Discuss what we learn about how divine powers and earthly beings interact in Sundiata (in an area with a syncretic religion) and Popol Vuh (which is not a sacred text but presents the Mayan cosmology).

Discuss what we learn about how divine powers and earthly beings interact in Sundiata (in an area with a syncretic religion) and Popol Vuh (which is not a sacred text but presents the Mayan cosmology). Which values embodied by these interactions are considered significant by their societies? What can we learn about their respective cultures by analyzing how these texts handle these issues relating to the sacred and the secular? Use these questions as a springboard to making an argument related to the similarities and/or differences between the texts and their handling of these issues.
Topic #2: Both Sundiata and Popol Vuh deal centrally with a heroic quest. Unit 1’s introduction to the Five Great Themes of World Literature states with regard to the hero: “The surest way to understand what a culture of the past most values is to focus on what it considers heroic, in that a culture recognizes its heroes as embodying its most important ideas, the values that are essential.” Discuss what forces Sundiata and the Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque have to overcome and how they go about doing it. For Sundiata your essay will probably focus on Sundiata’s historical destiny; in Popol Vuh, the Twins’ quest will have a more mythic quality, but you probably will focus on the meaning for the Mayan culture of the mythic events. Regardless, be sure to discuss the texts in relation to one another, and craft an argument about the similarities and differences in their presentation of their heroic quests.
Second, write an essay presenting your argument. Include quotations from the texts as well as additional details that illustrate and enhance the points you are making. Use the following as an outline of what to include:
Explain the general topic and relevant themes (e.g. heroes, women) and any relevant terms for that topic (suggested 1-2 paragraphs).
Apply that topic to both Sundiata and to Popul Vuh (suggested 4-6 paragraphs). Give specific examples and quotes from the texts to support your analyses. Use in-text citations for the quotations.
Compare and contrast the texts; it’s up to you whether you organize your essay around this (i.e. spend half comparing them, then half contrasting them) or talk about each of them individually, then mention similarities and differences.
Your final page should be your Works Cited page, in MLA format.

What are its strengths and limitations, its relevance to contemporary society?

How to organize your short paper:
Introduction (1 paragraph):
Introduce the theory that you use for the discussion facilitation. Briefly summarize what the theory is about (include: the history, the basic belief, the type of research the theory is used, etc.)
Summary of the journal article (1 paragraph):
Briefly summarize what the journal article is about and how the theory is used to analyze the issue in the article.
Analysis of the theory (2 paragraphs):
In your analysis, share what you think about the theory and its application. Was it useful, appropriate and/or justified? Why/why not? What can we learn about this theory and about family communication from this application? (Did this article produce any significant insights about family relationships? Did it confirm, challenge, modify, or refute the theory?) How useful is this theory overall? What are its strengths and limitations, its relevance to contemporary society?
Reflection of the discussion facilitation (1 paragraph):
What went well and what could be improved from the discussion facilitation? What questions did you ask to your classmates? Are there any questions you would like to add had you been given more time? How did facilitating the discussion help you to better understand the theory and its application?
Conclusion (1 paragraph):
Summarize your paper. Any last words or takeaway?
Formatting
Write well. Sentence structure, punctuation, readability/flow, etc. are essentials. Do reread your paper before submitting it on D2L. Bullet points are not acceptable. This paper must be written in the form of an essay. Use Times New Roman 12 or Helvetica 11 for your paper. File extensions must be .doc, .docx. or .pdf. Unopenable documents are immediate zeroes.
Reference
Don’t forget to include your citation at the end of the paper. Use APA/MLA/Chicago Author-Date (see: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-2.html (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. for reference) Students may lose up to 3 points for incorrectly cited references. Missing references are one form of plagiarism. All acts of academic dishonesty will be treated as a serious offense and dealt with accordingly.
Below is an example of Chicago Author-Date style for reference list entry on a journal article:
LaSalle, Peter. 2017. “Conundrum: A Story about Reading.” New England Review 38 (1): 95–109. Project MUSE

Look at files for more instructions.

