Professor Dearmin Andrew College Active & Close Reading Professor Dearmin Andrew College

Active Reading: Preview the reading How long is it? Is it divided into sections? Use title to predict the content. Pose the title as a question. Who is the author? Does this person have authority over the subject? When was it published? Is it a print or web source? What is the genre? Stories are fiction; essays and articles are nonfiction. Determine the audience: what prior knowledge (if any) does the reader need to have to understand the piece. What could the author be trying to prove? What’s the purpose?

Close Reading: Mark up the text ircle words you don't know C ighlight supporting points H nderline the purpose U uestion marks where you're confused or author is unclear Q nnotate your responses/reactions A

Close Reading: Analysis otice: What surprises you? What is: Interesting, Unique, or Revealing? N sk: so what repeatedly What can be proven based on what I notice? A nfer: Directly state (make explicit) the hidden or unstated (implicit) meaning I epetition: What words, main ideas, or images are repeated? Is there anything that breaks the pattern? R evise questions, textual support, and conclusions to reach a deep level of understanding of author’s purpose Analysis

Rhetorical Précis: summary of analysis1 You will write four sentences with specific content: Identify the author, title, topic, and purpose of the reading selection. If relevant, you can also include publication date and publisher. How does the author support his/her purpose? Does he/she start with a compelling anecdote or use a startling statistic to get the reader’s attention? How is it structured? Does the author use examples, a historical account, a list of causes or reasons, or compare and contrast to prove his or her point? Is there bias or unsupported claims? What does the author want the reader to take away from the selection? Why did the author choose the structure, supporting points, and devices? This is the deep level of understanding of the purpose. State the audience. Does the author effectively convey the meaning or does the reader need prior knowledge in order to truly understand the purpose?

Works Cited 1 Woodworth, Margaret K. “The Rhetorical Précis.” Rhetoric Review, vol. 7, no.1, pp. 156-64