12 % Part VII: Design and Delivery [ 185 ]
We suggest discussing this chapter on or near the last day of class. Talk about
ending the term on a high note and making connections between students’ self-
sponsored writing (which often, though not always, occurs on social media) and
students’ academic writing! First– year writing classes have many goals— from
helping students write sentences that “sing” (as we discuss in Ch. 31 on HOW TO
[ 187 ]
ABOUT THE THEMES
The readings are grouped within six loosely delineated themes— EDUCATION, FOOD,
HOME, IDENTITY AND SELF, LANGUAGE, and WORK— and we argue that the looseness itself
invites curiosity and questioning. Each reading approaches its assigned theme from
a distinct angle, and a number of readings speak across multiple themes. Look, for
The two readings examine subjects that, at fi rst glance, seem unrelated. However,
considering how both essays address the theme of HOME leads us to interpret the term
on a much larger scale than our personal domiciles, while at the same time inviting
us to consider the similarities between these two kinds of disconnectedness. Many
readings within each theme work in this way, addressing the themes from vari ous
angles to explore its breadth, and fi nding ties to one another to demonstrate its depth.
You may notice that in this edition of the textbook, the theme of TECHNOLOGY
has been eliminated. Considerations of technology, in fact, occur in many readings
across all of the categories, so we’ve elected to integrate the theme without calling
par tic u lar attention to it. A new theme in this edition is that of IDENTITY AND SELF, a
category that addresses both the universality and the particularity of our embodied
experiences.
thirteen
Teaching the Readings
[ TEACHING THE READINGS ]
[ 188 ]
Education
Lynda Barry, “The Sanctuary of School”
Alison Bechdel, “Compulsory Reading”
Larry Gordon, “Wikipedia Pops Up in Biblio graphies and Even College
Assignments”
As teachers and students, we are primary stakeholders in the complicated world of
higher education, so essays about education naturally call our attention. A few
authors in this theme address higher education practices specifi cally, while others
ground their essays in childhood experiences or address more global issues of
schooling and learning. Brent Staples’s analy sis essay also takes a position on an
and for obligation. Returning to the higher education environment, Gerald Graff’s
essay argues the position that any topic in any medium can be analyzed and criti-
cally evaluated, and that we educators should draw our material from the sources
that already engage students’ interests. There are numerous fruitful pairings in
this theme: Barry and Maeda, for their widely disparate approaches in defense of
arts instruction; Staples and Graff, for identifying dissimilar but related higher
education issues; Barry and Bechdel, who both address childhood experiences but
for dif fer ent purposes and in distinct ways; Gordon and Maeda for their innova-
Food
Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele, “Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear”
Mark Bittman et al., “How a National Food Policy Could Save Millions of
American Lives”
13 % Teaching the Readings [ 189 ]
What could be more basic to the human experience than food? And what, in this
land of plenty, could be more controversial? Several readings in this theme address
some aspect of the ongoing public discourse and debates in the United States about
food; all the items in this cluster approach the topic from multiple directions and
weave intricate patterns together. David Freedman’s proposal and the proposal by
Mark Bittman and his colleagues examine virtually the same prob lems but with
Home
Michelle Cacho- Negrete, “Tell Me Something”
Nicholas Carr, “World and Screen”
Junot Díaz, “The Money”
bell hooks, “Touching the Earth”
Home— few words in En glish are as emotionally evocative. And few are as fl exible
in scale, or as subject to perspective and point of view. Start with where you live,
the place that you enter by turning the key in your hand. Home may be the space
within those walls, the objects contained there, or the people with whom you
share the everyday meals, bedtimes, chores, the intimate joys and sorrows. The
narratives of Junot Díaz and Michelle Cacho- Negrete address such a reading of
inhabit, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s proposal opens the interpretation of home to an even
broader perspective, that of the cosmos. With any pair of these readings, instructors
may ask students to compare and contrast the interpretations of home that can be
inferred and extrapolated from the readings. This may be a particularly fruitful
exercise to do in small groups.
