in this thought-provoking essay, setting can be crucial in influencing children’s responses and understanding of what they read.

Webb Joels, R. (1998). The significance of setting in award-winning children’s books from selected English-speaking regions. Reading, 32(2), 32.

This article offers tips and advice to authors on the development of setting in literary works. The author reflects on traveling to the locations in the story, traveling as a means to develop plot, and basing a fictional location on an actual site. Other topics include describing sensory details within action sequences, checking references for accuracy, and research on the Internet.

Chittenden, M. (2010). Some wise thoughts on setting: Our much-published writer shows you how to make your story’s place—whether real or made-up—believable. Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co.), 123(7), 22–23.

Country of Origin

Look around the room. Check out where everything was made. How many were made in the United States? How about China? Was this surprising? Think about the brands you buy. Are the American brands you prefer made in the USA or elsewhere? What does Made in America mean?

Module 4 Discussion Week 1 Resources

Will Walmart make a sizable impact with its latest ‘Made in USA’ commitments? (2021)
What Does It Mean to Be Made in America? (2021)
Made in the USA: Manufacturing expands at fastest pace since 1983 (2021)
Survey Says: Americans prefer MADE IN USA (2020)

Week 1 Discussion Post

Using the module’s resources or your own research, talk about what it means to Buy American. Address economic implications for the country and how it affects the global economy. (Research Support Required)

This post should be 1-2 paragraphs in length (at least 100 words). Since you are engaging in research, be sure to cite in the body of the post and add a reference list in APA format. NOTE: failure to use research with accompanying in-text citations to support content will result in reduced scoring “Level 2-Developing” on the grading rubric. How to cite and reference a YouTube video.

Week 1 Interactive Response to Classmate

Select one classmate’s post and compare it to yours with regard to global implications of buying goods made in the country.

The reply should be one paragraph in length (or about 50 words) and must be substantive. Do not simply say “I agree” or “That is great”; specify why and be detailed in your explanation. You may use research in your response, but it is not required.

Week 2 Discussion Post

American Brand. Or Not.

Are you really getting an American-made product when you buy an American brand? Computers and vehicles have component parts sourced from all over the world. Some companies even do final assembly in the U.S., although most of the parts were made internationally so they can place the “Made in USA” label on the product.

Module 4 Discussion Week 2 Resources

31 List of American Brands Made Overseas (2021)
This ‘All-American’ Brand Is Mostly Made Overseas (2020)
Local vs global sourcing: The pros and cons (2020)

Based on the resources provided or your research, discuss why American brands manufacture overseas. Select one brand and share how it markets itself as American. (Research Support Required)

This post should be 1-2 paragraphs in length (at least 100 words). Since you are engaging in research, be sure to cite in the body of the post and add a reference list in APA format. NOTE: failure to use research with accompanying in-text citations to support content will result in reduced scoring “Level 2-Developing” on the grading rubric. How to cite and reference a YouTube video.

Week 2 Interactive Response to Classmate

Select an example described by a classmate and share how you feel about the brand after learning it is not made here in the United States.

Each reply should be one paragraph in length (or about 50 words) and must be substantive. Do not simply say “I agree” or “That is great”; specify why and be detailed in your explanation. You may use research in your responses but it is not required.

In your own words, respond to the discussion and comments of classmates. Grades will be based on effectual, concise, and interactive feedback. The excessive use of quotes will directly impact performance since this indicates a lack of comprehension and shows that you may not have mastered the concepts.

Application Discussion Board

This is your third discussion board activity that is not part of the module points. As stated in the syllabus, you will have various discussion board activities that will be based on current events, analysis of scientific articles, podcast reflections and more in order to apply what you are learning in this class to your daily life. This discussion board is worth a total of 15 points and will go towards the application discussion board activities points category. 

