Articles

 The Exam (WPP392) and the essays you write for the Course (WPP393) require that you do critical reading and critical thinking about a published article which has been chosen for this purpose by the Writing Proficiency Program administrators.

Each exam and essay is written in response to a specific article, and you need to look at the list on the “Current Articles” link to find out which article corresponds to which section of the Exam. Each set of articles is changed out at the end of the exam cycle for which they were used.

A list of the articles is available at least one week before the scheduled registration period begins.

These articles give you context—a set of ideas upon which to base your thinking and essay response(s)—and content, such as information and ideas, which you can use to support your response.

To make your choice, we suggest the following:

• Go to the “Current Articles” link on this website as soon as the articles are posted.
• Follow the directions to access the articles by using Bracken Library's "Course Reserves" link on Card Cat.
• Read all the available articles carefully before making your decision. 
• Consider which of the articles appeals to you most as an intellectual, a thinker.
• Don’t choose an article because it seems “easier,” or will “take less work,” or “fits your schedule best,” or “all your friends are taking that one.” These are not good considerations because they will limit your engagement with the article and the ideas it addresses.
• Do a critical reading of the article—which would mean
  (a) analyzing the text
  (b) thinking about the text’s, the topic’s, and the author’s historical, biographical, and cultural context
  (c) reflecting on the text’s relationship to your own beliefs, knowledge, experiences, and values.