Step 1: Choose three readings from the unit, one from each lens (Religion, Philosophy, and Literature) that you wish to connect and reflect on.
Step 2: Write a brief summary (5-8 sentences maximum) that quickly explains what each reading you chose for the essay is about.
Step 3: This should be the longest section of your essay. Draw connections between these three readings. Be careful here! Connections need to be deep and meaningful. It is NOT enough to simply state “each of these readings is about death”. Obviously the readings have been curated for you in each unit based on the topic of that unit (Being Human, Morality, Love and Happiness, Freedom and Equality, and Death). Instead, directly address the following questions to answer or explore in this section of your essay:
- What generalizations about the humanities are made in these readings? What do these generalizations say about the communities from which the readings come?
- What do these readings tell us about the desires of the culture/community/religion from which these readings come?
- What conclusions can you draw about the human experience by reading these texts?
- What do these readings say about the current human condition in the area of the unit (again, Being Human, Morality, Love and Happiness, Freedom and Equality, and/or Death).
As you are composing this part of the essay, be sure to include at least four direct, word-for-word quotes from the texts into your essay. Use quotation marks- “” around the quotes to show that they come from another source and not you. At the end of the quote, after the end-quote mark, insert a parenthetical citation like this – (last name of author you are quoting). Important: In the attached file, I will attach the readings from which you have to take the quotes. Just use the readings I’m providing; don’t use other resources. There are three readings; “Louis Pojman – Religion Gives Meaning to Life,” “Hsun Tzu Man’s Nature Is Evil,” and “Isabel Allende – “And of Clay are We Created.””
Step 4: Provide a personal anecdote. Here I would like you to tell me about an experience you’ve had in your life, outside of school, that relates to the material. With topics like Being Human, Morality, Love and Happiness, etc. there should be no reason why you can’t find a personal experience that connects to the readings.
Step 5: Provide a description of what you feel when confronted with the information from the assigned reading/work/idea. Does it challenge you in any way? Does it make you uncomfortable, puzzled, or curious? Do you feel any positive emotions like excitement or familiarity? These are just a few emotions to consider, however, don’t feel limited by them. Consider even the most subtle emotions you experienced while reading and learning about the material. Identify and explain the emotions you experienced while reading the assigned text(s).
Step 6: Enter the number of words you typed for this essay at the bottom/end of the document. Use word-processing software or other method to do this. Remember, you must write between 1000 and1200 words for each reflection.