Mon. Oct. 28 Active Reading

You were given the first chapter of Night and questions to answer and hand in at the beginning of class today. I reviewed your exams and can see that most of you need to work on active reading skills, so that's what we did today. You were to use the steps below and actively read the chapter of Night for the end of class. If you were not here on Friday, the questions are due at the start of class tomorrow.

How to Read Actively (Abridged)

 

(During and a Bit of After)

 

 

1. Analyze the title (before your read). Write down in one or two words what it might mean.

 

2. Count the number of paragraphs (this is a “before” activity but, oh well). Put the numbers beside them.

 

3. Read the first paragraph

 

a. If it is a text passage (book, short story etc)

 

i. Highlight the thesis (or main points) found in each paragraph as you read (the five Ws at a minimum)

 

ii. Highlight and define unknown words, allusions,phrases (allusions are references to historical times, books plays, people, etc that the writer would expect the reader to be familiar with). Look these up and put the definitions down on the text itself if it is a photocopy.

 

iii. AFTER READING EACH PARAGRAPH, paraphrase the paragraph (in one or two words!!!!!!!) and write this in the margin if it is a photocopied text.

 

 

5. AFTER READING THE WHOLE TEXT, summarize work at the end (three sentences only!)

 

6. Determine topic and purpose and write this down.

 

7. IN ADDITION, as you read, if you don’t understand something or have a question, either write this down or, as a reading shortcut, just put a question mark in the margin. When you are finished reading, add the questions you have to the back of the page if there is room. A passage should evoke at least five questions, so that it what I am looking for.

Answer the five questions!!!!