[ TEACHING THE READINGS ]
[ 190 ]
Identity and Self
Dana Canedy, “The Talk: After Ferguson, a Shaded Conversation about Race”
Andy Hinds, “I’m Considering Becoming a Sports Fan— How Do I Pick a Team?”
Other pos si ble names for this cluster might have been body or even individuality.
All of the readings, each in its own way, addresses the question of what consti-
tutes your sense of self, what makes you you, from simple anatomical confi gura-
tions to more complex social correlations and relationships. The body’s shape and
size, customarily considered the par tic u lar concern of women, is addressed here
by James Sanborn’s report on weight control for that most masculine of bodies—
the U.S. Marine Corps. Dana Canedy’s narrative takes an intimate look at the inex–
tions of growth and nature is Emily Martin’s analy sis of the way that human con-
ception is explained in popu lar texts used in medicine and pre- med programs
(spoiler alert: it’s a conventional romantic conquest). Fi nally, Andy Hinds’ analy sis
and narrative explores one of the most essential questions of social self- defi ning—
what sports team does one root for and why? There are many in ter est ing pair–
ings in this theme; possibilities include Hinds and McMillan Cottom for their
diverse treatments of deliberate choices in the construction of a social self, McMil-
lan Cottom and Canedy for their overt discussions of being black in the US, Hinds
Language
Dennis Baron, “Should Every body Write?”
David Crystal, “2b or Not 2b?”
Emily Martin, “The Egg and the Sperm”
13 % Teaching the Readings [ 191 ]
For composition teachers immersed in drafts and journals, language is most often
thought of in terms of usage and style. And in this cluster of readings, that aspect
is addressed head on by David Crystal. In addition, these authors examine lan-
guage with a wider view and from vari ous angles. Four readings focus on the
medium of the written word, each addressing, in one way or another, the changes
wrought by the new technologies of writing and reading. The Onion’s report, in its
typical fashion, satirizes our shortened attention spans and expectations for
ers, readers, and writers to the technologies that produce and disseminate their words,
this theme uses a variety of lenses to examine language use, an activity so ordinary
that it often escapes notice. Instructors may want to pair the Baron and Crystal
readings; while their overall arguments are similar, a good exercise could be made
of exploring the differences in their approaches.
Work
Mark Dawidziak, “Walking Dead Opens Its Season in Lively Fashion”
Barbara Ehrenreich, “Serving in Florida”
Ryan Kohls, “Clean Sweep”
Tim Kreider, “The ‘Busy Trap’ ”
In the twenty– fi rst– century United States, work occupies a major portion of our time,
our thoughts, our conversations— our lives. In this cluster of readings, we explore
work from vari ous angles and through diverse lenses, looking at jobs that are often
invisible and unappreciated as well as jobs that come to defi ne a person’s identity.
Authors in this cluster describe their own work and examine the work of others.
[ TEACHING THE READINGS ]
[ 192 ]
a unique glimpse into the conditions under which the cleanup crew performs its
tasks after every event. Barbara Ehrenreich also focuses on her unsung coworkers
in an illuminating fi rst- person report on restaurant workers in Florida. Mike Rose’s
analy sis of tasks performed by blue- collar workers also includes restaurant work as
corps. Among the natu ral pairings in this cluster are Ehrenreich and Rose for their
diverse approaches to restaurant work, or Kohls and Ehrenreich for the living and
working conditions of low– paid workers. And have you ever heard work– obsessed
people described as zombies? It might be in ter est ing to pair Dawidziak’s and Kre-
SUMMARIES AND TIPS FOR TEACHING
Barlett and Steele food report
In examining in great detail Monsanto’s products and business strategies in the his–
torical context of the corporation, this is one of the longer and more substantial
readings in the anthology. Still, the overall structure and the writing style are quite
straightforward, and the piece is very readable. There will almost certainly be new
Baron language analy sis
Baron gives a brief history of writing technologies and the effects each had on its
era. Despite being a smooth and easy read, Baron’s essay is chock– full of history,
information, and ideas that will prob ably be new to students. You may want to begin
a discussion of the reading by asking students to identify something that surprised
manipulation. Still, her emotional turmoil comes through clearly, and this may be
13 % Teaching the Readings [ 193 ]
a painful read for some students. The essay is relatively short and easy to read; we’ve
classifi ed it here as a Narrative, but it also has strong ele ments of a Position. The
regionalism breezeway is likely to be unfamiliar to many readers, but its compre–
piece; those unfamiliar with the genre may need to have some of the details or con–
ventions pointed out. In any case, a comparison of conventional rhetorical tropes
across the modes of text and graphic narratives could be a fruitful and pleasant
exercise.
