Drawing on Sources

My Backyard by Mary E. Mebane
Drawing on sources. Mary Mebane was born in 1933, during the Great Depression, a time of great hardship for most Americans, but particularly difficult for African Americans still confronted with discrimination. One of the most visible and publicized acts of discrimination occurred when a talented African-American contralto, Marian Anderson, tried to give a concert in Washington's Constitution Hall in 1939. Check the American National Biography entry on Marian Anderson in your campus library reference room or the page devoted to her on the Afrocentric Voices Web site (www.afrovoices.com/anderson.html) and report what happened. Then describe the climate of the times and explain how it was likely to affect rural Southern African Americans such as Mebane and her family.

My Neighborhood by Alfred Kazin
Drawing on sources. At one time, most sports were only for the rich, but baseball attracted people from all walks of life. League players were usually from the working class, and because African Americans were barred from professional teams, they formed their own league. Eventually, Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, leading the way by desegregating a baseball team. Other teams soon followed the Dodgers' lead. Baseball is mentioned several times in "My Neighborhood" and was clearly important to young Kazin. Describe the features of baseball that might have appealed to city-dwellers of the 30s, who, like Kazin, lived during the Great Depression. In addition to our own thinking, you may get ideas from Baseball: An Illustrated History by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns or from this website: http://baseball-almanac.com.

The Deer at Providencia by Annie Dillard
Drawing on sources. Part of "The Deer at Providencia" focuses on the tremendous suffering endured by Alan McDonald. Many people believe that those who are suffering and who have little or no chance to recover should be allowed to request euthanasia, sometimes called "mercy killing." Many others believe that euthanasia is wrong. To examine this controversial issue, summarize the chief arguments on both sides of the euthanasia debate. Use description to provide examples that support either or both sides. If you need a starting point, look up euthanasia in the Social Sciences Index and the Humanities Index. These volumes, located in your library's reference room, will direct you to articles on the subject. If you prefer to use the Internet, go to Yahoo!'s search engine, http://www.yahoo.com; then go to the "Society and Culture" category and type in the keyword euthanasia. Your search results will lead you to a number of helpful sites.

Struck by Lightning by Gretel Erhlich
Drawing on sources. Living an outdoor life in Wyoming, Ehrlich was particularly vulnerable to being hit by lightning. However, lightning strikes and other natural disasters can occur in any part of the world. Your area may be susceptible to a particular kind of natural disaster-if, for example, you live on the West Coast, you may have experienced earthquakes. What natural disasters have occurred in your area? What can you do to avoid being hurt should one occur? For ideas, try visiting the Federal Emergency Management Agency's preparedness website at http://www.fema.gov/pet/prep.htm.. If possible, also try looking at the index or website for your local paper to find out about disasters that may have struck your area in the past.

Once More to the Lake by E.B. White
Drawing on sources. We all age, yet American advertisers are often accused of targeting youthful populations at the expense of older ones. Decide for yourself whether this allegation is true by going to the source: Watch television commercials for at least three popular programs and review recent magazine advertisements from at least three mainstream publications: Time, Newsweek, TV Guide, or People, for example. Then write an essay arguing that advertisers either do or do not target the younger consumers and neglect older ones. (For help with argumentation-persuasion, see Chapter 12.) Be sure to back up your points with descriptions of specific commercials and advertisements.