Prepare: Take a few minutes to think about the material that we’ve covered in this course so far. Reflect: Reflect on what you found interesting, surprising, or confusing in this past week. Did anything that you learned cause you to understand an issue and event differently? Have you discovered any habits or tips that help you to complete your course work more effectively or efficiently?Consult The Anatomy of a Discussion Board (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as well as Critical Thinking: A Guide to Skillful Reasoning (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as you formulate your response. Write: This discussion forum is an opportunity for you to explore topics that interest you, share critical insights and questions that you are working with, share your struggles and triumphs, and discuss difficulties that may have arisen this week, hopefully finding solutions. Your initial post should describe your experiences in the course this past week, prompting further discussion. You should address at least two of the following questions:What struck you in particular as you explored the course materials this week?What insights have you had?What have you been struggling with?What questions have come up for you at this point?Do you have any helpful tips that you’ve picked up in this course or in a past course?Do you have questions about the assignment that your classmates might be able to help with? (If you have a question for the instructor, be sure to contact your instructor through email or in the Ask Your Instructor Forum).You are required to post at least 100 total words in this forum this week. You can post one time or ten times, the only requirements are that you post at least 100 words total and that you engage in conversation related to course content. Ask questions, answer questions, provide extra resources you found that are interesting, or engage in a debate about something you learned this week. The only requirement is that your comments have to relate to the course content.Provide a full explanation of the issues that you discuss in your posts. For example, if you write that you had difficulty finding sources for your Final Project, explain where in the process of finding sources you had difficulty. Was it choosing a database to search? Thinking of search terms? Did your search return too many sources that were not relevant to your topic? Did your search return too few results?

Your exploration should adhere to the following formatting requirements: three to five pages, double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font, and containing one-inch margins. You should use current APA style guidelines (or another format approved by your instructor) for your citations and reference list.Describe the cultural artifacts that you have chosen. Consider questions such as these in your response: What is the name or title of the artifact? Who is the author or artist? What is the date or time period when the artifact was created? What is the cultural location or physical setting of the artifact? In addition, you could consider including a photograph or image of each cultural artifact, if they are visual artifacts.Identify at least one common theme that will serve as the framework of your exploration document. How is the theme expressed in your artifacts?Explain how the theme you identified is related to your personal experience. For instance, you could discuss how the expression of the theme in your cultural artifacts is connected to you personally.Discuss a profession that could be impacted by the theme you identified. In other words, how is the theme you identified related to professional experiences? How could a working knowledge of the humanities be useful in this field?Describe at least three humanities resources that you could use to investigate your theme and artifacts. Your sources must be relevant to your theme and of an appropriate academic nature. In your description, consider some questions such as: What are the similarities and differences in the content of your sources? What makes them appropriate and relevant for investigating your issue? What was your thought process when you were searching for sources? How did you make choices? Did you encounter any obstacles, and, if so, how did you overcome them? If you did not, why do you think it was so easy to find what you needed?Use the humanities resources that you selected to research your theme and cultural artifacts, making sure that you cite your sources. Based on your research:Discuss the relationship between each cultural artifact and its historical context. In other words, what were the circumstances under which each artifact was created?Explain the similarities and differences that you observe in the cultural artifacts you selected, in relation to the theme. For instance, do the artifacts contain any symbolism? If so, how are the symbols both similar and different? What do the symbols tell you about each artifact?Discuss the medium, such as literature, music, or sculpture, through which your cultural artifacts were created. For instance, how did the creator(s) of each artifact use the medium to convey something about the meaning of the artifact?Based on your research, develop a thesis statement that conveys the claim you plan to make about your theme and artifacts. Your thesis statement should be clear, specific, and arguable.Based on your research, identify an audience that would be interested in your theme and thesis statement. For example, who would benefit most from hearing your message?Describe how and why you can tailor your message to your audience, providing specific examples based on your research. For example, will your audience understand the terminology and principles used by humanities scholars, or will you need to explain these? How will you communicate effectively with your audience?Provide a reference list that includes all of the humanities resources you used to research your artifacts, theme, and thesis statement. Ensure that your list is formatted according to current APA guidelines (or another format, with instructor permission).“The Art of Drowning” by Billy CollinsIn this poem published in 1995, Billy Collins, U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003, begins to wonder about what it would mean to have your life flash before your eyes. (250 words)I wonder how it all got started, this businessabout seeing your life flash before your eyeswhile you drown, as if panic, or the act of submergence,could startle time into such compression, crushingdecades in the vice of your desperate, final seconds.After falling off a steamship or being swept awayin a rush of floodwaters, wouldn’t you hopefor a more leisurely review, an invisible handturning the pages of an album of photographs—you up on a pony or blowing out candles in a conic hat.How about a short animated film, a slide presentation?Your life expressed in an essay, or in one model photograph?Wouldn’t any form be better than this sudden flash?Your whole existence going off in your facein an eyebrow-singeing explosion of biography—nothing like the three large volumes you envisioned.Survivors would have us believe in a brilliancehere, some bolt of truth forking across the water,an ultimate Light before all the lights go out,dawning on you with all its megalithic tonnage.But if something does flash before your eyesas you go under, it will probably be a fish,a quick blur of curved silver darting away,having nothing to do with your life or your death.The tide will take you, or the lake will accept it allas you sink toward the weedy disarray of the bottom,leaving behind what you have already forgotten,the surface, now overrun with the high travel of clouds.“Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily DickinsonWritten during the 1860s, this poem is meditative in nature. Fans of Dickinson admire her voice and her unorthodox style, with liberal use of dashes and unconventional capitalization. (127 words) Because I could not stop for Death –He kindly stopped for me –The Carriage held but just Ourselves –And Immortality.We slowly drove – He knew no hasteAnd I had put awayMy labor and my leisure too,For His Civility –We passed the School, where Children stroveAt Recess – in the Ring –We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –We passed the Setting Sun –Or rather – He passed Us –The Dews drew quivering and Chill –For only Gossamer, my Gown –My Tippet – only Tulle –We paused before a House that seemedA Swelling of the Ground –The Roof was scarcely visible –The Cornice – in the Ground –Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yetFeels shorter than the DayI first surmised the Horses' HeadsWere toward Eternity –

Conversations about religion are often considered tenuous in today’s culture. However, most religions have more commonalities than differences. This assignment provides the opportunity to learn about a religion with which you are not familiar.Choose from the list below a religion that is NOT your own:An Ancient Egyptian beliefHinduismGreek or Roman PolytheismA Native American religionBuddhismTaoismJudaismChristianityIslamTo start a blog post, click the assignment title on this page, or navigate to the Blogs page in the course navigation menu at the left.In your post, include:Describe three features or tenets of the chosen religion.Mention any written works and prophets.Share how this religion compares to your religion (or beliefs if you do not have a chosen religion).