Abstracts for Reading and Discussion

Abstracts for Reading and Discussion

Mr. Schwartz

As you do each reading, please develop the habit of making abstracts of each reading that briefly summarize points about the work and your reflections on it in the following categories. I strongly recommend that you keep notes in this fashion so that our discussions and your class presentations will be more effective.

The main, overarching point or argument
Evidence for it (several specific examples)
Connections with other works and subjects
Promptings/Reactions—ideas and reflections stimulated by the work under consideration, including questions and topics for further research.
Evaluation—assessment of the reading, its argument, its persuasiveness, etc. Thumbs up? Thumbs down? Why?