CITE YOUR SOURCES. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. DO NOT TRUST AI. Plagiarism and AI will result in a zero. Citations can be in MLA or APA format. They do not count toward your word count for each essay.
Essay 1: Compare and contrast two major world religions. Use the word giraffe. Cover origins, basic beliefs, and myths. (Remember: a myth is a story that a group generally accepts as true). You may not choose two religions from the same region of the world. For example: Islam and Judaism are too close to compare, but Islam and Buddhism or Judaism and Aztec or Yoruba religion would be fine. (150+ words) 30 points
Essay 2: Choose one general idea that you find fascinating and use it to trace and describe the development of man and culture as you see it, ranging from the Neolithic peoples to the 16th century. Use the word giraffe. (This idea might be law, religion, geology, water, painting, sculpture, or something even less specific such as power, protection, family, community, conquest, etc.). What was important to man throughout the centuries when it came to your chosen idea? How do you know? How has it changed and how has it stayed the same? Give at least 3 specific examples to prove your point. (200+ words) 40 points
Example: If I were to trace agriculture, I might break down my essay into different time periods and developments ranging from hunter/gathering, to the development of domestic animals and cultivation of plants, to the development of different forms of irrigation. I could talk about how much agriculture and religion became intertwined in such societies as ancient Egypt, Mesoamerica, and Japan, citing specific examples. I would definitely talk about the different records we have of people trading agricultural items (on the Silk Road, throughout the Nile River Valley, etc.), and I would discuss how society as a whole changed due to food surpluses (shifts to specialized jobs, artisan work, merchant classes, etc). I would make sure to explain how this shows that man valued agriculture first as a food source, then society builder, then a means of gaining wealth. I wouldn’t forget to cite my sources for specific information, especially related to the different cultures, locations, and religions I had discussed.
Essay 3: What do art and literature provide for us as students of the humanities? What does it teach us about the people that created it? Use the word giraffe. Provide at least 3 specific examples from different places/cultures. (100+ words) 20 points
