1. CLOSE Reading Assignment
Justinian & Theodora
(we’re prepping you for a 1st semester DBQ)

2. What is CLOSE Reading? When you close read, first you observe facts and details about the text. Making these observations constitutes the first step in the process of close reading. Second, is interpreting your observations.
1. Read with a pencil in hand, and annotate the text. "Annotating" means underlining or highlighting key words and phrases—anything that strikes you as surprising or significant, or that raises questions—as well as making notes in the margins. When we respond to a text in this way, we not only force ourselves to pay close attention, but we also begin to think with the author about the evidence—the first step in moving from reader to writer.
2. Look for patterns in the things you've noticed about the text—repetitions, contradictions, similarities.
3. Ask questions to yourself about the patterns you've noticed—especially how and why.

3. What else??
CULMINATING ACTIVITY! YOU WILL BE WRITING AN ESSAY OVER THE MATERIAL YOU’VE READ. YOU’VE ANNOTATED THE MATERIAL, THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE READ AND MADE NOTES IN THE MARGINS. NOW – YOU WILL WRITE A 5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY THAT DISCUSSES THE REIGN OF JUSTINIAN AND THEODORA. REMEMBER – TWO THINGS YOU’VE READ ARE NOT OBJECTIVE. PROCOPIUS’S ACCOUNTING COULD BE BIASED. YOU WILL NEED TO ADDRESS THIS IN YOUR ESSAY.

4. For example - how your essay should look…
Justinian was the emperor of Byzantium, which was part of the Eastern Roman Empire, and Theodora was his Empress. Justianian was adopted by his uncle and became co-emperor in 527AD. They were both ambitious and power-hungry. This couple, with their personalities, came to rule Byzantium with an iron hand. Most of what we know about Justianian’s rule came from the historian Procopius. Procopius “was the official historian for the Byzantine Emperor.” But, he also wrote a “Secret History,” and this is where we get a better idea of how Justianian and Theodora were really like. From reading Procopius’s account of Justinian, I’m not sure he liked the emperor very much. He said “