English

1. Choose a poem we have read so far that you like and are intrigued by.2. Use the library databases to find an article on that poem or on the poet who wrote it. It can be literary criticism (someone’s article about their interpretation of the poem) or biographical (details about the poet’s life and background). Don’t use an article about a different poem, though.3. Read the article and highlight passages that you think are interesting, or that make good points. It’s okay if you don’t understand everything in the entire article – literary criticism can be challenging to read! Focus on the points that you do understand. If you feel like the entire article is confusing, choose a different one, though. No one wants you to feel lost and confused.4. Write a brief paragraph (three or four sentences is great) about the poem or poet. Incorporate at least one quote from the poem and one quote from the article. Remember that quotes should be integrated into your own sentences. There’s an example below, but if you’d like more guidance on integrating quotations, click here for a link to the University of New Orleans’s article on quotation integration in research papers. If you’re not sure how to format your quote, click this link for the Purdue OWL guide.5. Include internal citations for your quotations. Poems should be cited with author’s last name and a line number (line of the poem the quote comes from). Articles should be cited with author’s last name and a page number. There’s an example below, but if you need more help with internal citations, click this link for Purdue OWL’s guide to that.6. Include a Works Cited list for your paragraph. It should include the poem and the article. Remember that the database can usually provide the citation in MLA format for you. For more help and examples of Works Cited page, click this link for the Purdue OWL guide to Works Cited pages.Example Paragraph (incomplete Works Cited):In Adrienne Rich’s poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,” the speaker states ” When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie/Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.” (9-10). The speaker is making the claim that her aunt is controlled by the conflicts in her life. The speaker’s description gives readers as much information about her, the niece, as it does about the aunt. As one scholar argues, the speaker’s “metaphor serves more as the niece’s judgment than as an actual description” (Rizza 65). In particular, Rizza alludes to “finger fluttering through her wool/Find even the ivory needle hard to pull./The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band” (Rich 5-7). Michael Rizza sees this description as “contradictory,” and attributes the symbolic weight of the ring to “the niece’s judgment more than actual description” (65). It is not clear that Aunt Jennifer feels as weighed down as her niece perceives her to be.Works CitedRich, Adrienne. “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers.”Rizza, Michal J. The “Split” in Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers. The Explicator, 67(1), 63-66. 2008.

The title of the first part part of the book is “The Land of the Dead.” How does this title help you understand the thematic concerns of this part? How do the different voices featured in this part of the book connect with this title?Length: 200 words (the Canvas text entry box has a word counter in the lower right-hand corner)MLA Format: Italicize the book title; chapter titles should go in quotation marks. Cite page numbers.

Identify the three most important parts of the text (you can use journalistic questions to help with this- who, what, when, where, why, and how. Who is writing/speaking? Why are they writing/speaking? What is the main idea of this text, which is likely in the title…)Those parts might include certain arguments or claims that the author makes.They might include examples or illustrations that the author employs.They might be key parts of the argument, or you simply may have enjoyed or barely endured those parts.In identifying those three important parts, you may opt to summarize them, but do so with enough detail that someone who has not read the text will understand what you reference. After you have identified your three important parts, briefly explain why you selected those parts.Identify two problematic parts of the text.They might be parts that you did not understand.They may be parts that you disagree with, that you felt did not belong, or that you thought interfered with the author’s purpose.Briefly explain your choices.Pose one question for the author. That question should move to extend his or her examination of the topic and delve beneath surface-level commentary. Rather than question a problematic section that you have identified, as in question two, ask a question that engenders discussion. Such a question might begin with, “When you said [X], did you want your readers to [Y]?” or “What was the purpose of discussing [Z]?” In a way, in your own writing, you might decide to pose possible answers to those questions in your own writing.0. Find a golden nugget. What one sentence or two is so well written or so well stated that it left an impression upon you? Remember to introduce and cite the quote.