What concerns related to validity and reliability (measurement) faced the researcher?

Purpose
The purpose of the article critique assignment is to help you critically perform a systematic analysis of a scholarly article and arrive at its merits and shortcomings. The assignment calls for you to evaluate empirical work relative to its use of theory, sample design, instrumentation, method of data collection, and significance of findings for social work practice. In carrying out this critique, as an evidence-based practitioner, you will become a better consumer of research, which will ultimately help you sort out what evidence-based interventions will better assist your clients. (questions to be answered are below)

Students will critique one published peer-reviewed research article that utilizes one of the designs presented in this course. Students will be given a list of articles that qualify for this assignment. Based on your understanding of the material presented throughout the semester, please answer the outline of questions provided by the instructor. As you answer each question, please do not simply just regurgitate what you read. The substance of the critique should consist of your trained judgement of the article. Read the article you are to critique once to get an overview. Then read it again, critically. At this point you may want to make some notes to yourself on your copy. Finally, respond to each question individually and provide evidence for your answer. As you come back to the questions, your answers should be clear and concise, demonstrating your ability to think critically about this piece of research. Simply answering the questions without true analysis is not the purpose. Please remember that page numbers mean nothing without substance.

GRADING
Describe the type of research used in this study. (Exploratory or Descriptive or Explanatory). Provide the reference. (1 point)
What was the research problem and was it clearly defined? How was the problem statement explicated? (1.5 points)
Were there research questions or hypotheses? If so, identify. Were the hypotheses well supported? How did you determined whether the hypotheses were supported? (3 points)
Briefly describe the methodology used. Was the methodology appropriate? Why or why not? Could the author answer the question with the selected method? How did you make this determination? (6 points)
Was the population studied clearly identified? Who were they? What sampling method was used? Was the sampling appropriate? Why or why not? (3 points)
What concerns related to validity and reliability (measurement) faced the researcher? Were steps taken to ensure validity and reliability? (4 points)
What concerns related to validity (internal and external) may have faced the researcher? (4 points)
Were the conclusions consistent with the findings? Are the findings generalizable beyond the study? (0.5 pts) Why or why not? (0.5 pts) Were the findings well explained? (3 points)
Does this research contribute to social work knowledge? Do you think it is useful for social work practitioners? Why or why not? (3 points)

Identify a book or other text and persuade me of its significance for you in your reading and writing.

Topic Choices: please choose ONE of the following to write your essay on:

Narrate an early memory about writing or reading that you recall vividly. Then persuade me of this event’s significance in your life.
Describe someone who taught you to read or write and persuade me of this person’s significance in your life as he or she relates to literacy.
Identify a book or other text and persuade me of its significance for you in your reading and writing.
Describe an object and explain how it represents an important moment in your reading/writing development.

Key elements of this essay:

A well‐told story. Bring your narrative to life by using concrete and vivid details. Details can bring a narrative to life for readers by giving them vivid mental images of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of the world in which your story takes place.
Narrative’s significance. Make clear why the incident you narrate matters to you now by explaining its significance.
Well-organized. Whatever prompt you pick, please write a five-paragraph essay with an attention-grabbing introduction, a clear thesis, well-developed body paragraphs, and an effective conclusion. Remember the essay structures from ENG 111.
Use concrete, vivid descriptions and focus on a specific event.
Write 550-700 words, double‐spaced,

Discuss and determine how social process and trait theories relate to school shootings.

Discuss and determine how social process and trait theories relate to school shootings.
▪ Historically, what motivates a person to commit school shootings? Does peer pressure influence such shootings? If so, how?
▪ What personality traits are common among school shooters?
▪ What is the average age of a school shooter?
▪ How many of the school shooters were students at the school where the shooting happened or had some level of relationship with the school?
▪ What can school districts, local law enforcement, community leaders, and state and federal governments do to minimize the probability of future school shootings?
▪ What, if any, innovations in technology can contribute to minimizing school shootings?