Week 1 Discussion
These questions correlate with the reading and writing skills that you should develop in this course.
You may respond to each question separately if you like.
1. Read the excerpt on pgs. 10-11 in Inquiry Chapter 1. Write notes about the article excerpt based
on the "Steps to Inquiry" listed on the bottom of pg. 5 and respond to the practice exercise on pg.
11, #1 here.
2. Read Edmundson's article "On the Uses of a Liberal Education." Answer question #2 from pg. 336
here.
3. Read Gerald Graff's "Disliking Books" on pgs. 22-26 and answer questions from pg. 15 about the
reading, bullet points 3 and 4.
Week 2 Discussion
1. After reading Inquiry pgs. 29-32 and EW section 11a, annotate the first nine paragraphs of
Edmundson’s “On the Uses of a Liberal Education.” Share some of your annotations of the text here.
2. Read Inquiry Chapter 7 pgs. 139-151. Also check out the two links on "Sentence Level Writing"
and view the PowerPoint under Content labeled "Concise Writing." Based on your understanding of
concise writing, summarize the Edmundson article in one fully developed paragraph.
3. After reading Anna Quindlen’s article “Doing Nothing Is Something” answer questions 1-3 on
pg. 84 of Inquiry.
4. After reading William Deresiewicz's essay "The End of Solitude," answer the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
sets of bullet point questions on pg. 91.
Week 3 Discussion
1. Answer the questions (blue bullet pointed) on page 30 of Inquiry about the journal article you
found on your topic for Critical Response #2.
2. Complete the In Text Citations exercise (under Content) and post your answers here. Discuss and
defend any debatable ones.
Week 4 Discussion
1. Answer bullet point questions 1-4 in the “Practice Sequence” on Provenzo (pg. 39) of Inquiry.
2. After reading the book excerpt, “Agency,” on pgs. 42-45 and the draft of rhetorical analysis on
pgs. 45-46, write a brief rhetorical analysis (1 full paragraph) of Barbara Ehrenreich’s 1992 article
“Cultural Baggage” (pgs. 46-49). Let some of the concerns from the “Practice Sequence” on pg. 49
guide you. Consider her purpose and audience. How does she argue? How convincing is it to her
audience? How does she accomplish her purpose?
Week Five
1. Identify a Claim of fact, a Claim of Value, and a Claim of Policy made by Sadker and Sadker in
“Hidden Lessons,” an excerpt from their book Failing at Fairness.
2. What are the qualities of a strong, academic source? List the four criteria mentioned in Chapter 3
of Inquiry, and offer some examples of strong and weak sources.
3. After reading the student essay on pgs. 64-67 of Inquiry, discuss which claims you agree or
disagree with, and why.
4. After reading Rojstaczer’s and Primack’s pieces on pgs. 67-71 of Inquiry, answer bullet point
questions 1 and 2 under #2, and 1 and 3 under #3 from “Practice Sequence” (pgs.71-72).
Week Six Discussion
One paragraph on Peer Editing
Week 7 Discussion
1. Find some statistics about your topic. Where did you find them? How credible is the source? (Use
the chart on pg. 109, or ask a librarian online, or look at a database to get started.)
2. Read pgs.307+ of Inquiry. Decide who you will interview about your topic and state the questions
you will ask here. What are the person’s credentials?
3. As a Works Cited exercise, find source related to your topic. Cite in MLA format.
4. For the internet site you found on your topic, complete the evaluation under “A Practice
Sequence” from pg. 138 of Inquiry.
Week 8 Discussion
1. Read and complete the Integrating Quotations exercise (under Content). Post your three
integrated quotes here.
2. After reading pgs. 182-186 in Inquiry, write a paragraph on your topic in which you integrate 2
quotations. Remember to cite, signal, and interpret the quotation (CSI).
Week 9
1. Read a couple overviews from reports on the CQ Researcher. Read them like a writer (see Inquiry
pgs. 29-30). Identify the criteria for an overview in terms of content and purpose. What kind of a
thesis can you identify? Why is an overview written for the report? How are various points of view
and topics presented? What kind of evidence and detail is offered?
2. Notice the stylistic choices in the overviews. How are sources introduced? How is the overview
organized? What transitional phrases are used? Signal phrases? Vocabulary?
3. Write a synthesis chart for your topic.
Week 10
1. Complete the Synthesis Workshop under Content and post your paragraph and Works Cited here.
2. Include your reflective piece here.