Pre-Writing ActivityAnswer the following questions (all three parts) in either a document or the text box below:Part 1-In Always Running, you read about Luis J. Rodriguez trying to bring about social change. Often, he tried to bring about this change with the help of others. Have you had an experience in your life when you (or, alternatively, seen an example personally of someone else) achieved a goal with the help of others? Who were they and what did they help with?Part 2-At the end of the day, though, it was Luis J. Rodriguez who ultimately brought about change in his own life and left his past life in gangs behind. Have you done something by yourself (or, alternatively, seen an example personally of someone else) that was successful which you were proud of? What was it and how did you (or the other person you saw) do it?Part 3-Overall, do you feel like you have seen major goals/achievements accomplished alone or with the help of others in your life?

Activity 1As you watch the short film, note down:1- Times you see examples of individualism (individuals achieving things on their own through their own merit and hard work). Include the event and the actual time you see it in the film. Ex= (4:04).2- Times you see examples of collectivism (groups of people working together to achieve things). Include the event and the actual time you see it in the film. Ex= (4:04).3- Helpful information that will provide context for your readers about the ideas in the film (so, important details about who, what, when, where, why, and how that will help them understand the examples you’ll be providing later). Include the event and the actual time you see it in the film. Ex= (4:04).

Questions to Answer:Who wrote the book this excerpt is from, March: Book 2, and why do you think they wrote it? When was it written? [Feel free to look this up online]Why do you think the authors chose to use a graphic novel format instead of the more traditional novel format for this book/story? Basically, what could a graphic novel provide that a regular novel could not?This excerpt focuses on leaders who played a role in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (whether supportive or unsupportive), as well as the events leading up to it. Who were those leaders and what role did they play? List each person that’s mentioned and how they felt about the March (so, whether they supported it or not).In the excerpt, there are some backgrounds in the panels that are either all white or all black, unlike the other backgrounds which tend to be in grayscale. What kind of ideas are presented in the panels with black backgrounds? White backgrounds? Why do you think the illustrator chose these particular colors to convey those ideas?The illustrator uses the size of the comic panels and their layout to emphasize important ideas. Which ideas seem to be emphasized by the illustrator most?The illustrator also uses different fonts and typefaces to emphasize important words or ideas. What type of words or ideas are put in bold or emphasized? Why do you think the illustrator chose to emphasize them?Finally, although this excerpt focuses on the leaders of the march, it ends with an image of the people participating in it taking over and actually beginning it without the leaders. In the end, who do you think actually lead the march: the people (the collective groups) or the leaders (the individuals)?

Background: As we read in Herbert Hoover’s “Rugged Individualism” Campaign Speech, the United States has been founded on the idea of rugged individualism and personal liberty. Yet, in Luis Rodriguez’s Always Running, we saw times when Rodriguez tried to bring about social change, often with the help of others. At the end of the day, though, it was Rodriguez who ultimately brought about change in his own life and left his past life in gangs behind.Social progress in the United States, like the more small-scale successes shown in Always Running, was also generally won with the help of many different people and groups. In the short documentary films “The March on Washington: How the Movement Began” and “The March on Washington: The Spirit of the Day,” both by TIME, as well as March: Book 2, one of three books in John Lewis’ March Trilogy, we saw how an event led by a relatively small group of people could bring about great social change in the United States: the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Additionally, in the short documentary film “Sal Castro and the 1968 East LA Walkouts,” we saw the impact of Sal Castro and his students here in Los Angeles. However, when reflecting back on the historical impact of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and the 1968 East LA Walkouts, many people often focus on the impact of one individual rather than the numerous people who participated. [For further context: Merriam-Webster defines rugged individualism as “the practice or advocacy of individualism in social and economic relations emphasizing personal liberty and independence, self-reliance, resourcefulness, self-direction of the individual, and free competition in enterprise,” or a system in which the individual is stressed. It defines collectivism as “emphasis on collective rather than individual action or identity,” or a group/groups of people is stressed instead of the individual.]Prompt: Respond to the following using Always Running, at least two of the other readings or films from this unit, and your own personal experience(s): Do you believe success (whether it be on a smaller, more individual scale or something as large as achieving social progress) is largely a result of individualism or collectivism? The most effective essays will engage and synthesize the different sources specified from the unit and utilize the pre-writing activities completed for our class.

