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ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Synthesis Essay Topic Choices and Reading Assignments
Instructions: Choose one of the two topics below and decide on the sources you would like to read and
integrate into your Synthesis Essay. You will be required to use five of the essays listed.
Topic Choice 1: Conversations about gender: What messages do we receive about gender, and from
where do they come? How do these messages shape our experiences, identities, and world?
Essays (choose at least five to integrate into your Synthesis Essay):
o “Beyoncé and Social Media: Authenticity and the Presentation of Self” (597) by Melissa Avdeeff
o “ ‘Dude, You’re a Fag’: Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse” (535) by C.J. Pascoe
o “From Educated” (34) by Tara Westover
o “Gender Identification” (566) by Aliya Saperstein
o “Global Gender Disparities in Science” (712) by Cassidy R. Sugimoto, Vincent Larivière, Chaoqun
Ni Yves Gingras, and Blaise Cronin
o “How Big-Time Sports Ate College Life” (470) by Laura Pappano
o “The I in the Internet” (658) by Jia Tolentino
o “Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor” (573) by bell hooks
o “ ‘We Are Here for You’: The It Gets Better Project, Queering Rural Space, and Cultivating Queer
Media Literacy” (608) by Mark Hain
o “What Does a Gamer Look Like? Video Games, Advertising, and Diversity” (636) by Shira Chess,
Nathaniel J. Evans, and Joyya Jadawn Baines
Topic Choice 2: Conversations about race and ethnicity: What messages do we receive about race and
ethnicity, and from where do they come? How do these messages shape our experiences, identities,
and world?
Essays (choose at least five to integrate into your Synthesis Essay):
o “Cultural Baggage” (394) by Barbara Ehrenreich
o “Definitions” (529) by Ibram X. Kendi
o “From Between the World and Me” (23) by Ta-Nehisi Coates
o “From ‘The Myth of Race’ “ (719) by Agustín Fuentes
o “From ‘Reinventing “America”: Call for a New National Identity’ “ (375) by Elizabeth Martínez
o “From ‘Teaching Toward Possibility: Building Cultural Supports for Robust Learning’ ” (177) by
Kris Gutierrez
o “History Class and the Fictions about Race in America” (484) by Alia Wong
o “The Perception of Race” (519) by Robin DiAngelo
o “Scholarship Boy” (27) by Richard Rodriguez
o “School Segregation, the Continuing Tragedy of Ferguson” (499) by Nikole Hannah-Jones
o “Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor” (573) by bell hooks
o “Stories of Multiracial Experiences in Literature for Children, Ages 9-14” (346) by Amina
Chaudhri and William H. Teale
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
o “Whither History Textbooks?” (68) by David Tyack
Topic Choice 3: Conversations about class: What messages do we receive about economic class, and
from where do they come? How do these messages shape our experiences, identities, and world?
Essays (choose at least five to integrate into your Synthesis Essay):
o “Epilogue from Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy” (492) by
Tressie McMillan Cottom
o “From Educated” (34) by Tara Westover
o “Food Savers or Food Saviors? Food Waste, Food Recovery Networks, and Food Justice” (770) by
Leda Cooks
o “History Class and the Fictions about Race in America” (484) by Alia Wong
o “How I Discovered the Truth about Poverty” (561) by Barbara Ehrenreich
o “How the One Percent Is Pulling America’s Cities and Regions Apart” (342) by Richard Florida
o “The Land of Opportunity” (280) by James Loewen
o “The Rise of the Working Poor” (552) by Robert B. Reich
o “Scholarship Boy” (27) by Richard Rodriguez
o “School Segregation, the Continuing Tragedy of Ferguson” (499) by Nikole Hannah-Jones
o “Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor” (573) by bell hooks
o “Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here? A Word to the Incoming Class” (459) by Mark
Edmundson
Topic Choice 4: Conversations about social responsibility: In what ways might we engage in or avoid
civic action, and how might these actions shape our experiences, identity, and world?
Essays (choose at least five to integrate into your Synthesis Essay):
o “Citizen Brand: ABC and the Do Good Turn in US Television” (226) by Laurie Ouellette
o “The Climate Crisis at the End of Our Fork” (750) by Anna Lappé
o “Definitions” (529) by Ibram X. Kendi
o “The Dragons of Inaction: Psychological Barriers That Limit Climate Change Mitigation and
Adaption” (686) by Robert Gifford
o “The Fate of the Forests” (787) by Dahr Jamail
o “Food Savers or Food Saviors? Food Waste, Food Recovery Networks, and Food Justice” (770) by
Leda Cooks
o “From Between the World and Me” (23) by Ta-Nehisi Coates
o “From ‘The Myth of Race’ “ (719) by Agustín Fuentes
o “The Full Scope” (741) by Andrew J. Hoffman
o “Gender Identification” (566) by Aliya Saperstein
o “Global Gender Disparities in Science” (712) by Cassidy R. Sugimoto, Vincent Larivière, Chaoqun
Ni Yves Gingras, and Blaise Cronin
o “How I Discovered the Truth about Poverty” (561) by Barbara Ehrenreich
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
o “Making Our Lives Count” (215) by Paul Rogat Loeb
o “The Perception of Race” (519) by Robin DiAngelo
o “The Rise of the Working Poor” (552) by Robert B. Reich
o “School Segregation, the Continuing Tragedy of Ferguson” (499) by Nikole Hannah-Jones
o “Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor” (573) by bell hooks
o “Undergraduate Education and the Development of Moral and Civic Responsibility” (222) by
Anne Colby and Thomas Ehrlich, with Elizabeth Beaumont and Jason Stephens
o “ ‘We Are Here for You’: The It Gets Better Project, Queering Rural Space, and Cultivating Queer
Media Literacy” (608) by Mark Hain
o “What Mindfulness Revolution?” (626) by Ronald E. Purser
o “Why Bother” (764) by Michael Pollan
Topic Choice 5: Conversations about technology: How does technology shape our experiences,
identity, and world?
