UNIT TWO: ANALYZING CULTURE

Now well apply a critical lens to the relationship between culture and artifacts by using what we know about social construction and communities. Well use readings and personal experiences to discuss and question how cultures create artifacts that embody their beliefs, sensibilities, and ways of being. The capstone of this unit is an extended essay and analysis of the relationship between an artifact and the culture it represents. In the paper, youll be asked to identify and argue for an interesting connection between a culture and an artifact. Learning Goals for Unit and Assignment #2 1. 2. 3. 4. To begin using inquiry (asking questions) as an inventive strategy and way of learning To develop an understanding of academic discourse practices (argumentation, citation, etc.) To develop strategies for tailoring your work for specific audiences (ethos, pathos, logos) To begin understanding culture as a verb and as a noun

Project 2: The Cultural Artifact Analysis

The stuff in our lives can tell a lot about us. It can tell how spend our time, how we prioritize our lives, how we communicate with others, what we value in short, who we are. This assignment asks you to identify an artifact and write a sustained, thoughtful and supported analysis about how it reflects a certain culture. A successful essay will clearly explain the artifact and the culture and will then explain how the two are connected. You may consider using some of the following questions to guide your writing: 1. 2. 3. 4. How does the artifact reflect the values of a particular culture? How is the cultures history reflected in the artifact? Does the artifact reflect major change in the culture? How does this artifact reflect the cultures day-to-day life?

Your audience for this paper is narrower than Project #1; for this project, youre writing to an academic audience. Requirements: This paper should be no less than 6 double-spaced pages. Please use 1-inch margins and 12 point font. The paper must use either an interview or two outside written sources (online is fine) as support for the papers claims. Please attach a works cited to your final draft.