Lesson #3Critical Reading and Analysis

04/11/23 1

04/11/23 2

Writer’s Prompt:

Think in detail. Think about the little things. Write a paragraph summarizing your experience as you rode the bus to Lindenwood today. What did you do? What did you say? What did you see? What did you read? What did you think about?

04/11/23 3

Assignment• Buy or download 1984 by George Orwell– http://www.george-orwell.org/1984/0.html– Read Chapter 1 and 2 – due by August 28, 2009

• Read, Reason, Write –– Chapter 2 – pages 33-47– Examining the context of a source– Analyzing the style used by the author

• Page 45 “Remote Control” by Dave Barry– Do #1 and #2 questions under Reflection and Writing

04/11/23 4

Ellen Goodman• Ellen Goodman is a Pulitzer

prize winning columnist, author, speaker, and commentator who refuses to call herself a pundit. Ellen has long been a chronicler of social change in America, especially the women’s movement and its effects on our public and private lives.

04/11/23 5

In Praise of a Snail’s PaceEllen Goodman

Questions for Reading and Reasoning2.What is Goodman’s main idea, or thesis?3.What examples illustrate the problem the

author sees in our times? What evidence does Goodman present to suggest that people want to change the times?

04/11/23 6

In Praise of a Snail’s PaceEllen Goodman

Questions for Reflecting and Writing2.Goodman quotes Stone’s description of our

times as one of “continuous partial attention.” Do you agree? Why or why not? Is this a problem? Why or why not?

3.For what kind of research would Goodman’s essay be valuable?

04/11/23 7

Four Responses to Literature

04/11/23 8

The Four Responses to Literature

1. The Response to Content2. The Analytical Response3. The Evaluation Response4. The Research Response

04/11/23 9

1. The Response to Content

• What does it say?• How could it be summarized?– The ability to summarize and paraphrase material

involves both reading and writing skills– It is an excellent skill for your academic career

04/11/23 10

2. The Analytical Response

• How is it written?– Word Choice– Sentence Structure– Use of figurative language – metaphor and simile

• How does it compare with another work?

04/11/23 11

3. The Evaluation Response

• Is it logical?• Is it Adequately Developed?• Does it Achieve its purpose?– What is the writer’s purpose?– What is the context in which the piece is written?

04/11/23 12

4. The Research Response

• How Does it Help Me to Understand Other Works, Ideas or Events?– Use the piece of literature to learn more about a

larger event• Read diaries of holocaust survivors to understand the

Jewish experience in WWII• Read a slave’s account of daily life to understand issues

surrounding the Civil War

04/11/23 13

Gettysburg

04/11/23 14

The Gettysburg Address

04/11/23 15

04/11/23 16

Group Response• Content– How could it be summarized?

• Analytical– How is it written? How does it compare with

another work?• Evaluation– Does it achieve its purpose? Is it logical?

• Research– How does it help me understand other events or

larger ideas?