Bittman et al. food proposal
This 2014 op-ed piece from the Washington Post proposes a comprehensive national
food policy, and it is certain to stimulate passionate debates that build in many
directions. It touches on agricultural policies, public health, and the role of govern-
ment in personal lives on a micro level as well as in commerce and market protec-
tions on a macro level. The reading itself is relatively short and uncomplicated, but
fairly long but easy to read; the writing is spare and sprinkled with evocative details.
This very compelling piece will be an excellent model for using details and weav–
ing together seemingly disparate ele ments.
Canedy identity narrative
Canedy’s fi rst– person narrative deals with a topic familiar to all black parents: The
Talk— that is, discussing public be hav ior, race, and safety with her black son. The
article is relatively short and easy to read; however, it may be emotionally chal-
lenging. Black students (and other students of color) will already almost certainly
be quite familiar with the topics of color and privilege, and they’ll likely have a lot
to say; for many white students, the nuances of skin color may be new territory,
[ TEACHING THE READINGS ]
[ 194 ]
Carr home report
Carr’s report on the pos si ble long- term cognitive effects of GPS reliance is moder–
ately long and weaves together several complex concepts. It uses anatomical terms
such as hippocampus and other technical terms that may be unfamiliar to students.
We think the high interest in a relatable theme more than compensates for the
average reading diffi culty. Crystal’s style is academic, but the vocabulary is acces-
sible, and the topic is certainly of high interest. This article lends itself to personal
refl ection and lively class discussion on students’ own text ing conventions, and
perhaps a comparison between the technologies and platforms that Crystal wrote
about in 2008 and those of today. The reading pairs particularly well with Baron’s
shorter items in the anthology and is a simple read. Students unfamiliar with
the program will no doubt require some background description, and we suggest
that classmates who are fans be the ones to lead that discussion. It might be in ter–
est ing to discuss the quality of Dawidziak’s review according to the genre features
in the text and then to survey the class to determine if there is a signifi cant differ–
ence of opinion between those who watch the program and those who don’t.
Díaz home narrative
Díaz’s personal narrative is not very long and not a diffi cult read. On the surface, it
is a simple story, but it deals with themes such as personal morality, family loyalty,
friendship, and poverty, and the work lends itself to deep refl ection and discussion.
Other readings in the anthology that directly or indirectly address experiences
likely be familiar with many of the conditions that Ehrenreich describes; those
who have no prior experience with minimum- wage life may be shocked. In addition
to these topics, class discussion might center on Ehrenreich’s narrative style and the
way that she weaves together profi les of coworkers, personal refl ections, and descrip-
tive information of homes and workplaces.
13 % Teaching the Readings [ 195 ]
people. This reading pairs excellently with several others related to food, health, or
body weight: Barlett and Steele, Sanborn, Schlosser, and, especially, Bittman et al.
