Purpose

Now that you have read about anthropomorphism, completing the Anthropomorphism Chart will help you dissect characteristics that are often attributed to some animals in children’s literature.

Directions

1. Before you watch the 2006 movie titled Charlotte’s Web based on E.B. White’s story by the same name, complete the Anthropomorphism Chart  (Links to an external site.)to help you dissect and characterize the types of human qualities humans tend to give to non-human creatures, including qualities that may represent classes of people, groups of people and/or society issues present in society.  
2. Next, read the following thoughts: 

“According to Jack David Zipes in his book Aesop’s Fables, ‘the purpose of most fable writers has been to address a specific social problem of their times and to draw a universal lesson that may be applicable in other situations and epochs. What White makes us aware of in Charlotte’s Web is how self-involved humans can be and how blind they often are to the wonders of the world around them.  

“As America began to prosper after the war (WWII), many people became more and more concerned with material wealth. The Beatniks – and the beat generation – was an anti-materialist literary movement which reached its height in the 1950s. Written after the Second World War and as American manufacturing and construction was on the rise, Charlotte’s Web also reacts against materialism and reminds us, during this time of American economic gain, of the simple yet astonishing pleasures in life. White’s use of anthropomorphic animals in Charlotte’s Web not only fulfills a key criteria of the fable tradition but also provides us with the opportunity to laugh at human folly — specifically, by supplying us with examples of human behavior to be avoided and not emulated.

“In Charlotte’s Web, White illustrates the power of love and creativity in contrast with material success and status. After all, a runt pig (who promises nothing when it is born) becomes the object of fame and success essentially because of the love bestowed on him by Fern and Charlotte. Although the humans in the novel think they have been blessed with an extraordinary pig, what they witness is extraordinary love between Charlotte and Wilbur, and that itself is the miracle of the story” (“Charlotte’s Web.” Grade Saver Study Guide.)

3. View the 2006 SWANK movie titled Charlotte’s Web (Links to an external site.) based on E.B. White’s story by the same name, taking note (on your chart) for how anthropomorphism is used in characters to “address a specific social problem of that time (early 1950s) and to draw a universal lesson that may be applicable in other situations and epochs” (Zipes). Identify the social problem and the universal lesson that are being characterized through White’s story. (If you have trouble accessing the 2006 Charlotte’s Web movie through SWANK, refer to the SWANK Guidelines. (Links to an external site.)) 

4. Submit your completed chart as a docx file.

To submit your work: Click the Submit Assignment button (top right of screen).

Grading

This assignment is worth up to 10 points toward your final grade. Your chart needs to show thoughtful and complete work. Thinking and writing about human qualities humans tend to give to non-human creatures and about how social problems and universal lessons are represented through those qualities will help prepare you for the online discussion writing you will complete next. 

Assignment #5: Professional Cover Letter
Completing this assignment will help you name and identify the skills and abilities that will move your career forward.

Find a specific job opening posted online within the last 9 months. You will develop a Job Application Cover Letter (as though you were applying to that position) that highlights and emphasizes why you are the most suitable candidate for this position. For the purposes of this assignment, you can present yourself as a recent graduate if needed.

Complete the cover letter on page 1 of the submission and then include a link to the job posting on page 2 (a copy and paste of the link is acceptable and the link must work). 

The message should take the form of a business letter; however, you will submit your assignment to the online course shell.

The job letter / application message must adhere to the following requirements:

1. Content
   1. Highlight relevant background and job history information specific to the opening.
   2. Emphasize significant qualifications and exclude nonessential ideas.
2. Format
   1. Follow proper letter formatting techniques per business letter format.
   2. Use an appropriate and professional greeting and closing.
3. Style
   1. Use professional language.
   2. Paragraphs effectively developed and efficient. Note: Six (6) or seven (7) lines when possible.
4. Mechanics
   1. Make sure there are no grammar or spelling errors.
   2. Eliminate wordiness and unclear sentence construction. 

This course requires use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

1. Plan, create, and evaluate professional documents.
2. Write clearly, coherently, and persuasively using proper grammar, mechanics, and formatting appropriate to the situation.
3. Deliver professional information to various audiences using appropriate tone, style, and format.
4. Develop presentation skills for use in the professional environment.

To download the assignment instructions provided above and assignment rubric, click here.

