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Introduction
  One of Those
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Chapter 1
  Introduction to the Program

Chapter 2
  Teaching in the Program

Chapter 3
  Teaching 1301

Chapter 4
  Teaching 1302

Chapter 5
  Evaluating
    Writing

Addendum I
   ESL Issues

Addendum II
   Computers and
   Writing

Addendum III
   Academic
   Integrity

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chapter 3 section b

B. Activities for Teaching Critical Reading

B1. Discussion Focus Sheet

The instructor has students fill out a “Discussion Focus Sheet” on each assigned reading. Students then come to class with their focus sheets completed and then they are used to jump-start discussion over the reading. The sheet asks the students to provide a fifty word summary, to agree with something, to disagree with something, and to pick five hitherto-unknown words with definitions.

B2. Discussing Readings / Reading Quizzes

To ensure that students read my assigned texts and come to class with something to say about them, I have students write one- to two-page responses, typed. These are guided by a worksheet with questions, comments, and sometimes optional points for students to address in their responses. They share response papers in groups of two or three for five to ten minutes. Then, we meet in a large circle and share the main points of their responses. Their responses are not graded, but count for a percentage of the students’ course grade. I read them all, but comment only lightly.

B3. Semester-Long, Short Presentations

Presenters give 3-5 minute summary-responses and end with questions for the class. They stay at their desk and may use notes at their desk, but do not hand anything in. This approach allows students to start the discussion (instead of always me) and makes them accountable for the reading. —Sarah Arroyo

B4. Group Reading Quizzes

When students walk in, I hand out a sheet with questions about the due reading. Students then sit in groups of four and compose answers to the quiz collaboratively in about 20 minutes. Each group hands in one paper with their collaborative responses. After papers are handed in, I go over the questions with the students, which generates discussion, since they had just completed the group quiz.

B5. Engaging Interest

One way to ensure meaningful discussions of readings is to let students compose the discussion questions themselves. A portion of their journal or response assignments can be dedicated to composing questions on each reading for class discussion.

B6. Prior Knowledge Activities

I’m finding myself using more and more “prior knowledge” activities. I think the students appreciate them and feel that they help with the first reading of a difficult text, because students always mention the activities specifically on the endterm course evaluation. Before we read Baldwin ’s “Stranger in the Village,” for example, I asked the students to freewrite about any time in their lives when they’d felt like an outcast. This helped them empathize with Baldwin ’s position. Before we read “Civil Disobedience” we brainstormed about laws that students might break if they felt the laws were wrong—racist laws, for example, or laws governing religious practices. I wanted to call into question some students’ idea that “the law is the law is the law” so that it didn’t prejudice their reading of Thoreau. —Beth Brunk

B7. Close Reading Tip

Often, I find that students don’t read the text. They will say an article is about something they wish it were about. So ... I go around the room and have students read one sentence at a time and tell the class what they think it means. This allows us to analyze the author’s style, rhetorical devices, claims, proofs, etc., as well as find the meaning. —Barbara Chiarello

B8. Critical Reading Handouts

• Reader Response Paper, usually given as an extra credit assignment, adapted from reader response guidelines developed by Dr. Kenneth Roemer. Deborah Reese, p. 26.
• Small Group Activity over One Assigned Reading. Sarah Arroyo, p. 27.
• Reading Notes. Stephen Harding, p. 28.
• A Short, Informal Reading Response. Sarah Arroyo, p. 29.

Reader Response Paper

Select one of the readings, out of everything that we have read this semester, to which you responded either very positively or very negatively (or with a combination of strong positive and negative responses). Begin the writing process by noting down each time you have a strong positive or negative reaction to a section of the text and jotting next to the note a possible explanation for the response (e.g., immediate circumstance while reading, past courses, past reading experiences or tastes, memories or people or experiences that remind you of the events or episodes, general political, religious, economic attitudes, etc.). Narrow these reactions down to types of influences that shaped your responses. In the conclusion, indicate what you may have learned from this reading and writing experience. Grading criteria: I will certainly not be grading the types of influences you decide to discuss. I will be concerned with how well you define those influences and their relationships to your responses to the text. This may be a bit more difficult than you expect. Because the nature of the influences will vary, the lengths of papers will no doubt vary. They may be from three to five double-spaced, typewritten pages.

Small Group Activity Over One Assigned Reading

You have each completed a summary-response paper. In your groups, each person should (1) read or talk about his/her response to the essay and then (2) read one or two lines from the text that you found to be important.

Listeners should jot down (1) any new insights you gain about the essay and (2) any points of agreement and disagreement. Before going on to the next person, take a few minutes to refer to your notes and freewrite about what you have heard.

After everyone has read and talked, share your notes and freewrites with the group and notice connections. Choose a spokesperson to speak for your group. The spokesperson will share at least four lines from the text you have discussed as well as your group’s responses and connections.

Goal: a more diverse and thus more “complete” understanding about and feeling for the essay and the issues it raises. The connections you make will also help begin to develop possibilities for writing.

Reading Notes

Until now, I have allowed you to determine for yourselves what your reading notes will look like. For the most part, the class has overwhelmingly written standard notes on the important elements in each text. Now I want you to begin engaging the texts on a more intellectual and cognitive level. Your reading notes should consist primarily of your own thoughts and ideas that develop as you read. When jotting down ideas, speculate wildly, and take chances.

To get started, pick something out of the reading that caught your interest. Maybe it clarified something for you, maybe it confused you, or maybe it reminded you of something or gave you an idea. Paraphrase it, or if it is a short passage, you can copy it right out of the book. Be sure to note the page number.

In a couple of paragraphs, tell why you chose it and discuss its significance. If you want, draw a connection between the idea and a different idea or passage. Raise questions about the passage or make comments about it that can be discussed.

Your goal in writing reading notes is to begin thinking deeply about the ideas a text presents and forming your own ideas that can launch you into an essay assignment. When I assign a required length for your notes, that minimum refers to the length of your own ideas and does not include the passage you’re commenting on. That is, a passage that runs 3/4 of a page with only 1/4 being commentary for a one page assignment is unacceptable. Feel free to write on more than one passage in order to meet the assignment requirements. Remember, I’m looking for thoughtfulness and not proper structure and grammar. Allow yourselves the freedom to ramble and dash out seemingly unconnected observations. Structure and unity will come later.

A Short, Informal Reading Response

Individual Section (do this before you come to class)

1. Read the assigned essay. While you’re reading, “mark up” the text by underlining, making marginal notes, etc. Reread if necessary.

2. When you’re finished reading and marking, choose a “chunk” of the text or a “meaty” passage that seems particularly troubling, confusing, or just interesting to you.

3. Respond to your chunk in the following specific ways:

(a) Literally (what do you think is going on here?)

(b) Emotionally (what associations and connections do you make?)

(c) Intellectually (what ideas or questions does this raise for you?)

(d) As a writer (what do you notice about the author’s craft, style, tone, etc.?). Finally, determine how the ideas in your chunk connect to other chunks and ideas in the rest of the text.

Group Section (do this section in class)

4. Each person should share his or her chunk with the group by reading it aloud. Only read the chunk, not your response yet. Note what “chunks” repeat in your group.

5. Each person then shares his or her specific responses (from #3 above). Then discuss the issues, questions, ideas etc. that have been raised.

6. For homework, write a second response: either a revised version of your first response, or a new response to someone else’s chunk. Also, include how the group discussion affected your second response.

--Robert Leston

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