{ Chapter 1 Reading for Understanding

 1) Used for Selection and Emphasis  2) Helps show what is important, and what is not  3) Some points are worth reviewing: You probably want to underline the following:  A) Important generalizations and topic sentences  B) Examples that have helped you understand a difficult idea  C) Transitional points, where the argument changes Underlining

 1) Annotation refers to the comments you make in the margins.  2) Helps to interpret, evaluate, or question the author’s meaning.  3) Helps to define a word or phrase, or clarify a point.  4) Not every text needs to be annotated. However, you should annotate anything that is especially difficult to understand. Annotating

Read the example of annotation on page 5: “Land of Desire.”

 1) The annotation should work by reminding you of the ideas you have thought about and understood.  2) Some marginal notes may remind you of places you disagreed with the author, or looked at the ideas in a new way.  3) You can also use marginal notes with pictures or other graphics to help yourself understand, or to remind yourself later of your point of view. Land of Desire Continued...

 1) When making marginal notes, it is important to put things into your own words instead of copying directly from the text. Expressing things in your own words will help you to understand the passage and remember the point. IMPORTANT

 1) Read the article on pages 8-10: “THE DIRT ON CLEAN: AN UNSANITIZED HISTORY”  2) Reread the passage carefully, underlining and circling key ideas and making notes and annotations in the margins.  3) Remember to include the photograph and its caption in your annotations. Exercise 1: Annotating a passage

 Read the article on pages “The Blank Slate: The modern denial of human nature.”  2) Reread the passage carefully, underlining and circling key ideas and making notes and annotations in the margins. Homework

 As you read and re-read, note which ideas make you react  Pause frequently- not to take a break, but to think about and respond to what you’ve read.  If a reading has been difficult, pausing will provide time for you to ask questions. Guidelines for Effective Reading

 Context means: the overall framework in which a word, passage, or idea occurs.  As you read, start to ask questions about the text.  Understanding takes time and careful reading. Asking questions will help you to understand the text on a deeper level. Asking questions

 What is the meaning of the word/phrase?  Where do I have difficulty understanding the text?  What is the topic sentence of the paragraph  What is the connection between these two points?  What is this transitional word telling me?  What point is the author trying to make?  How can I put this idea in my own words? Questions to aid understanding

 Read: “A question of degree” on pages Then read the questions in the margins.  Read pages to see how a reader would typically answer a question asked in the margins.  TOPIC: are college degrees really necessary and important? Reading is Fun!

 Read “Cuss Time” by Jill McCorkle  On the second reading, answer the comprehension questions in the margins.  Answer in complete sentences and use your own words as much as you can. Exercise 2: Understanding what you read

 A topic means a subject: what is being discussed and written about.  A thesis means a statement of intention and purpose, expressing the central idea of the essay. Thesis Vs. Topic

 A thesis is a broad statement, worth defending, that defines the scopes and limits of an essay.  It should answer a question, not ask one.  It should not be obvious. It should be open to argument  The author should follow the thesis statement, and stay away from irrelevant topics. What is a Thesis?

 The thesis shows what an essay is about  The intention shows how it will be developed. Intention

 Authors can develop a thesis in several ways, depending on their intention  Explanation  Analysis and interpretation  Argument and persuasion Developing a thesis

 Bias means preconceived preference or prejudice.  Some authors may feel so strongly about a subject, that they lose objectivity.  A work can lose credibility if the author’s bias causes them to omit or distort evidence. Bias

 The style in which an author writes.  Some authors use a serious tone to communicate their ideas.  Some authors may use humor. Tone

 The author’s perception of the audience may change the tone of the work.  For example, you would not write the same paper to a general audience that you would write for an audience of specialists. Audience

 Read “The kindness of strangers” by Ruben Martinez on pages and its annotations.  What is the thesis?  How does he support his thesis?  Who is his audience?  What is the tone of the article?  Is the author biased?  Does the author manipulate you?  Does he support his thesis?  Do you agree with the author? Questioning the author: “The kindness of strangers”

Using Evidence and Reasoning

 Evidence refers to any kind of concrete information that can support a thesis. Evidence

 Things that might be sited to prove a thesis about excessive drinking on a college campus:  1) The college’s policy governing drinking in the dormitories (Facts)  2) The number of bars near campus (Statistics)  3) The number of students who frequent those bars (Statistics)  4) The number of students who have sought help from college counselors for drinking problems. (Statistics) Facts and Statistics

 Generalizing from a representative sample.  For example: 8 out of 10 dentists approve this new toothpaste. Surveys

 A single representative instance.  A single expert in a field gives an example that supports the thesis. Examples

 Extended examples with a beginning, middle, and end that illustrate a point the author is trying to make.  Usually an anecdote is a story. Anecdotes

 Citing the research or the work of acknowledged authorities.  If you wanted to write an essay about college drinking problems, you would likely consult a source from a counselor or other appropriate source. Appeal to Authority

 Read “In Romania, Children Left Behind Suffer the Strains of Migration.” on pages  Identify the types of evidence cited in the article.  Is all of the information cited by evidence? Exercise 4: Citing evidence

 There are three major ways to describe how an author uses evidence and how you form conclusions from that evidence.  1) Stating  2) Implying  3) Inferring Interpreting Evidence

 The information is provided in the text even though the wording may be different. Statements

 The text suggests an idea that is not directly stated in the source. Implications

 Through reasoning, the reader can form a probable conclusion that is not implicit in the text.  The TEXT implies. The READER infers. Inferences

 An inference that is pushed too far and has no evidence of support from the original text. Unsupported Inferences

 Read “For College Athletes, Recruiting is a Fair (but Flawed) Game” on pages  Decode, according to the information in the article and its accompanying data which sentences on page 52 are implied, inferred, stated, or unsupported. Exercise 5: Drawing Inferences

 Most texts used in research consist of a logical progression of general points that lead to an overall thesis or conclusion.  There are two main types of reading: Inductive Reasoning and Deductive Reasoning Using Logical Reasoning

 Deductive means reasoning from general statements to form a logical conclusion.  1) All reptiles are cold blooded. (Premise)  2) Iguanas are reptiles (Premise)  3) Therefore, iguanas are cold- blooded (Conclusion) Deductive Reasoning

 Inductive reasoning uses the available evidence to form the most likely conclusion.  The sky is cloudy  The ground is wet.  It must have rained today. Inductive Reasoning

 You must be prepared to change your inductive reasoning if you find new evidence that contradicts your first conclusion. However…