Basic Communication Theory Discussion

assignment 1-Explain what is meant by the principle: “communication is inevitable, irreversible and unrepeatable.” Give an example to illustrate your answer.120 words minimum

assignment 2- Respond to two or more posts explaining the reason for your agreement or disagreement or why you think the post is important, and/or provide examples of the point(s) made 100 words minimum

post 1–the principle, “communication is inevitable, irreversible and unrepeatable” meaning is a simply one to understand. Communication is inevitable because it WILL happen no matter what in someone’s life. You have to communicate to get through most if not all your life. Communication is irreversible because a statement made depending on a situation will destroy a relationship, opportunities and your life in general. You have to be careful of what you say and in todays society people are very fragile to anything that goes against their views in life. Lastly communication is unrepeatable because every experience is different as well as it goes in tangent to irreversibility. Everyone is different and different views in life, communication with everyone is a new challenge tackle.

post 2

There are six of The Basic Principales of Communication, one of them being “communication is inevitable, irreversible, and unrepeatable.”I myself believe this is one of the most important principles, because it highlights the fact that communication is very important in the modern word, and should be taken seriously. Now to break it down, when it states communication is “inevitable” it means people are always communicating, sometimes even without noticing. Communicating isn’t just happening verbally, it can also be transmitted through body language and actions. Communication is “Irreversible” because once you say something you can’t unsay it, and you can’t unsent a text. The most you can do is try to reduce the effects of what was said, but it can never be “uncommunicate.” Lastly, communication is “unrepeatable,” although similar situations might come up, you will never find yourself in the same scenario, with the same frame of mind, and same relationship dynamics. 

• Instructions for Summary / Response EssaySummary/Response Essay
  Assignment Description
  For this essay, you should read the articles from the folder in this unit and choose one to respond to in a formal essay. The summary/response essay asks you first to summarize the main points of the article and to respond to those points by agreeing, disagreeing, or agreeing with some but not all of the arguments made in the article. You should include evidence (from the article, from your own reasoning, from examples, from experiences, etc.) to support your response.

  Due Dates
  Please refer to the calendar due dates. Please remember the peer review is a separate grade and has separate due dates.

  Purpose and Learning Objectives
  The purpose of writing a response paper is to encourage you to read actively and to evaluate the selected articles critically. While it is possible to read an article just once and gain an understanding of the main idea, much of the depth and nuance of the article will only be discovered after multiple readings.  Moreover, your grasp of the ideas and concepts presented in the article will remain superficial until you apply those ideas and concepts in your own writing. As you write, you should practice making clear claims about the material you’re writing about and should practice supporting those claims with evidence from the text and from your own reasoning about the subject.

  Minimum Requirements

  • 600- 900 words  (approx. 2-3 pages)
  • An interesting and informative title
  • MLA format with in-text citations and works cited page
  • An introductory paragraph that tells readers what article you are responding to and that includes a thesis statement
  • One or more paragraphs that summarize the article
  • One or more paragraphs that respond to the article
  • A conclusion paragraph that wraps up the main ideas in the essay
  • You should not expect to earn a grade higher than a 60% if you do not meet the minimum requirements.

    Process for Completion

  1. The first step in writing a good response paper is to actively read the article assigned. Active reading means consciously identifying the thesis, purpose, audience, and tone.  It means determining what main points the author is trying to convey with his or her article.
  2. Next, it might help to construct an outline or graphic organizer that will help you visualize the claims and the evidence supporting those claims. Once you have a firm understanding of the article, start formulating your response by asking questions:
     1. What do I really think about this topic? Why do I think that? 
     2. Do I disagree with any points being made? Why?
     3. Do I agree with any points? Why?
     4. Can I think of additional examples or evidence that support or refute the author’s claims?
     5. Can I connect something in the article to my own personal experience?
     6. Can I apply the ideas presented in the article to some other subject?  
  3. At this point, you should start to formulate your response. Once you have an idea of what you want to say, start drafting your essay. 
     1. The introduction should clearly identify the author and article you’re summarizing. It may include a bit of brief summary to show what the main point of the article is. It should include a thesis statement that presents your response to the article. 
     2. The body paragraphs should begin with a summary of the article that you’ve chosen (one or two paragraphs). Be sure to accurately represent the ideas and arguments from the source. Next, you should develop your response (between one and three paragraphs), usually with a statement of agreement or disagreement, followed by your reasons, examples, and evidence. Remember that the purpose of a response paper is to add your own voice to the mix, to join the conversation.  I want to read your reactions, your interpretations, and your opinions. Take this opportunity to develop your own voice.
     3. The conclusion paragraph should reinforce the ideas you stated in the essay.
  4. Once you’ve drafted your paper, go back and review how you’ve organized your paragraphs (do they have topic sentences?) and integrated evidence (all quotes should be seamlessly incorporated into your own sentences). 
  5. When you’re happy with your draft, you should complete the peer review process to get feedback on your writing.
  6. After you have read the feedback provided by your peers, continue revising and editing your draft.  You might find that some comments are more helpful than others. You are not obliged to take anyone’s advice, but you should at least consider every suggestion. When you are comfortable that the essay is in good shape, upload it to eCampus. The final draft will automatically be sent through “Safe Assign,” which is an originality checker used to help identify plagiarism.
  7. Plagiarism
     Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or ideas without giving credit and is a serious academic offense.  It can range from:
  • Turning in a paper any part of which you did not write, 
  • Cutting and pasting a paper together from various sources without attributing the sources correctly,
  • Changing a few words but basically keeping most of the words and sentence structure of the original,
  • Using the ideas of another without giving credit to the person who originally had the idea.
  • Using the exact words of the source without using quotation marks even if you give the name of the source.
  • Refer to the syllabus for consequences of plagiarism in this class. For more information, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/

