Reading to Engage and Close Reading Skills

Every Reading Creates Meaning

Reading provides opportunities to create new knowledge. Some reading theorists argue that every act of reading is also an act of writing. An author writes to communicate ideas or share experiences but cannot possibly say all there is to say about any given topic. Readers must bridge the gaps of meaning. As they do, they contribute their own assumptions, experiences, and ways of perceiving. In this way, every reading is a process of creating meaning.

Meaning is Created by Communities

BUT there is one more crucial step that all readers must realize. There are communities of readers who agree that a given text has a certain range of interpretations.

Not All Interpretations are Equal!

THUS, not all interpretations are equal. Shared cultural meanings that surround texts will often help us notice interpretations that are too incomplete, personal, or out of the norm to be acceptable.

Mapping out the Author’s Argument

When you have to write about an article, you must read it carefully to map out the author’s argument, taking notes as you read and reread. You then need to build evidence of your own to judge the strength of the author’s claims.

Ask Yourself:

What key claims is the author making? How then does she go on to prove her claims? What other claims does she make? How does she qualify her claims? What evidence does she provide? What reasons does she offer? And what contrary arguments does she acknowledge

to make her argument more believable? You may also look for argument weaknesses, errors in

logic, problems with data interpretation, etc. You do all this in an effort to locate your own stand on

the topic in relation to the writers’.

Ethos: Earning the Respect of Your Readers

Such questions ensure that interpretations you make of her work are careful, respectful, and meaningful. If you don’t read her argument generously before you offer critique and analysis, then your own readers are unlikely to offer you the same respect.

Questions For Engaged Reading What is the most interesting part of the essay? What is the most important quotation or set of quotations you can find? What is your phrase by phrase interpretation of a key quotation? What other places in the essay must you visit to unpack key terms or

claims that the author is making? What are the key terms and how are they defined by the author? What assumptions do you bring to the reading that lead you to

understand it as you do? How can you use the passage you have quoted to understand the title

of the article? How can you use the quotation and your analysis of it to understand the

overall claims of the article? What angle can you take on the article that would make other people

interested in what you have to say? Why should other readers care about the conclusions you have drawn?

Close & Critical Reading Practice

From: “Meditations on First Philosophy in Which the Existence of God and the Distinction Between the Soul and the Body are Demonstrated”

The opening moves . . .

Several years have now passed since I first realized how numerous were the false opinions that in my youth I had taken to be true, and thus how doubtful were all those that I had subsequently built upon them. . . .

Yet to bring this about I will not need to show that all my opinions are false, which is perhaps something I could never accomplish. But reason now persuades me that I should withhold my assent no less carefully from opinions that are not completely certain and indubitable than I would from those that are patently false. For this reason, it will suffice for the rejection of all of these opinions, if I find in each of them some reason for doubt. Nor therefore need I survey each opinion individually, a task that would be endless. Rather, because undermining the foundations will cause whatever has been built upon them to crumble of its own accord, I will attack straightaway those principles which support everything I once believed. (59-60)

Close & Critical Reading Practice

Just so, great things are also to be hoped for if I succeed in finding just one thing, however, slight, that is certain and unshaken.

Therefore I suppose that everything I see is false. I believe that none of what my deceitful memory represents ever existed. I have no senses whatever. Body, shape, extension, movement, and place are all chimeras. What then will be true? Perhaps just the single fact that nothing is certain.

But how do I know there is not something else, over and above all those things that I have just reviewed, concerning which there is not even the slightest occasion for doubt? Is there not some God, or by whatever name I might call him, who instills these very thoughts in me? But why would I think that, since I myself could perhaps be the author of these thoughts? Am I not then at least something? But I have already denied that I have any senses and any body. Still I hesitate; for what follows from this? Am I so tied to a body and to the senses that I cannot exist without them? But I have persuaded myself that there is absolutely nothing in the world: no sky, no earth, no minds, no bodies. Is it then the case that I too do not exist? But doubtless I did exist, if I persuaded myself of something. But there is some deceiver or other who is supremely powerful and supremely sly and who is always deliberately deceiving me. Then too there is no doubt that I exist, if he is deceiving me. And let him do his best at deception, he will never bring it about that I am nothing so long as I shall think that I am something. Thus, after everytthng has been most carefully weighed, it must finally b established that this pronouncement “I am, I exist” is necessarily true every time I utter it or conceive it in my mind.

But I do not yet understand sufficiently what I am—I, who now necessarily exist. (63-4)

Identifying Key Moves and Terms

Just so, great things are also to be hoped for if I succeed in finding just one thing, however, slight, that is certain and unshaken.

Therefore (1) I suppose that everything I see is false. (2) I believe that none of what my deceitful memory represents ever existed. (3) I have no senses whatever. (4) Body, shape, extension, movement, and place are all chimeras. What then will be true? Perhaps just the single fact that nothing is certain.

