Blog

Choose ONE question to answer. Your answer should demonstrat…

Choose ONE question to answer. Your answer should demonstrate critical engagement with the material, textual evidence, and clear, organized writing. 1. Analyze: Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography presents an image of self-improvement, hard work, and moral virtue. Analyze how Franklin constructs his own identity in his writing. What rhetorical strategies does he use to shape his persona, and how does this self-presentation reflect Enlightenment ideals? 2. Evaluate: Franklin’s list of thirteen virtues is often considered a model of personal discipline and ethical living. Evaluate the relevance of Franklin’s virtues in modern society. Would these values still be useful today? Are there any that seem outdated or in need of revision? 3. Apply: Franklin’s belief in self-improvement was central to his life and writing. Choose one of Franklin’s virtues and apply it to a real-world situation today. How could practicing this virtue change someone’s personal or professional life? Provide specific examples. 4. Create: Imagine Benjamin Franklin was alive today and updating his Autobiography to reflect the 21st century. Write a new virtue that Franklin might add to his list and explain why it would be necessary in today’s world. How would this virtue align with his philosophy of self-improvement? 5. Understand: Franklin’s famous “rags-to-riches” story and his emphasis on hard work and frugality have become deeply embedded in American culture. How does Franklin’s Autobiography contribute to the idea of the “American Dream”? Compare his vision of success with how the American Dream is understood today.

Choose ONE question to answer. Your answer should demonstrat…

Choose ONE question to answer. Your answer should demonstrate critical engagement with the material, textual evidence, and clear, organized writing. Analyze: Compare the themes of interconnectedness and collaboration in the Native American creation stories (“How the World Was Made” and “Creation Story”). How do these themes reflect the respective tribes’ cultural values and environmental realities? Use textual evidence to support your analysis. Evaluate: In the trickster stories (“Trickster’s Warpath” or “Trickster Eats a Laxative Bulb”), the trickster often serves as a dual figure—both creator and destroyer. Evaluate how these stories use humor and subversion to reinforce social boundaries or challenge them. Do you find this approach effective in conveying moral or cultural lessons? Why or why not? Synthesize: Based on the Native American first-contact narratives (“The Arrival of the Whites” and “The Coming of the Whiteman Revealed”), synthesize how these stories reveal Native perspectives on European arrival. How do these accounts challenge traditional Eurocentric narratives of first contact? Reflect: Native American creation and trickster tales often depict a close relationship between humans and animals. Contrast these perspectives with the hierarchical human-animal relationships described in European exploration accounts. How do these differences reflect broader cultural worldviews, and what can they teach us about the significance of land and community? Apply: Reflecting on Paula Gunn Allen’s assertion in The Sacred Hoop that “the land is part of our being,” apply this concept to one Native American creation story. How does this perspective shift your understanding of modern debates around land and environmental stewardship?