Urban Reader for College Writers

Urban Reader for College Writers is an English composition textbook based on civic engagement, for both native speakers and English as a Second Language students.

Topics include understanding civics, community action, the environment, health initiatives, learning to take financial responsibility action, and cooperation. The articles in this book make the reader aware of how community issues can personally affect them so they can be part of the solution.

Urban Reader for College Writers uses a broad spectrum of sources for articles and introduces several innovative teaching features:

• Global Learners – brings classroom discussions of current issues onto a global stage through students sharing their living and traveling abroad experiences.
• Tips for Success – guides students through reading and writing about current political, social, or cultural issues.
• Civics Corner – explains civic concepts and terms.
• On Campus – interactive activity that encourages students to find out what their peers think, providing a real-life perspective on the issues discussed.
• Have the Last Word! – asks students to think critically about what they have read and learned.
• Blog It! – students can blog about their personal reactions to the readings.
• Website It! – encourages Web research.

This book espouses the genre approach to teaching writing. Its main premise is based on Dr. Grujicic-Alatriste’s theoretical work on genre analysis and her research in real-life genre use across discourse communities in the United States.