Final Exam Discussion Resources

Below you will find the resources for the final exam graded discussion sectioned off by class period.


Periods 1 and 4:

How has the study of literature benefitted human society in the past and how does it benefit society in the present? How is a Humanities-grounded education essential for living and being a human in a world increasingly dominated by science and technology?

·         To what extent is it essential?

·         What role does it fill in the lives of people in our society?

·         What books from this year or any time had an impact on you personally or societally?

·         What is the future of American or any literature?

You can find the articles provided to you as handouts at the following links:

"The Fate of the Humanities: A Debate"-- http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/11/04/the-fate-of-the-humanities

"The Soft Sciences Matter As Much As Ever"-- http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/19/opinion/la-oe-cuno-humanities-funding-20130620

"Should Literature be Useful?"-- http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/11/should-literature-be-useful.html

"How Books Shaped the American National Identity"-- http://www.npr.org/2012/08/14/158771705/-books-that-shaped-America

A graphic representation of Humanities Education and its impact, "Why Humanities Matter"-- http://4humanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/humanitiesmatter300.pdf




Period 7:

How has the study of literature benefitted human society in the past and how does it benefit society in the present? How does reading fiction help us to understand more about who we are as people and the world we live in? Why does reading and fiction matter in a world increasingly dominated by science and technology?

·         To what extent is it essential?

·         What role does it fill in the lives of people in our society?

·         What books from this year or any time had an impact on you personally or societally?

·         What is the future of American or any literature?

You can find the articles provided to you as handouts at the following links:


A graphic representation of Humanities Education and its impact, "Why Humanities Matter"-- http://4humanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/humanitiesmatter300.pdf

"How Books Shaped the American National Identity"-- http://www.npr.org/2012/08/14/158771705/-books-that-shaped-America

"Ten Important Reasons to Include the Humanities in your Preparation for a Scientific Career"-- http://blogs.sciencemag.org/sciencecareers/2011/05/ten-important-r.html

"Lessons from the Humanities and Social Sciences"-- http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lessons-from-the-humanities-and-social-sciences/2013/11/14/7441f9b6-4655-11e3-a196-3544a03c2351_story.html

"Meaning, Value, and Ethics: Asking Questions About the Humanities"-- http://4humanities.org/2014/02/meaning-value-ethics-asking-questions-about-the-humanities/


Use www.easybib.com to complete citations for any research or related reading you did for your essay.