But how do I know there is not something else, over and above all those things that I have just reviewed, concerning which there is not even the slightest occasion for doubt? (5) Is there not some God, or by whatever name I might call him, who instills these very thoughts in me? But why would I think that, since I myself could perhaps be the author of these thoughts? (6) Am I not then at least something? But I have already denied that I have any senses and any body. Still I hesitate; for what follows from this? Am I so tied to a body and to the senses that I cannot exist without them? (7) But I have persuaded myself that there is absolutely nothing in the world: no sky, no earth, no minds, no bodies. Is it then the case that I too do not exist? (8) But doubtless I did exist, if I persuaded myself of something. But there is some deceiver or other who is supremely powerful and supremely sly and who is always deliberately deceiving me. Then too there is no doubt that I exist, if he is deceiving me. And let him do his best at deception, he will never bring it about that (9) I am nothing so long as I shall think that I am something. Thus, after everything has been most carefully weighed, (10) it must finally be established that this pronouncement “I am, I exist” is necessarily true every time I utter it or conceive it in my mind.

But I do not yet understand sufficiently what I am—I, who now necessarily exist. (63-4)

Highlighting and Annotating

A pencil works as well as a marker; try both and see which you like best

Underline each claim an author makes Circle or box definitions or essential terms Use a marker to accent or to review for an exam Use arrows or lines to show connections Use vertical lines in the margins to mark entire passages Star the most important ideas Number lists or elements in an argument Use question marks for confusing places Write “quest.” or Q for questions you want to find again Annotate to summarize key terms, sections, or ideas Summarize the title of the chapter or article in a single line Argue with the author in the margins when you disagree or find

gaps

Editing and Proofreading

Editing is the last stage. Your paper is essentially written. Now it’s time to evaluate how you say what you say.

You deal with “lower-order concerns” at this stage, such as fragments, subject-verb agreement, comma splices, misplaced apostrophes, pronoun reference, omitted words, missing commas, verb tense consistency, spelling errors, run-on sentences, unnecessary commas, etc.

Error Sheet Strategy

MY ERROR SHEET Click to ADD A NEW Error Sheet Entry Click here for the Error Sheet Explanation

Date Wrong Corrected Rule Edit Delete

2006-11-02 Michael Jackson said "I got rhythm".

Michael Jackson said, "I got rhythm."

When quoting someone who is speaking outloud, I should use a comma to set up the statement. MLA style requires that periods and commas always appear inside the quotation marks at the end of a sentence.

edit delete

2006-10-16 Notice that I can type but you can't

Notice that I can type, but you can't.

comma needed between independant clauses that are joined by a conjunction, and a period is needed at the end of the sentence.

edit delete

2006-10-05 I had many thing I had many things. subject verb (many / things) edit delete

2006-09-22 I goed to the store. I went to the store. past tense of go is went edit delete

2006-05-12 when I went to the store I saw a

when I went to the store, I saw a

prep clause requires a comma edit delete

2006-02-16 Once upon a time I saw a cat.

Once upon a time, I saw a cat.

add-ons at the beginning of sentences require commas

edit delete

Engaging Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism

Jeffrey R. GalinAssociate Professor, English

Director UCEW and WACjgalin@fau.edu

Read the Assignment Carefully and Often

Often you are expected to figure out your own procedure for fulfilling an assignment. This process will mean underlining and taking notes. Sometimes it is a matter of numbering the steps. Other times you will want to distinguish the planning tasks from the writing tasks.

Make sure the assignment is always next to you and refer to it often to make sure you are on task.

College Writing I:Assignment Two

In “Preface” and “The New Civil Rights,” Kenji Yoshino writes that he is “troubled that Americans seem increasingly to turn toward the law to do the work of civil rights precisely when they should be turning away from it” (194). How, then, can we as a nation move towards a civil rights that accounts for the increasing diversity of our citizens? Using Yoshino’s ideas, as well as those of Mary Louise Pratt in “Arts of the Contact Zone,” write a paper in which you argue for the best methods we can use to create a new civil rights.In your paper you will want to lay out the challenges for civil rights in a diverse nation and then work with the ideas of both authors to suggest a solution to the problems of rights for a diverse citizenry.

Steps for Success For Assignment #2: From the Actual Assignment

This is a hard assignment, I know, because it’s not as simple as supporting one author or the other. Instead, you need to begin by thinking about both of their ideas and the relations you see between them. Make a list of terms from Pratt and Yoshino to start.Think about the connections between these terms next; consider how certain terms are similar but also consider how they are different. Think about how using them together provides a fuller picture of the situation.

As always, find passages from both texts for those terms.Then you will want to spend some time forming an argument. This argument should be a single sentence that summarizes the point you want to make in your paper, the conclusion you want your reader to reach with you, the goal you hope to accomplish.

Each of your body paragraphs should clearly help you prove your argument or support your project. Use quotations to define terms and concepts and to offer examples of those ideas that support your argument. You will probably want to start by defining the problem of civil rights and then suggest what tools can be used to solve it.

Additional Steps for Success

Define what Yoshino means by a “New Civil Rights.” Identify terms that Pratt uses that could be used to

correspond with or work against Yoshino’s model of a new civil rights.