For this brainstorm, let’s aim to figure out a working thesis and really focus on finding quotes from the sources to support that thesis! So, aim to pick a side- collectivism or individualism- and once you’ve gotten that, let’s aim to get ideas for logos (quotes from the text, Always Running, and at least two other sources from this unit) to back it up. For the brainstorm itself, try choose a brainstorming technique that can help you accomplish this (maybe a T-Chart where you list examples from the sources of individualism on one side and on the other side examples of collectivism? For the quotes from the texts, maybe fold a sheet in four and put a source in each corner and add quotes to support the thesis from each text in its corner? Up to you!)First, brainstorm for 10 minutes to decide on your working thesis and/or possible quotes to support that thesis (Part 1). Then, answer the questions afterward to reflect on how your brainstorming went (Part 2). Include both Part 1 (your brainstorm in a document or on a sheet of paper) and Part 2 (the answers to the questions about how your brainstorming went) in a file/files that you upload (a Word, PDF, or picture) or in the text box below.Part 1- Brainstorming Techniques You Can Use to Brainstorm on a Sheet of PaperDifferent people use different brainstorming techniques to help them think about their topic. People who learn visually will like to use charts or clusters, while people who think more analytically (they like to analyze things) may like to use bullets or cubing. Look at the following brainstorming techniques, then try to use one(s) that you think will work well for you based on how you like to learn:FreewritingGive yourself a specific amount of time (say 10 minutes or 15 minutes) and/or space (1 full page) to write down any thoughts or ideas that come to mind about your topic. If you’re having trouble finding ideas that relate, you can write down ideas that might seem to oppose the topic. After you’re done, look back to see if there are any connections between the ideas, main ideas, or just plain interesting ideas that you would like to continue thinking about or developing. It can be a good idea to repeat the process again and further develop those ideas since you may want to use them for your paper. Note- if it’s easier for you to talk through a subject, feel free to use this same process but do so out loud while also recording yourself.Invisible WritingThis is just like freewriting, but it takes the process a step further by making what you write “invisible.” If you’re writing on a computer, turn off the computer screen while you work. If you’re writing by hand, don’t pick up your pen or pencil while writing (write down every idea, no matter how strange or unrelated) and don’t look back at what you’ve already written down.Listing/BulletingWrite down lists of words or phrases about an idea related to the overall topic. You can make a general list about any words/phrases that come to mind, a list of words/phrases to support a claim you want to make, or even a list of words/phrases opposing the claim you want to make.Clustering/Mapping/WebbingStart with an idea in the center of the page, ideally the main topic, then “map” out related ideas coming off of it. Keep mapping for a set amount of time, or until you can’t come up with anymore. You can also work backwards and start off with ideas, then go back and map/connect them visually.Word Storm/Word AssociationThis is a bit like clustering/mapping/webbing, but instead of an idea you start off with one word. Then, you “map” out related words that come to mind when you think of the first word, second word, etc. This can be a good technique to use to develop the essay topic itself, and it may lead to interesting areas of it you might not have seen at first glance.QuestioningThis technique is similar to that used by investigative reporters. Basically, you want ask and answer the six main wh- questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how. You can also ask yourself questions to describe a topic (eg. What is it? What caused it? What is it like/unlike? What do people say or think about it?).CubingThis is a bit like questioning, but may be helpful for visual learners. Draw a cube, then use the wh- questions listed above to investigate your topic. Write and answer one question on each side of the cube. Once you’re done, look at the at the different sides to see how they interact. More specifically, see if any common themes or ideas repeat themselves. Instead of using the wh- questions, you can also write the following info about your topic on each side: 1. Describe it, 2. Compare it, 3. Associate it, 4. Analyze it, 5. Apply it, and 6. Argue for and against it.Using Drawings, Shapes, or ChartsThis is another technique that can help visual learners. Draw or sketch out your topic. What do you “see” when you think about it? Similarly, you can do a freewrite in a shape that relates to the topic (for example, a cat if you’re writing about animals). Charts, a likely familiar technique, can also be a good way to “see” connections between ideas. You can use t-charts, graphs, or tables to explore connections between ideas.Adapted from: The Everyday Writer and http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/brainstorming/ and http://www.cccti.edu/WritingCenter/Documents/BrainstormingStrategies.pdfPart 2- Reflection Questions to Answer after BrainstormingWhat brainstorming technique(s) did you use, and why did you think that technique would be helpful for you?How did you feel while brainstorming (anxious, nervous, free, happy, etc.) and why did you feel that way?Do you think brainstorming helped you think of new ideas for the essay? Or helped generally? Why/why not?