Gordon education report
For anyone (instructor or student) trained to eschew Wikipedia, Gordon’s report will
challenge their position. In very journalistic style, he pres ents abundant informa–
tion on the increasing classroom use of Wikipedia not solely as a research tool but also
they already read, be it Sports Illustrated, Vogue, or Source. The essay is relatively short;
the academic register makes the reading level medium high. Some literary and older
popu lar culture references may be unfamiliar to many, but global comprehension
isn’t compromised. The essay pairs well with Rose’s essay on cognitive tasks involved
in blue- collar work. The reading is documented in MLA format.
model of combining personal anecdote with research results; it is a short and easy
read. The term hegemonic masculinity, which appears in the third paragraph, is the
only one that may be unfamiliar. That term might be a good launching place to
begin discussion; you might suggest that students look up “hegemonic” and think
about how that word can apply to “masculinity.”
hooks home, food position
Reverance for the earth and the life- affi rming benefi ts of a good stewardship of
the land are the principal themes of hooks’ essay. She explic itly addresses black
[ TEACHING THE READINGS ]
[ 196 ]
Kohls work report
Kohls’ report— portrait, really—of the unsung workers who clean up after major
sporting events puts a human face on the people who do a largely unpleasant and
friendly tone, although the vocabulary establishes a certain formality. This piece
is particularly suited to personal refl ection; it would pair well with any of the
other readings that address the theme of Work.
Maeda education proposal
Maeda, former head of the Rhode Island School of Design, proposes including more
art and design courses in STEM programs. Although the reading is short, it is writ–
ten in an academic register that makes its diffi culty level relatively high. Maeda’s
Martin language, education analy sis
An egg and a sperm unite and form a zygote. That’s the simplest way to tell it, but
textbooks tend to elaborate. Martin’s classic analy sis of the descriptions of human
tice for vocabulary triage— which terms are critical to comprehension and need to
be looked up right away, which are impor tant but can be marked for looking up later,
and which can be inferred and passed over unless questions arise. This reading is
heavi ly documented.
McMillan Cottom identity position
McMillan Cottom uses personal anecdotes to explain aspects of poverty that
reports and statistics can’t get close to. The essay is a relatively short and
13 % Teaching the Readings [ 197 ]
uncomplicated read; it may, however, be emotionally volatile both for students
who have personal experience with poverty as well as for those who may never
Newman language narrative
Newman’s narrative describes her autistic son’s relationship with Siri, the iPhone
voice interface, and the insights and lessons she has gained in observing their
exchanges. This is a medium- length piece, written personally but in a journalistic
The Onion language report
This typical Onion report deals with the subject of reading and page design. It is
Pinker language position
Pinker provides an optimistic view of the cognitive benefi ts of new media and
information technologies. His essay is short and of medium reading diffi culty; the
tions between the personal and the abstract. It lends itself to similar examinations
of jobs held by friends, relatives, or students themselves. The reading pairs well
with Graff, Pinker, and Carr, who address cognition, or with Ehrenreich and Kohls,
who address blue- collar job tasks.
report is fairly short and easily read. It may be provocative and perhaps uncom-
fortable for students with weight/size/body image issues. This reading could
[ TEACHING THE READINGS ]
[ 198 ]
make a challenging but rewarding pairing with McMillan Cottom, who also dis-
cusses the importance of being acceptable in the eyes of others.
Schlosser food analy sis
Schlosser’s now- classic analy sis of that exquisite fast– food staple, french fries, is
deep and thorough. Although it is one of the longer pieces in the anthology, its
compelling topic and smooth writing make it relatively easy to read. This reading
would be an excellent model for examining the craft of transitions between and
addresses are anything but short and easy. The reading offers an excellent opportu-
nity for personal refl ection and exploration of goals and values. It would pair well
with Maeda, who also addresses big- picture issues in higher education.