Decide how you plan to use Yoshino and Pratt to define “New Civil Rights” and build your argument around it.

Identify the passages you plan to use from each essay to provide evidence and reasons for your claims and make sure to analyze those passages.

Make sure you arrive at a focused conclusion that provides a solution to the problem(s) of forming a new civil rights.

What Are the Hallmarks of Good College Writing? Globally revised Thoughtful Critical/analytical Fulfills assignment objectives Organized Coherent Edited Mostly error free Leaves the reader feeling bright, thoroughly satisfied,

and eager to reread the piece

Strategies for Prewriting

Brainstorm Freewrite List Cluster Gather quotations Branch Journal Read Outline

New civil rights that focuses on “Liberty claims” rather than “Equality claims” (188)

“[N]ew civil rights must harness this universal impulse toward authenticity” (187)

Americans need to turn to “reason-forcing conversations outside of the law” (194)

Brainstorming/Clustering: Main Ideas

New Civil Rights

Yoshino’s definition

Pratt’s contact zone

My understanding of a new civil rights is . . .

Does the “contact zone” serve as a

New Civil Rights?

Authentic self/false self

transculturation

Brainstorming/Clustering: Finding Support

New Civil Rights

Yoshino’s definition

Pratt’s contact zone

My understanding of a new civil rights is . . .

Does the “contact zone” serve as a

New Civil Rights?

liberty/equality “covering”

Cultures meet and clash

(519)

Crossroads forA site for

Learning (529)

Pratt can be used to qualify Yoshino’s argument

Yoshino’s definition is too utopian . . .

Guman Poma

transculturation

Authentic self/false self

Brainstorming/Clustering: Making Connections and Decisions

New Civil Rights

1. Yoshino’s definition

2. Pratt’s contact zone

4. My understanding of a new civil rights is . . .

3. Does the “contact zone” serve as a

New Civil Rights?

liberty/equality “covering”

Cultures meet and clash

(519)

Crossroads forA site for

Learning (529)

Pratt can be used to qualify Yoshino’s argument

Yoshino’s definition is too utopian . . .

5. THESIS???

Drafting

This step takes your ideas from raw or image form to sentence form.

This writing is undeveloped, disorganized (or minimally organized), and always in progress.

You’re writing about your thinking. Drafts should NEVER be submitted for

grading.

Create a Focused Opening Sentence and a Strong Thesis

My understanding of a new civil rights is . . .

Does the “contact zone” serve as a New

Civil Rights?

Maybe Pratt can be used to qualify Yoshino’s

argument.

Opening Sentence: A new civil rights cannot bedefined by separating equality and liberty.

Thesis: Kenji Yoshino offers strategies for rethinking social relationships across American culture, and Mary Louise Pratt provides strategies for negotiating distinct cultural differences. While neither provides a roadmap for a new civil rights for American culture, combining the thinking of the two helps us negotiate issues of equality and liberty at the same time.

I think Yoshino’s definition is too utopian because he only talks about liberty issues.

Revising

Revision is the most important stage, where you insure your argument is strong, reexamine and reorganize your ideas, flesh out analysis of quotations, and reexamine conclusions.

Look for strong claims and arguments to qualify, to expand, clarify, etc.

Look for weak claims or weak writing to reconsider or cut.

Strategies for Revision: Openings

Realize that revision occurs at every step of writing. Read your opening carefully. Does it:

Start with a short clear statement that addresses the central issues of the paper?

Provide a clear statement of the problem/argument/thesis?

Contextualize the problem for readers? Provide an organizational statement? Provide a clear understanding of what is at stake? Conform to disciplinary models planning research

writing? Is it clearly stated and free of obvious gaps?

Revising Your Argument

Can you identify and highlight all of your major claims? Have you qualified your claims? What evidence supports your claims? What reasons have you offered for your claims and

evidence? What counterarguments have you considered? Is your argument logically organized? Are there paragraphs that you can move and not effect the

meaning of your paper? Have you used an appropriate tone and diction? What major gaps can you find and how can you address

them? Has your paper delivered what you opening promised?

Using Quoted Material

How well have you used quoted references? How effectively have you represented the arguments of the

authors? How extensive is your analysis of quotations that you use? What other quotations do you need to better explain ones

you have selected? How effectively have you built on the arguments of others to

develop your own claims? Have you cited your references in text and in your

bibliography accurately and honestly? Have you considered paraphrasing?

Revision of Conclusions

What key points have you chosen to revisit in your conclusion?

What have you realized about civil rights as viewed by Yoshino and Pratt that you did not know before you started writing?

What is important about the conclusions you have drawn?

What issues have you left for readers to consider for future research?

Are there now things in your opening that you must revise to correspond with your conclusion?

Editing and Proofreading

Editing is the last stage. Your paper is essentially written. Now it’s time to evaluate how you say what you say.

You deal with Lower-Order Concerns at this stage, such as fragments, subject-verb agreement, comma splices, misplaced apostrophes, pronoun reference, omitted words, missing commas, verb tense consistency, spelling errors, run-on sentences, unnecessary commas, etc.