Assignment 2.1 (5 marks, i need just 6-7 lines)
Read: John 3:16 and Psalm 8:3-4
Careful thinking matters. Review the past several hours of your life, or even the past day, and notice how many “big” decisions you made and how many “small” decisions were made. No doubt some decisions required no consideration, no input from others, and very little time. Other decisions, however, require us to slow down and consider options, ask for input, and think through potential consequences of different paths.
Our capacity to think carefully about things is a gift from our creative God, who made us in His image (see Genesis 1:26). One of the most humbling things we can consider is how God, the creator of all things, is mindful of us. He cares for us (also see 1 Peter 5:7). He cares about what we do, what we say, and what and how we think! We can “consider” with the Psalmist (who was writing long before gender-neutral writing was valued) the enormity of this reality and let it inspire us and remind us of His tenderness toward us. All of us.
We will examine critical thinking strategies this week, but let’s start by reflecting upon the types of problems you solve naturally. Where have your problem-solving skills been a benefit to others? How has God used your unique way of thinking carefully to help individuals or situations in your past? Be as specific or general as you’re comfortable.

Assignment 2.2 (25 marks, need about 80-85 words at max)

Introduction and Alignment
ACTIVE Reading is an acronym for:
Asking questions,
Connecting ideas,
Tracking down important information,
Inferring/predicting,
Visualizing
Evaluating and synthesizing.
If that all sounds familiar, it is because it is part of the Critical Thinking Process that we began learning about this week in assignment 2.1. This week, we will continue to grow our skills in reading with our brain light-bulbs on, so we can be stronger learners.
Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:
  • Actively demonstrate active reading and critical thinking skills.
Resources
  • Read: “The Sad Science of Hipsterism: The Psychology of Indie Band, PBR, and Weird Facial Hair” Argumentative Report.
Assignment Instructions
  • After reading the argumentative report, post your initial discussion of 75-100 words to answer the following:
  • What is your initial reaction to this article? If you consider yourself a part of the hipster subculture, were you offended or pleased by author Jeff Wise’s analysis of hipster culture? Give a detailed response.
  • How do you define “hipster” or “hipsterism?” How does your definition compare to how the author Jeff Wise defines hipster(ism)?
  • Do you feel author Jeff Wise’s study of hipsters is stereotypical and negative, or a fair and positive study? What are the stereotypes that Jeff Wise assumes his audience shares about hipsters? Give a thorough explanation.
  • Jeff Wise writes that people are mainly motivated to buy products, not just because they need them, but because they “bolster a sense of identity.” Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
  • Identify one specific product that you believe has become a “marker of identity” (meaning, a product that people buy specifically to build their identity) and what specific identity the product gives them. Also explain why you think this product has such importance to identity.
  • Follow the Policy for Use of Edited Standard Written English (ESWE).

Assignment 2.3

Read: John 3:16 and Psalm 8:3-4
Careful thinking matters. Review the past several hours of your life, or even the past day, and notice how many “big” decisions you made and how many “small” decisions were made. No doubt some decisions required no consideration, no input from others, and very little time. Other decisions, however, require us to slow down and consider options, ask for input, and think through potential consequences of different paths.
Our capacity to think carefully about things is a gift from our creative God, who made us in His image (see Genesis 1:26). One of the most humbling things we can consider is how God, the creator of all things, is mindful of us. He cares for us (also see 1 Peter 5:7). He cares about what we do, what we say, and what and how we think! We can “consider” with the Psalmist (who was writing long before gender-neutral writing was valued) the enormity of this reality and let it inspire us and remind us of His tenderness toward us. All of us.
We will examine critical thinking strategies this week, but let’s start by reflecting upon the types of problems you solve naturally. Where have your problem-solving skills been a benefit to others? How has God used your unique way of thinking carefully to help individuals or situations in your past? Be as specific or general as you’re comfortable.

Assignment 2.4

As learners, employees, and adults, we are all often pressed for time, and do not often feel up to the task of reading when we have lots of work. However, the solution does not lie with avoiding reading, but rather with “SMART” reading. If we have to read, let’s read smarter and faster, while retaining more information. It takes practice and consistency to get to a point where we can do more than skim, but once you achieve it, you will see how reading deepens your understanding of a subject, can sharpen your insights, and broaden your minds to other alternatives.
Here, in this week’s work, you will begin to hone the building blocks for smart reading.
Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:
  • Actively demonstrate active reading and critical thinking skills.
Resources
  • Read: Chapter 20, “Smart Reading” in Ruszkiewicz & Dolmage.
  • Read: Chapter 57, “Zombie Spaceship Wasteland” essay by Patton Oswalt in Ruszkiewicz & Dolmage (found near the beginning of Chapter 57, “Essays: Readings”).
Assignment Instructions
  • Step 1: After reading “Zombie Spaceship Wasteland,” answer the “Reading the Genre” questions that follow the essay.
  • Step 2: Type your answers in a document using Times New Roman font, size 12, with one-inch margins. You are expected to give thorough answers of at least approximately 8-10 lines per answer. Remember “lines” are not the same as sentences; “lines” are the number of lines if you counted down the side of the margin.
  • Step 3: Save your document to your desktop, and upload the document to Canvas.

