Food Readings

Please read these two articles for Thursday, May 7.

Showdown at the Coffee Shop

A Proposal to Separate Fast Food and Schools

See you then...baby permitting.

Semester Recap

Here's a list of major topics from our course to help you consolidate ideas and identify topics for discussion in your final paper.

Critical Thinking Model

Purpose of Education

Time/Life/Energy Management (Time/Food Log, Time=Life, Priority Evaluation)

Library Workshops/Assignments (Critical Article review)

Technology (Libraries, Friedman, Berry, Communication vs. Conversation, text messaging, etc)

Learning Skills/Assessment (reading, notes, tests, strategies assignment)

Freakonomics (presentations, Morality v Economics, Incentives [3 types], Info Assymetry, Conv Wisdom, Correlation v Causation, Positive v Normative Analysis)

Gen Ed (philosophy, College v University, advising, scheduling, majors, career paper)

Engagement (QEP, efficacy, election, voting, electoral college, democracy, final paper)

Diversity (Maps, regionalism, Southerners, dialect, stereotypes, WKU demographics, Reed: My Tears…)

Environment and Experience

Health and Wellness (Sleep, diet, exercise, fast food, campus meal plans, sex/conventional wisdom, Schlosser: Fast Food Nation)

Week 7: Debate Watch! Lib Assignment Due

Debate Watch: Tues, Oct 7 from 6 pm-1o.30 pm IN DIDDLE ARENA. The actual debate begins at 8 pm. BE THERE!

M/W Classes: Library Assignment due by midnight on Fri, Oct 10.

T/R Classes: Library Assignment due by midnight on Thurs, Oct 9.

We will be finishing our unit on classroom strategies this week, and I will be giving you a short writing assignment on Wed/Thurs that will be due next week.

Assignments For Week 5 (9/22-9/26)

Monday: Freakonomics, Intro and Ch 1. Group 1 presentation.

Tues/Wed: Go to the On Reserve section of Cravens Library (2nd floor). Ask for the on reserve list for me (Basham, Cort). You need to read Thomas Friedman, The World Is Flat. It will be a photocopy of the first 17 pages of his book. Either read it there and take notes or make a copy to take with you. It cannot be checked out.

Also, please read Wendell Berry's essay, "Why I Am Not Going to Buy A Computer." What is the thesis/purpose of this short essay? Is Berry anti-technology?

Thurs: In UNIT 4 (the red "Thinking Your Way to Success" book), READ the essay by Trafton. Look over the piece on note-taking.

Assignments For Week 4 (9/15-9/19)

Monday: read 67-81. We will discuss these in class and practice the CT model.

Tuesday/Wednesday: CLASS MEETS IN THE KENTUCKY BUILDING!

Thursday: Group 1 presents on Freakonomics Intro and Ch 1. Everyone else should read the Intro/Ch 1 and be ready to discuss it's purpose, important questions raised in the chapter, information sources for their claims, and the key concepts from the chapter.

Next week is Constitution Week, which offers a ton of interesting opportunities for campus involvement. Next Sat, Sept 20 (not tomorrow) is also the first home football game vs Murray State.

Also, here is a link to a voter registration card (it's under the red text "VOTER REGISTRATION" on that webpage). If you want to vote in Warren County, you need to fill this out. I will collect them and get them to court house by the deadline (early October).

Week 2 Assignments (Sept 1-Sept 4)

No class on Monday (Labor Day).

For Tues/Wed: read Finster and Schank (pp 16-27 in the "Thinking" textbook). Practice at least the "SE" part of SEXI for each article. If you can do the whole SEXI, please do so.

I will also distribute the Time Management Assignment on Tues/Wed and it will be due the following week. Here is the assignment:

TIME MANAGEMENT SELF –EVALUATION (Due Tues, Sept 9/Wed Sept 10)

PICK TWO SCHOOL DAYS!

1. Account for every hour of every day for two days. In other words, keep track of where all of your time is spent.

2. Keep a food log for two days. Simply write down everything that you eat and drink at meals, snacks, classes, etc.

3. Type these into a Word file and then write a couple paragraphs evaluating strengths and areas that need improvement. Think about how these logs communicate priorities.

REMEMBER THE FRESHMAN ASSEMBLY ON TUES NIGHT IN DIDDLE ARENA AT 6 PM!

