- Gerald Graff begins his essay with the view that we generally associate “book smarts” with intellectuals and “street smarts” with anti-intellectualism. Graff then provides an extended example from his early life to counter this viewpoint. What do you think of his argument that boyhood conversations about sports provided a solid foundation for his later intellectual life? What support does he provide, and how persuasive is it?
- Graff argues in paragraph 13 that the intellectual world is much like the world of team sports, with “rival texts, rival theories . . ., and elaborate team competitions.” Can you think of any examples from your own experience that support his assertion? In what ways do you think “the real intellectual world” is different from the world of team sports?
- So what? Who cares? Graff does not answer these questions explicitly. Try doing it for him: Write a brief paragraph saying why his argument matters and for whom.
- Graff argues that schools should encourage students to think critically, read, and write about areas of personal interest such as cars, fashion, or music–as long as they do so in a serious way. What do you think? How would you respond to Graff’s claim?’
Sample Solution
million people across Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida. The commercial fishing location quotient (CFLQ) for Louisiana topped the region at 1.38. This basically means that the level of commercial fisheries employment in Louisiana is almost 1.5 times higher than the nationwide average. Louisianaâs landings revenue topped the southeast at $331 million, almost twice as much as the runner-up, Texas. Just to put into perspective the economic impact of fishing trips on the state, recreational fishing trips impacted Louisiana at $4 trillion, with total trip expenditures topping $2.8 billion. The Mississippi River Delta plays a major role in the economies of Louisiana and Mississippi; once this wildlife refuge becomes used up, people all across the southeast that rely on the marine economy will bear the negative effects, but not nearly as much as the wildlife that calls the Delta home. Every winter, millions of birds fly down the Mississippi and Central flyways, on their way to warmer temperatures across the Gulf of Mexico. Ducks, geese, and other waterfowl rely on the Deltaâs food-rich habitats, whether it be preparing for the 600-mile journey across the Gulf in the fall or recuperating after the flight back north in the spring. Therefore, the destruction of the Delta doesnât only affect its yearlong residents; waterfowl hunters as far north as Canada feel the effects of the Paradiseâs degradation. The entire North American duck hunting community relies on the Mississippi River Delta, as it vanishes before our blind eyes. The spotted sea trout, commonly known as the speckled trout, is arguably the most widely sought after aquatic species that inhabits the Delta. Even though the speckled trout is a migrating species, they crowd the warm, shallow channels during the spring and summer, feeding on anything from shrimp to mullet. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) defines the maximum length of speckled trout at 25 inches, but Iâve witnessed three over 30 inches. All three were released, purely out of respect. Due to decades of mismanagement, along with damaging hurricanes and the 2010 Gulf oil spill, coastal Louisiana is disappearing at a rate of one football field every 100 minutes. In the past 100 years, Louisiana has lost over 1,900 square miles, roughly the size of Delaware. Several major factors contribute to this land loss. First off, the deltaâs wetlands are, and always will be, sustained by the rich s>
million people across Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida. The commercial fishing location quotient (CFLQ) for Louisiana topped the region at 1.38. This basically means that the level of commercial fisheries employment in Louisiana is almost 1.5 times higher than the nationwide average. Louisianaâs landings revenue topped the southeast at $331 million, almost twice as much as the runner-up, Texas. Just to put into perspective the economic impact of fishing trips on the state, recreational fishing trips impacted Louisiana at $4 trillion, with total trip expenditures topping $2.8 billion. The Mississippi River Delta plays a major role in the economies of Louisiana and Mississippi; once this wildlife refuge becomes used up, people all across the southeast that rely on the marine economy will bear the negative effects, but not nearly as much as the wildlife that calls the Delta home. Every winter, millions of birds fly down the Mississippi and Central flyways, on their way to warmer temperatures across the Gulf of Mexico. Ducks, geese, and other waterfowl rely on the Deltaâs food-rich habitats, whether it be preparing for the 600-mile journey across the Gulf in the fall or recuperating after the flight back north in the spring. Therefore, the destruction of the Delta doesnât only affect its yearlong residents; waterfowl hunters as far north as Canada feel the effects of the Paradiseâs degradation. The entire North American duck hunting community relies on the Mississippi River Delta, as it vanishes before our blind eyes. The spotted sea trout, commonly known as the speckled trout, is arguably the most widely sought after aquatic species that inhabits the Delta. Even though the speckled trout is a migrating species, they crowd the warm, shallow channels during the spring and summer, feeding on anything from shrimp to mullet. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) defines the maximum length of speckled trout at 25 inches, but Iâve witnessed three over 30 inches. All three were released, purely out of respect. Due to decades of mismanagement, along with damaging hurricanes and the 2010 Gulf oil spill, coastal Louisiana is disappearing at a rate of one football field every 100 minutes. In the past 100 years, Louisiana has lost over 1,900 square miles, roughly the size of Delaware. Several major factors contribute to this land loss. First off, the deltaâs wetlands are, and always will be, sustained by the rich s>
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