What will you do:

In the last module, we explored ocean salinity. Throughout the world, access to fresh, drinkable water can be rare and hard to find. This is a major issue for the people of these regions and a battle they constantly face. They are often located near coastlines where seawater is plentiful. However, due to seawater’s incredibly high salinity, it is not drinkable and will lead to severe dehydration (see the table in your textbook comparing seawater to pure water). One proposed method for combating this issue is to create desalination plants.

Read the following article below explaining what desalination means: https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/towards-sustainable-desalination

You can also refer to “Diving Deeper 5.1” on page 152-153 of your textbooks for a QUESTION on desalination and the different methods used to remove the salinity from seawater in order to make it drinkable.

1. Now, do your research and look up some articles that discuss whether or not desalination plants are a good idea. What solutions do they offer? Are they sustainable? Do they solve the main issue of water shortages? Do they create any new problems, or do the positives outweigh the negatives? You will address this point in your personal replies.

(Links to an external site (Links to an external site.)

1. Personal Replies: (10 pts)
2. Once you have completed your reading, post a reply to this discussion board answering the following questions:

Define the process of desalination.

What are some general potential pros of building desalination plants? (cite your own research here)

What are some general potential cons of building desalination plants? (cite your own research here)

Did you know they opened a couple desalination plants throughout coastal California to help reduce the threat of drought? Here is a link to the website for the one in Carlsbad so you can review their operation and protocols: http://carlsbaddesal.sdcwa.org/overview/Links to an external site.

Are these plants a good idea when considering all environmental impacts, energy usage, and resources managed to keep the plant active? Should we build more of them?

Now that you have explored the science behind these processes, this question is looking for your personal opinion and how you support your thoughts using data and scientific understanding. There is no right or wrong answer here, just back up what you say.

Be sure to explain why you have responded the way you have and support your answer with scientific evidence. 

1. You will have to post your own reply before you can see what your peers have written.
2. Peer Replies (5 points)
3. Here is your chance to interact with your peers. Reply to your peers posts and let them know what you think of their answer. Do you agree? Do you disagree? WHY? Please respond to 2-3 of your peers posts. Make sure your responses are thoughtful and grounded in scientific evidence, part of the points for the peer replies will be based on the thoughtfulness of your response. Show me you thought about it and debated both sides of this topic with yourself before replying to your peers!
4. Netiquette:

Please remember to use proper netiquette here and be kind to one another, even in disagreement. Please reference the netiquette page and the rules for discussion board responses in the orientation module.

Introduction

For this discussion, you will have the opportunity to describe the role community leaders play in your chosen community issue. 

First, let’s define “community.” In the context of this course, we are attempting to involve you in your local community or a community you have access to. Think of your church, the community center in your city, local business groups, an organization you may belong to, or even your workplace. All of these local communities represent a larger community. Think global. Act local.

Community leaders are integral within communities, and the power and influence they possess can impact communities positively or negatively. Community leaders are defined as any person who possesses decision-making capabilities within the community (a school principal, pastor, mayor, club president, etc.). Therefore, gaining further understanding as to some of the specific roles community leaders play in your chosen issue will help you to more clearly understand a potential solution.

Secondary Responses

Provide at least two secondary responses to your classmates for the Discussion by answering the following questions:

Are their community leaders accessible? Do you think they could send a letter to them and receive a response? Would they listen?

Can you provide any insight, experience, advice, or opinions for thought?

one paragraph for each of the secondary responses.

• ————————
• Marquitta: Community can be defined as a group of people that have a common area of residential habitation and or vested interest within a particular area. With my community issue being focused on juvenile engagement during summer months, I see leadership within my community to understand and agree on how allocating resources and programming toward young people will benefit the community as a whole.

Power holders typically hold meetings that are attended by the general public. City council members are assigned to particular areas of the city and they are responsible for addressing the needs within their respective area. For the councilman to take inventory of their area needs they must engage the citizens. The safety forces traditionally have youth programming. My community issue would ensure that the existing programming is made available and resourceful for young people regardless of the area of the city they reside.