Taxing the WealthyI want to examine the taxes we levy against the wealthy and explore riaisng taxes on them. We should not tax the wealthy more than we already do. These 3 main claims all support my issue by being some of the main negative contributors to an unhealthy nation. We watch as world governments frivolously spend money and do not stick to any budgets. Giving them more money will not fix this issue. There is evidence to suggest taxing the wealthy and successful companies’ higher amounts make them leave the country to countries with less taxes leading to a motionless economy. I currently see resentment from poor and the middle-class nation and worldwide towards the rich. My main claims will examine how governments already waste most money and do not follow a budget, identify how raising taxes slows the economic growth for a country, and explore the possible class war situations such as the poor and middle class resenting the rich, and the rich who currently pay most of the tax bill, resenting the poor and middle class in return.The opposition’s argument that we should tax the wealthy more is based more off of emotion rather than facts. The counterargument is that raising taxes gives higher funds to go towards social programs to help the lower classes. This is admirable logic and the emotion behind it is sound and completely understandable. Kimberly Clausing, an American economist, says “Tax increases for those at the top can achieve two aims: providing revenue resources from those that have experienced the greatest gains in income, and countering economic and social inequalities.” I believe my arguments will counter these claims by using facts and history.We saw the economy sore with a tax reform in 2017 and it included less taxes for corporations and the wealthy. The stock market was soring and a lot of the poor and middle class ira’s and 401k’s skyrocketed showing that less taxes for the wealthy can lead to positive financial increases for those lower classes. We also saw many major companies such as Apple and Ford cancel plans for jobs outside the United States and keep them in the country which opened a lot of high paying jobs and a lot of those jobs were in areas that typically had lower cost of living wages. Higher paying jobs lead to more tax revenue as poorer and middle classes go up in pay and go into higher tax brackets. This is raisies lower classes into higher incomes which leads to more spending. More spending is critical for an economy to grow.I would like to address the history of tax increases using Thomas Sowell’s books that shows there is no correlation between tax rates and tax revenues. When the tax rate was highest in 1921 at 73 percent it brought in less revenue than after the tax rate was cut to 24 percent. Thomas Sowell, an American ecominsit, says “ That is because 24 percent of something is larger than 73% of nothing.” Wealthy people find better loopholes to not pay taxes when the rates are higher leading to less revenue. History has shown in the first example that people are willing to pay their taxes fairly when the rates are not unfair. These same loopholes do not apply to the poor and middle classes and this leads to the resentment towards the rich. “The top 1% of earners pay 25% of all taxes. The top 20% of earners pay 72% of all taxes.” (David Wessel, 2019)Lastly, I would like to talk about if the government received more revenue, which currently this is no evidence to support they would, how would they spend it, and would it be efficiently? Milton Friedman frequently examines the government’s general lack of fiscal discipline. When the government receives more revenue there is no budget or less spending. There is more spending. However, we can see when a company does well there is increases in pay for the workers and even bonus’ is when the company pays less taxes. This is a better way of increasing revenue as poor and middle class make more money and pay more taxes without loopholes to exploit. This would also lift families out of poverty and lessen the burden of the current welfare state.In conclusion I think from the evidence I explored, taxing companies and wealthy people more is not in the best interest of the people. We typically will see lower revenue, a higher distrust from lower classes to higher classes of people and more wild spending from the government who can not control spending whether getting more money or not. These issues will, can, and have lead to government distrust, an unhealthy attitude towards wealthy people, and companies putting money and jobs in countries without these issues. Allowing lower taxes will make our country more competitive in the world market and those profits will be seen as bonus’s and higher wages.“I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”