Tyson home proposal
Tyson, famous as an astrophysicist, reminds us to occasionally look up and think
large. He argues that a “cosmic perspective” is health- restoring not only for indi-
vidual humans but for our planet itself. The essay is of medium length and is
moderately reader– friendly; one can imagine it being delivered as a spoken piece
Vargas home narrative
Vargas, a prize- winning journalist who came to the United States at age twelve,
weighs in on immigration policy by courageously outing himself as undocumented.
The piece is long but not diffi cult. It is personal and moving, and it may stimulate
strong responses from students, regardless of their residency/citizenship status.
discussion. The reading would pair well with hooks, who speaks both literally and
meta phor ically about growth; the essay might also make an in ter est ing contrast
with Sanborn, who also addresses questions of body and self.
13 % Teaching the Readings [ 199 ]
THINKING ABOUT THE TEXTS— ANSWERS TO STUDY QUESTIONS
DONALD L. BARLETT AND JAMES B. STEELE
Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear
1. Responses will vary; however, the preferred answer is yes. Some pos si ble
examples include:
¶15, where Barlett and Steele simply explain Monsanto’s policy and the
way genet ically modifi ed seeds can easily end up in a farmer’s fi eld
inadvertently;
2. Responses will vary.
3. Responses may vary; the most prominent examples are Pi lot Grove Coopera–
tive Elevator (beginning at ¶27); workers at the plant in Nitro, West Virginia
5. Responses will vary.
6. Essay
DENNIS BARON
Should Every body Write?
1. Baron distinguishes between text copying and text creation; he addresses the
numbers of readers and writers at vari ous historical times and places; he dis-
3. Responses will vary, but it is unlikely that the images will be considered as
distracting or as not making a positive contribution to the article. As the head-
note mentions, Baron fi rst delivered this piece as a lecture with accompanying
slides. Thus, the images and narrative would have complemented one another.
p. 817
p. 840
[ TEACHING THE READINGS ]
[ 200 ]
4. Responses will vary; the likeliest responses will be in the affi rmative. Students
may mention their own reactions to current events and say that reading about
incidents or situations inspired them to participate in groups or activities.
5. Essay
LYNDA BARRY
The Sanctuary of School
1. Responses will vary; the preferred response is that her personal anecdote com-
plements her po liti cal argument by showing the personal damage that would
be caused to some children by depriving them of a vital resource. The conclud-
ing sentence ties the two strands together into a cohesive, complementary unit.
3. In ¶3, Barry uses the phrase literally to relate how she and her brother watched
TV late at night. In ¶5, the phrase is used fi guratively to describe the silence of
the streets in the hour before dawn. The fi nal use of the phrase, in ¶10, fi gura–
sizes the security and stability that she felt at school— security that was miss-
ing at home; she also describes her teacher’s fi rm belief in the “natu ral healing
power of painting and drawing” (¶17).
5. Essay
ALISON BECHDEL
Compulsory Reading
1. A preferred response is that the point of her narrative is that reading is a won-
derful activity, that it can greatly enrich a child’s life, but that it cannot be forced
upon a child; children can be encouraged to read, but force will not work.
2. Responses will vary.
3. Examples include “a hardened chain- reader” (p. 864, panel 3), “mainlining”
(p. 864, panel 4), “Burn de Soleil” (sunscreen label, p. 866, panel 1), and the
p. 856
p. 862
13 % Teaching the Readings [ 201 ]
extended meta phor on p. 863 that equates reading with virtue and religious
duty. Responses about effects on the narrative will vary.
