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Foundation Unit 2Text Overview

We will read a series of personal essays and poems expressing varied perspectives on what it means to live a life well-lived. The titles, authors, and locations of these texts are indicated in the Unit Text List.

Core

  • Digital Access
    • “Emma Thompson Reads Naomi Shihab Nye’s Poem ‘Kindness’,” Naomi Shihab Nye and Emma Thompson, S Bettina Brand, YouTube
    • “How to Give a Killer Presentation,” Chris Anderson, Harvard Business Publishing
    • “‘Kindness’ by Naomi Shihab Nye is Poets.org’s Most Popular Contemporary Poem in 2018,” Academy of American Poets, 2018
    • “Naomi Shihab Nye,” Academy of American Poets
    • “Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address,” Steve Jobs, Stanford University, 2005
    • Texas A&M University Writing Center: Memos, The University Writing Center, Texas A&M University, 2021
  • Unit Reader
    • “Advice to Graduates,” George Saunders, The New York Times Company, 2005
    • “Kindness,” Naomi Shihab Nye, Far Corner Books, 1995
    • “Living Like Weasels,” Annie Dillard, Harper Perennial, 1982
    • “Sojourns in the Parallel World,” Denise Levertov, New Directions Publishing, 1996
    • “The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost, Poetry Foundation
    • “To Be of Use,” Marge Piercy, Penguin Random House, 1982

Optional

  • Digital Access
    • “‘Kindness’ by Naomi Shihab Nye, a Poetry Film by Ana Pérez López,” Naomi Shihab Nye and Ana Pérez López, On Being Project
    • “Naomi Shihab Nye Reads ‘Kindness’,” Naomi Shihab Nye, Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality and Saint Catherine University

Text Icons

The following text icons are used in the Text pages:

Unit Reader Unit Reader Texts

Digital Access Digital Access Texts

Tradebook Tradebook Texts

Multimedia Multimedia Texts

To find digital access texts on the Internet, complete the following steps:

  1. Locate the reference information for the text (text title, author, date of publication, and publisher) found on the Text page for a unit, section, or lesson.

  2. Highlight and copy the reference information.

  3. Paste the information into a search engine.

  4. The text will appear as one of the first search results.

  5. Verify the result by comparing the reference information on the website to the information on the Text page.