Essays (choose at least five to integrate into your Synthesis Essay):
o “Beyoncé and Social Media: Authenticity and the Presentation of Self” (597) by Melissa Avdeeff
o “Citizen Brand: ABC and the Do Good Turn in US Television” (226) by Laurie Ouellette
o “Dashed Hopes: Why Aren’t Social Media Delivering Democracy?” (105) by Dana Radcliffe
o “Do Students Lose Depth in Digital Reading?” (253) by Naomi Baron
o “Do We Read Differently on Paper Than on a Screen?” (249) by Maria Gilje Torheim
o “The Flight from Conversation” (75) by Sherry Turkle
o “Growing Up Tethered” (582) by Sherry Turkle
o “History Retweets Itself” (97) by Tom Standage
o “The I in the Internet” (658) by Jia Tolentino
o “On the New Literacy” (86) by Clive Thompson
o “Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor” (573) by bell hooks
o “Skim Reading Is the New Normal” (246) by Maryanne Wolf
o “The United States of (Non)Reading: The End of Civilization or a New Era?” (124) by Susan D.
Blum
o “ ‘We Are Here for You’: The It Gets Better Project, Queering Rural Space, and Cultivating Queer
Media Literacy” (608) by Mark Hain
o “What Does a Gamer Look Like? Video Games, Advertising, and Diversity” (636) by Shira Chess,
Nathaniel J. Evans, and Joyya Jadawn Baines
o “What Mindfulness Revolution?” (626) by Ronald E. Purser
Topic Choice 6: Conversations about education: What does it mean to be educated, and how does
education shape our experiences, identity, and world?
Essays (choose at least five to integrate into your Synthesis Essay):
o “Bringing Sanctuary to School” (301) by Lisa V. Blitz
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
o “Do Students Lose Depth in Digital Reading?” (253) by Naomi Baron
o “Do We Read Differently on Paper Than on a Screen?” (249) by Maria Gilje Torheim
o “Doesn’t Anybody Get a C Anymore?” (133) by Phil Primack
o “Doing Nothing Is Something” (146) by Anna Quindlen
o “Dude, You’re a Fag” (535) by C.J. Pascoe
o “Education Isn’t Enough” (63) by Nick Hanauer
o “Epilogue from Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy” (492) by
Tressie McMillan
o “From Educated” (34) by Tara Westover
o “From Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” (668) by Carol Dweck
o “From Teaching Toward Possibility: Building Cultural Supports for Robust Learning” (177) by Kris
Gutiérrez
o “Global Gender Disparities in Science” (712) by Cassidy R. Sugimoto, Vincent Larivière, Chaoqun
Ni, Yves Gingras, and Blaise Cronin
o “Grade Inflation Gone Wild” (132) by Stuart Rojstaczer
o “History Class and the Fictions about Race in America” (484) by Alia Wong
o “How Big-Time Sports Ate College Life” (470) by Laura Pappano
o “The Land of Opportunity” (280) by James W. Loewen
o “On the New Literacy” (86) by Clive Thompson
o “Preface to Cultural Literacy” (54) by E.D. Hirsch Jr.
o “The Rise of the Working Poor” (552) by Robert B. Reich
o “Scholarship Boy” (27) by Richard Rodriguez
o “School Segregation, the Continuing Tragedy of Ferguson” (499) by Nikole Hannah-Jones
o “Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor” (573) by bell hooks
o “Skim Reading Is the New Normal” (246) by Maryanne Wolf
o “Stories of Multiracial Experiences in Literature for Children, Ages 9-14” (346) by Amina
Chaudhri and William H. Teale
o “Undergraduate Education and the Development of Moral and Civic Responsibility” (222) by
Anne Colby and Thomas Ehrlich, with Elizabeth Beaumont and Jason Stephens
o “The United States of (Non)Reading: The End of Civilization or a New Era?” (124) by Susan D.
Blum
o “Whither History Textbooks?” (68) by David Tyack
o “Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here? A Word to the Incoming Class” (459) by Mark
Edmundson
o “Why Can’t Everyone Get A’s?” (481) by Alfie Kohn
© Kameo Cragoe and Indian Hills Community College