MARK BITTMAN, MICHAEL POLLAN, RICARDO SALVADOR, AND OLIVIER DE SCHUTTER
How a National Food Policy Could Save Millions of American Lives
1. Responses will vary. Students who fi nd this reasoning persuasive may well
agree with the authors’ statement that a national food policy is critical
because of the millions of lives it could impact. Those who are skeptical of the
2. These authors cite evidence in the form of hard facts and statistics (“a third of
[American] children will develop Type 2 diabetes”; “more than 60 percent
of . . . funding subsidizes the production of corn and other grains”; “the war on
Type 2 diabetes . . . now costs $245 billion . . . to treat each year”), examples of
current government contradictions (“the spectacle of Michelle Obama warning
Americans to avoid high- fructose corn syrup at the same time the president is
signing farm bills that subsidize its production”; “while MyPlate recommends a
diet of 50 percent vegetables and fruits, the administration devotes less than
3. The authors address other points of view in several ways. After listing the
major ele ments of a national food policy, they observe that “only those with a
vested interest in the status quo would argue against creating public policies
with these goals.” This statement acknowledges that certain sectors of the food
industry might oppose a national food policy but challenges the validity of
this position by arguing that these parties have “a vested interest in the status
p. 868
[ TEACHING THE READINGS ]
[ 202 ]
4. Responses will vary greatly and will likely be related to students’ personal
backgrounds and their community contexts. We anticipate that students who
live in or near “food desert” communities will emphasize access to a greater
variety of foods; rural students may address how farm policy changes might
5. Essay
MICHELLE CACHO– NEGRETE
Tell Me Something
1. The likeliest good response is that she was writing to express her opposition
to the Iraq War and to war in general. Evidence is found in her description of the
ship with U.S. foreign policy. Another possibility is that the narrative is centered
around domestic routines and relationships.
3. Responses will vary; possibilities include that the understatedness adds to the
DANA CANEDY
The Talk: After Ferguson, a Shaded Conversation about Race
1. Responses will vary, but most students will recognize that Canedy is address-
ing a timely and critically impor tant topic— one that has only become more
urgent given events after Ferguson, such as the death of Freddie Gray in Balti-
more in April 2015. They will understand that Canedy is trying to give a human
p. 876
p. 884
13 % Teaching the Readings [ 203 ]
that being black in Amer i ca means that others might want to hurt him.
Answers will vary as to how persuasively Canedy makes her point.
2. Most instructors won’t think twice about the “It’s true” that begins this ques-
tion, but our guess is that some students will be surprised and have reserva–
tions. One might think that given recent events the statement would be obvious,
but especially in situations where teachers and students are at colleges that
3. Canedy provides Times readers background information about what “The Talk”
is, what rules African American parents lay out for their children when inter–
acting with law enforcement offi cers, and how and why it is signifi cant that
4. Responses will vary.
5. Essay
NICHOLAS CARR
World and Screen
1. Before directly addressing this question that asks students to summarize Nich–
olas Carr’s argument, instructors might want to help students understand that
arguments about the consequences of communication technologies have a
long history. When new communication technologies— such as writing, print–
ing, the telegraph, or electronic communications— are introduced, they often
evoke strongly utopian and dystopian responses. Carr’s writing— from his ear–
lier The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains to The Glass Cage:
Automation and Us (the source of this excerpt)— participates in the dystopian
p. 889
[ TEACHING THE READINGS ]
[ 204 ]
2. Carr cites research conducted by neuroscientists confi rming that “the neuronal
mechanisms that evolved to defi ne the spatial relationships among landmarks
can also serve to embody associations among objects, events, and other kinds
of factual information.” These activities occur in the hippocampus and ento-
about the reliability of the evidence may vary; a preferred response is that
it does seem reliable. Students with prior medical training or a science back–
ground may have more to say on the subject than other classmates.
3. The distinction that Carr borrows from the work of anthropologist Tim
Ingold is fairly clear, so most students should be able to defi ne the terms way–
faring and transport and to identify the key distinction between them. Wayfar-
ing is being “immersed in the landscape, attuned to its textures and features”
and moving through it in a manner where “action and perception are inti-
DAVID CRYSTAL
2b or Not 2b?
1. Responses will vary widely.
2. Responses will vary; the greatest likelihood is that messages can always
be deciphered, and most students will report personalized shorthand. Non–
and/or coursework in En glish or linguistics.
4. Responses to both sets of questions will vary; valid arguments can be made
p. 899