    Grading and Rubric
    To access the rubric, go to the essay submission and select “View Rubric.” Please remember that the grades for peer are listed in the syllabus as separate grades.
    Instructions for Peer Review
    Peer reviews are an essential part of the revision process, as it’s important to receive feedback on your writing. Even the best writers ask for others to read their work. All you need to do is turn to the acknowledgement section of many books to find praise for others who have read drafts of the book. All important writing should be read by someone else prior to submission.

    To earn credit for peer review, you must submit a draft to the peer review discussion board by the due date and comment on one of your classmates’ drafts by the second due date (the schedule lists two due dates: the first is when you must submit your draft; the second is when you must submit your responses to others). You must submit a draft AND comment on someone else’s draft to earn any credit for peer review. Just submitting a draft OR just commenting on someone’s draft will not earn credit.

    Posting Your Draft

  • To post your draft, go to the discussion board for peer review included within the unit.
  • Create a new thread and post your draft as an attachment.  Your attachment must be saved as a .doc or .docx document. Please ensure that your draft uploads correctly.
  • Responding to Classmates
  • Select a classmate’s thread and download his/her attached draft.
  • Reply to his/her thread to indicate the draft is under review (i.e. John Dow is currently reviewing the document).  Do not select the paper if someone else is already reviewing.
  • Read the draft carefully and respond to the questions listed below, either in a new document or at the top of your classmate’s document. At the very least, you must answer the questions, but you can also use the “Comment” function in Microsoft Word to write comments to your classmates within the essay (put your cursor where you want the comment, go to the “Review” tab in Microsoft Word, and select “New Comment”).
  • Complete the review and save the document to your computer.
  • Once you have completed the review, reply to your classmate’s thread and upload the review.
  • Questions for Peer Review
    1. Read your peer’s essay from beginning to end just to let its ideas wash over you.  What are your initial thoughts? Did your peer satisfy the requirements of assignment?  Please explain in detail.

    2. Review the essay’s title as well as its introduction and conclusion.  Think about the relationships among these three components. Do they match or do they disagree? Make note of strengths or weaknesses in these crucial areas.  Please explain in detail.

    3. Find the essay’s thesis.  Is it clear? Is it well positioned? Paraphrase (put in your own words) the thesis of the essay to check your understanding. Review the assignment guidelines to ensure that your peer’s thesis is on target. Make note of strengths or weaknesses in this area. Please explain in detail.

    4. Focus on the individual paragraphs of the essay.  Does each paragraph have a topic sentence that previews the ideas of the paragraph? Observe the essay’s development of paragraphs.  Does each paragraph have a single main idea that relates to the thesis?  Are there any paragraphs that seem disconnected or out of place?

    5. Consider the essay’s use of the English language.  Are sentence structures, grammar, spelling, punctuation and mechanics employed effectively, or do errors distract the reader from understanding and enjoying the writer’s analysis? Make note of strengths and weaknesses in this area.  Please explain in detail.

    Remember: When in doubt about how to do the peer review, be honest, helpful, and constructive. Saying “Great job! Don’t change a word!” never helped anyone to be a better writer.
     

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/