Assignment 2.5

As learners, employees, and adults, we are all often pressed for time, and do not often feel up to the task of reading when we have lots of work. However, the solution does not lie with avoiding reading, but rather with “SMART” reading. If we have to read, let’s read smarter and faster, while retaining more information. It takes practice and consistency to get to a point where we can do more than skim, but once you achieve it, you will see how reading deepens your understanding of a subject, can sharpen your insights, and broaden your minds to other alternatives.
Here, in this week’s work, you will begin to hone the building blocks for smart reading.
Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:
  • Actively demonstrate active reading and critical thinking skills.
Resources
  • Read: Chapter 20, “Smart Reading” in Ruszkiewicz & Dolmage.
  • Read: Chapter 57, “Zombie Spaceship Wasteland” essay by Patton Oswalt in Ruszkiewicz & Dolmage (found near the beginning of Chapter 57, “Essays: Readings”).
Assignment Instructions
  • Step 1: After reading “Zombie Spaceship Wasteland,” answer the “Reading the Genre” questions that follow the essay.
  • Step 2: Type your answers in a document using Times New Roman font, size 12, with one-inch margins. You are expected to give thorough answers of at least approximately 8-10 lines per answer. Remember “lines” are not the same as sentences; “lines” are the number of lines if you counted down the side of the margin.
  • Step 3: Save your document to your desktop, and upload the document to Canvas.

Assignment 2.6

Introduction and Alignment
In 2.4 | Active Reading Discussion, you were asked to identify one product that you believe people buy as a reflection of their identities. Continuing that idea, you will further refine your critical thinking, evaluation, and writing skills into an essay.
Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:
  • Demonstrate evaluation skills with defensible criteria.
Resources
  • Read: Chapter 9, “Evaluations” in Ruszkiewicz & Dolmage
  • Read: Elements of an Evaluation Essay Infographic
Assignment Instructions
Step 1: Choose one of the following topic options to evaluate:
Option 1: Choose a product that you own, buy, or use regularly with which you strongly identify, like a car, Dunkin Donuts coffee, a technology device, phone app, or social network you couldn’t live without.
Option 2: Choose an experience you have had with the arts, a movie, book, television series, musical piece, video game, work of art, or artist with which you strongly identify.
Step 2: Conduct some basic research on the product/experience you chose. You want to learn as much as you can about it, including reviews or evaluations done by others, positive or negative connotations, how it was received by the public, reviews of the creator, the intended user or audience, etc.
Step 3: Conduct your own evaluation of the product/experience you chose. Be sure to clearly identify your own evaluation criteria. Also consider your own personal connection to this product/experience.
Step 4: Now it is time to pull it all together. You will now write an evaluation essay. Your 4-5 paragraph (11-13 lines each) final draft should include the following:
  • An introduction. (1 paragraph)
  ◦ Your introduction should introduce the product/subject clearly and thoroughly.
  ◦ End the paragraph with a thesis statement that clearly asserts your overall evaluation. Here are some examples:
  ▪ Because of comments from former CEO Mike Jeffries, as well as non-inclusive models, and outdated size ranges, Abercrombie and Fitch no longer is a brand that represents young Gen Z buyers.
  ▪ After years of outdated marketing, sizing, and representation, Abercrombie & Fitch has finally made a comeback as a brand that represents Gen Z consumers that reflects their generational values of inclusion with size range, racial representation, and positive messages.
  • A fully-developed evaluation. (2-3 paragraphs)
  ◦ Thoroughly discuss the product/experience you chose to evaluate. Include a full description of your selection, your evaluation criteria, your evaluation, the potential target audience for that product/experience, and an explanation of how you know this is the intended target audience.
  • A conclusion. (1 paragraph)
  ◦ The conclusion can either reiterate your main evaluative judgment or posit what the creator of the product/experience could have done differently to make it more effective or worthwhile.
Additional Instructions
  • Use Times New Roman font, size 12, with 1-inch margins.  
  • Include a Title Page in APA format using the step-by-step instructions offered in APA Formatting Cover Page - Student Paper 7th Edition (6:18)
  • No sources or quoted material is required.
  • This paper will include both the ideas presented by the creator of the product/experience and your own ideas as an evaluator.
  • You will be required to establish reasonable criteria for evaluating and to apply these criteria using logical organization and avoiding bias.
  • This paper should be formal, which means your writing style will be at an appropriate level of formality for an academic paper. (Do not use “I” in this paper; write in the third person as you evaluate.)