Reading Assignment for Week 1

For class on Wed/Thurs, make sure you have read the essays by Buzzard and Phelps (pp 3-15) in your Thinking Your Way to Success book. Read them, think about them, write a couple of questions, and be ready to discuss them in class.

See you in class!

Finishing Freakonomics!

Freakonomics #5: Chapters 5 and 6 (pages 133-188).

Compose a 2-page, typed, double-spaced paper that addresses the following questions:

Based on the chapter, describe "good parenting" versus "bad parenting." What makes a child "good" or "bad?"

Is there a discernible pattern in how certain names move through the population over time? If so, describe it.

Health and Wellness Reading

For Thursday: April 10
Read 288-310 in Foundations (Ellison). It's a good, basic overview of college student health.

Take an honest assessment of how much sleep you get. Do you think you should get more? Less? Are you getting about what you think you should?

Freakonomics Writing #2

For Thursday (2/25), compose a 2-page, typed, double-spaced paper answering the following questions.

1. Briefly trace the rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). What factors undermined its power and contributed to its fall?

2. Discuss "information asymmetry" and give examples of everyday information asymmetries we encounter in everyday life.

Week Four and Five

WEEK FOUR
For Thursday (2/14): Freakonomics, 1-47: Introduction and Chapter 1.

Type a 2-page, double spaced paper answering the following two questions:

1. According to Freakonomics, what is the difference between morality and economics? Explain, and give some specific examples that illustrate the authors’ explanation.

2. What are "incentives?" Give specific examples from real life experiences.

Also, we will have QUIZ #1 at the end of class. Anything we have read and/or discussed is fair game. The quiz will consist of two short essay questions.

WEEK FIVE
For Tues, Feb 19: Applying critical thinking. Read the following short essays:

"History of Critical Thinking" (from the Foundation for Critical Thinking)

"All Thinking Is Content" by Richard Paul

"The Role of Thinking" (from the Critical Thinking Consortium Website)

For Thurs, Feb 21: Critically thinking about Reading, Note-taking, and Class Discussion

Would You Like Fries With Your Turkey?/Final Assignment

For next Monday/Tuesday, make sure to read these two sections from Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation (New York: Perennial, 2002).

Think about the following questions as you read:

Why is the fast food industry so successful? Why does the food taste so good? How does the "fast food mentality" affect other areas of our lives?

Enjoy, and happy Thanksgiving.

Introduction to Fast Food Nation

"Why the Fries Taste So Good"

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FINAL ASSIGNMENT: SEMESTER SUMMARY PAPER

The primary theme of this course has been “what it means to get an education.” We have talked about many factors related to this theme in two primary ways: 1) functioning well at the university and 2) thinking in new ways by challenging existing assumptions, conventional wisdom, and entrenched beliefs.

Here is a list of the major topics we have covered to jog your memory.

●Thinking about “time” and how we measure our lives
●Using technology and thinking about globalization, and how they affect us
●Using academic libraries for research
●Evaluating learning styles
●Examining how we read, study, think, remember, and ask questions
●Discussing the importance of general education, majors, and applicable skills
●Understanding American culture through readings and exercises on diversity
●Examining our individual and collective environment and our experiences
●Discussing “engagement” and the value of campus/community involvement
●Discussing health and wellness including sleep, diet, exercise, quality of life, etc.
●Discussing Freakonomics and critical thinking

This final writing is worth 50 points. Each student will present this paper in class during the final week of classes. This 2-3 minute presentation will be worth 20 points.

THE ASSIGNMENT

1. How has thinking about these ideas shaped your view of “getting an education?” Use specific examples from Foundations, Freakonomics, other readings, class exercises/discussions, or other courses taken this semester as support.

2. Reflect on what has occurred in other classes, the residence hall, campus activities, etc., and how these components fit together. Identify common threads present in these various components of university life.

PAPERS ARE DUE IN CLASS ON MONDAY/TUESDAY DEC 3/4. No late assignments will be accepted.

Freakonomics #5 Writing

Writing due on Wed/Thurs (Nov 14/15): Freakonomics, 163-191.

Is there a discernible pattern in how certain names move through the population over time? If so, describe it.

Summarize the purpose of Freakonomics. What does this book aim to do?

Assignments, Parenting

Next week, we will begin talking about diversity.

For Mon/Tues (Oct 29/30): Please look at UNIT 7 in Foundations and familiarize yourself with its content. Generate ideas/questions about diversity in our society. What IS diversity? Is it desirable and/or valuable ? Why or why not?