Identifying these community leaders creates a valuable network that works in unison to provide the city’s youth with several, productive, and educational outlets during the summer months.

Dennis:

Community leaders play an important role in addressing healthcare access issues in every community. Their tasks include advocacy, resource allocation, policy formulation, and community participation. They act as activists, raising awareness about healthcare access and the difficulties encountered by underprivileged people. They also have an impact on resource allocation, diverting cash toward access-improving activities. Leaders also play an important role in policymaking, pushing for policies that reduce barriers to access and ensuring their successful implementation. Furthermore, they promote community participation and cooperation by encouraging communication among stakeholders to identify concerns and create solutions jointly.

           There are various methods for properly identifying and contacting these leaders. Research and networking assist in identifying important stakeholders, while direct approach via different methods such as email, phone calls, or in-person meetings opens discourse. Leveraging existing community contacts can also make it easier to reach out to leaders. Identifying these leaders is critical for the project’s success because it builds support and momentum, offers access to resources and knowledge, and ensures that solutions are sustainable. Engaging community leaders ensures that projects are in line with community needs, goals, and resources, which contributes to the project’s long-term success. Thus, community leaders must be engaged through strategic outreach and partnership in order to successfully address the issue of access to care.

Introduction: The Pre-Research Index invites you to begin an exploration of who you are and what experiences have contributed to your sense of identity in the context of ENG 2800’s expectations for you during the semester. You are asked to consider aspects of your identity and/or experiences that may spark a productive investigation and engaging writing. The goal of this assignment is to transform the research project that is at the heart of this course from being seen as an artifact outside of your experience or identity to originating and being fundamentally intertwined with you, as the researcher, and your internal motivations, interests, and identities. It will include polished brainstorming (generating ideas) and reflection (meaningful connections between self and avenues for future research). In her PRI, one student wrote about a memorable visit to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. In the PRI, she identified different ways her interest in Jefferson could inform her research (Jefferson as inventor, public servant, farmer, etc.). As she began conducting research for the Annotated Bibliography, she noticed that Jefferson’s influence on contemporary American politics was a matter of discussion. For her Researched Argument, she dovetailed that with her personal interest in the Black Lives Matter movement to establish how Jefferson’s views towards race relations and his drafting of the Declaration of Independence signal what he might have thought about the BLM movement. Her New Media Composition focused more intently on the BLM element of her project, since it was more timely and relevant to current events, at the time.

Requirements:

It should be written from a personal point of view—remember that the point of this assignment is to explore how your experiences and perspectives will potentially shape your research agenda in this class.

It should include narrative, which means descriptive story. Roughly, at least half, should be narratively driven.

It should consider how single or multiple experiences and/or aspects of your identities, might relate directly to topics to investigate and write about in ENG 2800. If you include more than a single focus, make sure the essay is unified and the strands are connected. Roughly half, or a little less than half, should reflect on the connections between your narrative(s) and future research project of ENG 2800.

The Pre-Research Index should be at least 4 pages long, although it may be longer, depending on how you structure your work, and how much spacing you use.

Form: The final form of a Pre-Research Index may look different for different students. Some have written a letter, an essay, a detailed outline with more in depth writing around it. Whatever form your work takes, it must include a reflection on how the experience(s) you include could inform potential research for the class.

• Challenges: Beginning with a Pre-Research Index may seem novel and strange. But this process of self-reflection, of analyzing who we are, and how our experiences shape our perspectives and interests, is a good way to ensure that your research agenda this semester is both important to you, and grounded in self-awareness about your perspectives and potential biases. This assignment may be anxiety-inducing for some of you, but it’s intended to give you the flexibility to in generating and exploring research ideas. Just remember that whatever form your PRI takes, you must make it clear to your readers that you have engaged in a meaningful, self-reflective way with the process of exploring how your experiences and perspectives might inform the direction your research project will take.