Think About Your Culture
English, Debate, Social Studies
What is meant when someone talks about “American culture”? Are these areas that define the American identity? Distinctions from other countries or regions? Are these associations with food, dress, attitudes or annual events?
After some discussion, ask students to list five to ten items, events, or ways of thinking that they consider to be definitely American. Or definitely a New York, Midwestern, Southern or Southwestern U.S. cultural perspective.
Students might be asked to write in 50-75 words about an aspect of American culture. This may be in the first person or third person voice. They may choose to be persuasive, interpretive or analytic. They may employ a rhetorical strategy such as comparison and contrast, definition or classification, and process.
Do Some Spring Cleaning
Composition, English, Philosophy, Social Studies
The Outlook section of The Post on April 25, 2019, featured its 11th annual Spring Cleaning issue. We have reprinted all eight short essays that cover a variety of items that the writers believe should be thrown away to de-clutter our lives. Discussion of Eight Things to Toss could include the ideas presented by the authors, the tone used an the voice of the piece.
For each of the eight essays activities have been suggested. These range from creating a word or phrase to writing a survey to poll people in different age ranges on their email habits. Teachers might have fun with the punctuation marks activity or the anecdotes involving perfume.
These short essays can also be used with students to talk about topics that might work with applications for employment or college essays. They do reveal something about the writer, indicate research skills or interests, and demonstrate creativity and critical thinking.