For Wed/Thurs (Oct 31/Nov 1): Read Freakonomics Chapter 5: "What Makes a Perfect Parent?"

Type a two-page, double spaced paper that addresses the following question(s):

According to Freakonomics, how much does having "good parents" contribute to a child's academic success? How might having "bad parenting" affect children? Use evidence from the book to support your claims.

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In other news:
The WKU Hilltoppers men's basketball team kicks off the season with a Red/White scrimmage this Thursday night at 7 pm in Diddle Arena. This is an excellent campus event opportunity. No charge.

Assignments, Poker, Immigration

Next Week:
Mon/Tues: General Education, Spring class scheduling, degree programs, credit through testing, graduating "on time," majors, etc. Be prepared to ask questions about these items.

Wed/Thurs: Writing. We will look at common problems in writing college papers, and ways to improve writing and research.

In other news:
The online poker cheating scandal at Absolute Poker has been blown wide open. See how a part owner of Absolute Poker appears to have been involved. This is a good lesson in Freakonomics' emphasis on trust in business dealings.

The Freakonomics blog posted an interview with British economist Phillip Legrain on how more immigration would actually help the U.S. economy. Legrain also argues that "freedom of movement is one of the most basic human rights." This idea seems to go against much "conventional wisdom" regarding immigration. Are more fortified borders "good" conventional wisdom or "bad" conventional wisdom?

Paper, Quiz, Library Assignment

For this Wed/Thurs: Read chapter four in Freakonomics, pp 105-132. In a two page, typed, double-spaced paper, answer the following question:

What are the most compelling explanations for the drop in crime during the 1990s? What makes these explanations so convincing?

LIBRARY ASSIGNMENT DUE BY MIDNIGHT OCT 18 (Tues-Thurs classes)/OCT 19 (Mon-Wed classes).
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In other news:
College basketball is officially underway. Teams began practicing this past weekend. Here are WKU's men's and women's schedules. The men have six home games and the women have four home dates before Winter Break. Great campus event opportunities.

Also, check out the link to campus events on the left. This link has oodles of events every day. Today's highlights: Homecoming blood drive and the Study Abroad Fair.

Assignments for Next Week

For Week 8: Oct 15-19
Mon/Tues class: Read 117-130 in Foundations. Related to this, take the following Jung Typology survey. It will give you a four letter personality type at the end (ex., INTJ, ESFP, etc). Know your four-letter personality type when you come to class on Mon/Tues.

Wed/Thurs class: Read chapter four in Freakonomics, pp 105-132. In a two page, typed, double-spaced paper, answer the following question:

What are the most compelling explanations for the drop in crime during the 1990s? What makes these explanations so convincing?

LIBRARY ASSIGNMENT DUE OCT 18 (Tues-Thurs classes)/OCT 19 (Mon-Wed classes).
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In other news:
Freakonomics blog names winner of contest to rename the computer.

The road to the White House goes through...your eyes? Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush41, Clinton, and Bush43 all have one physical trait in common: blue eyes. Maybe I have a shot at the presidency--but I would likely need a shave and a haircut.

More spillover from Radiohead. The "set your price" download of their new album is not CD quality. This raises all kinds of new questions about the value of music.

Assignments for Next Week/Radiohead

For Week 8: Oct 15-19

Mon/Tues class: Read 117-120 in Foundations. Related to this, take the following Jung Typology survey. It will give you a four letter personality type at the end (ex., INTJ, ESFP, etc). Know your four-letter personality type when you come to class on Mon/Tues.

Wed/Thurs class: Read chapter four in Freakonomics, pp 105-132. In a two page, typed, double-spaced paper, answer the following question:

What are the most compelling explanations for the drop in crime during the 1990s? What makes these explanations so convincing?

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Also, for your pleasure, here is the link to Steven Levitt's blog on the new Radiohead album. Radiohead is allowing people to pay whatever they like to download their new album. This is quite "freakonomic" in nature. Think about the incentives involved here. What do you think the average "donation" will be? How many people will download and not pay anything?

She's a Gold Digger

Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt looks at the economics of attractive, young, gold-digging women in New York City.

For Wed/Thurs (Oct 10/11): Read Foundations, 102-114. Also, go to the Cravens Library 2nd floor to the "On Reserve" section. Ask for Basham's UC 175 reading from Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat. It's pages 1-17.

No formal writing, but do bring two questions to discuss in class.