Textbook Adoption 2012 ELA Publishers and Content
Composition: Presented by Holt McDougal
Readers for Writers: 14th Edition, Jo Ray McCuen-Metherell and Anthony C. Winkler
ISBN - 13: 978-1-133-30847-8
ISBN -10: 1 - 133 - 30847 -3
Wadsworth: Cengage Learning
Excerpts from model writings examples and assignments for students
86: Deer Hunting With Jesus: Dispatches From America's Class War by Joe Bageant
93: quote from Richard Todd: How much success, how many billionaires, how large and prosperous a
"mass elite" can it (the American dream) survive? Among many suggestion for additional reading:
World Bank, "Where is the Wealth of Nations? Measuring Capital for the 21st Century" (Washington:
World Bank, 2006)
207: "There can be little question that unchecked population growth is the most critical social problem
in the modern world, with potential consequences in terms of sheer human misery that are almost
unimaginable." Ian Robertson, Sociology
209: In addition to the academic traditionalism in schools, there are other problems. First, there is the
problem of coordinating education with the realities of the world of work....
209: Twenty years ago, women were a majority of the population, but they were treated like a minority
group. The prejudice against them was so deep-rooted that................(Women) were as quick as any
male to condemn a woman who ventured outside the limits of the roles men had assigned to females:
those of toy and drudge.
211: "Withholding is a bad way to go about collecting tax money, even though the figures may show
that it gets results. ..." E.B. White, "Withholding"
IG - 1 (photo and questions) Terrorism: What feelings does it evoke in you? What stereotype of
terrorism does the photo suggest? Write an essay in which you point out the perils of a religious sect
that calls for the elimination of innocent citizens believed to be "infidels".
IG-2: (photo) writing assignment: After researching the case of the Washington, D.C., sniper, write an
essay in which you describe the two snipers, their relationship, and what the law meted out to each.
IG-3: (photo) After researching the life of Timothy McVeigh, write a paper in which you offer some
logical explanation for his unquenchable fury against the U.S. government.
IG-6: (photo) Obesity in public places: three people on a bench, and a young male strolling in black
shorts "What is the visual impact made on you by either the people on the bench or the young man
strolling along in public? How would you describe them to a close friend? In your view, what are the
main reasons why so many more Americans are obese today than twenty years ago? Who should be
held most responsible for preventing obesity?
IG-10: (photo) Medical Marijuana assignment (find three expert opinions to support an argument for or
against legalizing the use of marijuana)
IG-13 (photo)Illegal immigrants climbing over a wall at sunset to get into the US...Question 4: Aside
from providing the United States with a source of manual labor, what other good do illegal immigrants
contribute to American society? Think of the intangibles they bring....
IG - 19: (sketch) Old ink sketch of black woman on auction block, being sold as a slave. Write an essay
on the proposal to pay reparations to the descendents of slaves in the United States. .... You may need
to do a little research on this topic in order to strengthen your assertions.
IG-22: Write an essay exploring the racial prejudices - subtle or blatant- that exist among you, members
of your family, and your friends.
IG - 31: (image) President Obama's Facebook page. How can social networking be used to improve
global conditions? Cite one specific possibility.
264 - 271: My Accidental Jihad by Krista Bremer: (Ramadan) "page 267, paragraph 8: "My God would
never be so demanding. My God is a flamboyant and fickle friend with a biting wit who likes a good
party. My God is transgendered and tolerant to a fault; he/she shows up unexpectantly during peak
moments, when life feels glorious and synchronous, then disappears for long stretches of time."
271 - 279: "Postscript" to My Life in Saudi Arabia by Carmen bin Ladin (sister-in-law of Osama bin Ladin)
290 - 295: The Libido for the Ugly by H. L. Mencken "Few writers have such an eye for colorful details as
the incomparable Mencken, at his best when he's railing against physical ugliness or storming against a
tradition he dislikes. In the essay that follows, Mencken turns his literary wrath against the ugliness of
the industrial heartland of America in the 1920s." Paragraph 9: Here is something that the psychologists
have so far neglected: the love of ugliness for its own sake, the lust to make the world intolerable. Its
habitat is the United States. (pg 293)
345: Hitler's Workday by William Shirer Questions asked to students: 1. What time does Hitler eat his
breakfast? 2. How many breakfasts does Hitler eat? 3. With whom does Hitler usually eat lunch? 4.
What kind of entertainment is Hitler fond of?
358 - 363 Aging Gracefully , the French Way by Ann M. Morrison (read her introductory bio) pg 363:
question 3: Would you vote for legislation, similar to that of certain governments in Europe, what would
pay for spa treatments that............What is the government's responsibility toward the health of its aging
citizenry?
386 - 389 " Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall..." by John Leo (word usage and imagery: sexual content)
399 - 402: "Drugs" by Gore Vidal: Write an essay in which you use critical thinking skills to attack or
defend Vidal's opinions concerning the legalization of drugs. pg 401 paragraphs 9 and 10 "Last year
when the supply of Mexican marijuana was slightly curtailed by the Feds, the pushers got the kids
hooked on heroin and deaths increased dramatically, particularly in New York. Whose fault? Evil men
like the Mafiosi? Permissive Dr. Spock? Wild-eyed Dr. Leary? No. The Government of the United States
was responsible for those deaths.
439 - 447: All articles about illegal immigration with bias
441 - 444 Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security with Billions by Eduardo Porter page 443,
Question 4................Does this fact change your views on illegal immigration?
513: Warming up to write a division/classification #2 "In the following classifications, check the category
that does not fit and write down the reasons why it should be excluded. a. Dreams ___1. sexual ___2.
paralyzing ___3.imagining___4. replaying the day
537 - 545: All articles dealing with racism
546: Suggestions for Writing: #2 In an ideal world, how would ethnic, economic, religious, and gender
differences be treated?
560 - 564 guns
585 - 590 The Storm by Kate Chopin: purpose: argue for a life of sexual freedom picturing a spontaneous
sexual affair that hurts and harms no one
594 - 604 feminism
594: The New Feminism by Kate Gubata for the Brown University student newspaper.
paragraph 1:"Jane is pro-choice. ............She believes in human rights and equality for men and
women.
paragraph 5. "One of the greatest barriers opposing the feminist movement today
is..............misconceptions of the feminists' aims. Feminism is a progressive movement that seeks to
bring about the change ..................
paragraph 7: Feminism is a movement of action. The causes of feminism are about action;
choice, pay inequity, legal battles over homosexual marriage, the abortion drug...young people can use
their ideas and energies to fuel united action.
paragraph 9: What's the solution..........Get involved
634 - 639: teenage pregnancy
(End Note: Page 319, paragraph 28: "The great Earl Nightingale once said: 'You become what you
think'".)