1. The function and purpose of a dietary supplement is to give individuals, those that are lacking specific vtiamins that are known to help benefit your health, as well as prevent any health problems, such as osteoporosis, or arthritis. These supplements come in a variety of substances, or forms; capsules, powder, gels, gummies, etc. One in particular I wanted to focus on is one called Umzoo ZuPOO; this supplement claims it helps with cleansing your colon of waste that has accumulated in your digestive tract that are causing an extension of the colon or digestive tract in general; the reason for bloating. They claim that the waste accumulated in your digestive tract are making it more difficult to digest, therefore, by using this product, you can eliminate the build up. They also claim that this is a method of weight loss, that the product, by eliminating the accumulated waste, can help you with weight loss. In order to see any results with any supplement, you need to have a conrtolled diet, and exercise plan, and continue this practice, considering dietary supplements aren’t long term, they are short term, but in order to keep the affects and benefits of the supplements there are other factors that come into play.They also say the waste that has accumulated in your digestive tract contains toxins that can make you sick; science and biology do not support this statement. Rather research shows that when giving your body the right amount of fiber and water daily, your digestive tract can “cleanse” itself routinely. Now, obviously, depending on what you’re consuming is going to change that considering some things digest faster than other things. Also, the bacteria the resideds in your digestive tract are known to also play a role in the digestion of food, and that withtout these little microorganisms, it would make it more difficult to digest food. These bacteria are the driving force for the a clean and heatlhy digestive tract, however, there is a chance that when constantly “cleansing” your colon/digestive tract with whatever you decide to use, whether that’s using this supplement or another method, you have the risk of eliminating, and “cleansing” the good bacteria that reside in your digestive tract. It’s almost like the excessively, and constantly using hand sanitizer, the more you use it, the more you’re eliminating the good bacteria that resides on the surface of your skin that fight off infections that reside on the surface. That’s why they say washing your hands with warm water for 20 seconds is a good method to get rid of the bad bacteria without eliminating the good bacteria.2. Dietary supplements are substances you might use to add nutrients to your diet or to lower your risk of health problems. Fish oil supplements claim to lower the risk of heart disease, reduce blood pressure, reduce blood triglyceride levels, and might help reduce pain, improve morning stiffness and relieve joint tenderness. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for good health. However, the best way to get them from a diet is by eating fish. Fish oil supplements have been promoted as an easy way to protect the heart which is one of the reasons why Americans spend more than $1 billion a year on over-the-counter fish oil. But the evidence for improving heart health is mixed. In 2018, the New England Journal of Medicine found that omega-3 fatty acid supplements did nothing to reduce heart attacks, strokes, or deaths from heart disease in middle-aged men and women without any known risk factors for heart disease.I think many people turn to supplements like fish oil because they find it easier to take a pill rather than eating a healthy and balanced diet. All this while not really knowing and researching for sure that it does have the health benefits it claims. In addition, I think many people fail to educate themselves first before buying different supplements that claim to have many benefits. I think today, social media plays a big factor in tending misleading information – many influencers post what they eat, drink, and what supplements they take and followers tend to take their word for it. This is very dangerous in many ways because everybody is different and at the same time consulting a doctor should be the priority.