Will the article be negative or positive in relation to the Why? What argument about the topic might it present? What makes you think so? Turn the into a question (or questions) to answer after you have read the text. Activity 6: Understanding Key Vocabulary When you read “A Change of Heart about Animals,” you will need to know the following terms to understand the text: humane and inhumane cognitive genetically wired empathy “Humane” and “inhumane” are clearly related to “human.” “Humane” refers to the best qualities of humanity—kindness, tenderness, mercy—while “inhumane” means the opposite. Think of animal shelters, which often are run by an organization called the “Humane Society.” 2. “Cognitive” is the adjective form of “cognition.” The Latin root is cognoscere, to become acquainted with or to know. For example, the philosopher René Descartes is famous for saying “Cogito, ergo sum,” which in English means “I think, therefore I am.” We could say that “cognitive” means of or related to the process of thinking. 3. “Genetically wired” is an interesting metaphorical phrase. “Genetic” is from “genesis,” which refers to the origin or beginnings of something (e.g., the book of Genesis in the Bible). Genes are the parts of a cell that contain coded instructions for how the cell will develop and grow; thus, to say that a characteristic is “genetically wired” is to compare the coding in a gene with the wiring of an electronic circuit. Think about words that you know that sound similar to these words and may be related. For example, “humane” is related to “human,” and “empathy” is related to the Greek word “pathos” in “Three Ways to Persuade.” Consider a word tree based on the root of a word from the text or one listed above. Here is an example of a word tree for “cognitive.”
paragon (¶ 9): a person or that is a perfect example of something, or a high point in excellence unaligned (¶ 9): independent, not part of a group or faction dignity (¶ 9): a of respect and status interventions (¶ 9): literally to “come between”; acts by an outsider that interfere or change an ongoing process or relationship humiliation (¶ 9): from “humility,” the state of being humble; to reduce the dignity of an individual disproportionately (¶ 9): out of proportion; unequal or unfair instrumentalized (¶ 9): made into a tool or object decapitation (¶ 10): behead; cut off the head impermissible (¶ 10): not permitted or allowed preliminary (¶ 10): at the beginning; before the actual start macaques (¶ 11): a type of monkey 29. advisory (¶ 11): giving advice, not orders clinical (¶ 11): related to medical practice termination (¶ 12): ending enamored (¶ 13): in love with obligation (¶ 14): duty; required action Activity 23: Analyzing Stylistic Choices—Representing Relationships and Positions Words and phrases can be used to position ideas in relationship to each other. These distinctions might be according to time, location, degree, or other types of differences. In your group, for each phrase below, discuss how the language positions the ideas that follow it in relation to other ideas. At the forefront of the battle … (¶ 2) Other countries … have taken steps … (¶ 3) Not everyone is comfortable … (¶ 4) Speaking personally … (¶ 5) In the US, there is greater resistance … (¶ 8)
Weaker than its Spanish counterpart, the bill … (¶ 8) In the EU [European Union], renowned chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall has called … (¶ 9) A discussion … defines … (¶ 10) In the US, Edwin McConkey, a biologist … agrees that … (¶ 12) One kind of primate experiment to be safe …(¶ 13) Postreading Activity 24: Summarizing and Responding—Packet Item Summarize the Yong article in your own In your summary, address the following questions: What is the or events related to animal rights that motivate Ed Yong to write this article? What questions does Yong raise about this issue? What positions do people take on these questions? Activity 25: Thinking Critically—Defining “Personhood” In paragraph 7, Yong discusses the case of (pronounced Hee- sel), a former research chimpanzee who is going to be homeless because his sanctuary is going bankrupt. It is clear from the article that Hiasl’s fate depends on how we define “person.” Can Hiasl be declared a person with rights? Answer the following questions: What exactly is Hiasl? What qualities does Hiasl have that would make us call him a person? What qualities does he have that would make us call him something else? (You might want to make a chart.) Is Hiasl a person? What should we do Hiasl? Does Hiasl’s plight have potential as an appeal to pathos? Does Yong use it for this purpose? Is Yong entirely objective? Activity 26: Reflecting on Your Reading Process Answer the following questions: