Bedford Reading for 9/28

For the next class meeting, this Tuesday, please have read the following excerpt from the Hacker text: pages 118-129. This section, Section 6, deals with how one must evaluate another's argument for, as the text states, "logic and fairness" (Hacker 118).

Be sure to read this section closely, looking for key terms and headings as you make your way through the text. Much like there are many Rhetorical Devices which help us formulate and structure our writing, there are numerous aspects of writing (especially expository and argumentative writing) that demand to be evaluated for rationality, accuracy, and so on. We will be doing Exercise 6-1 in class Tuesday, so you may wish to look over this closely before we meet as well.

I am providing today's in-class handout of pages 86-103 a second time because I cannot stress enough the importance of this section of The Bedford Reader. Here you will find detailed descriptions of the following important skills needed to succeed in your writing for this class and many (if not most or all) of your academic courses:

1. Guidelines for active reading (cf. p.87)
2. Annotating the text as you read it (cf. p. 86, 88)
3. Outlining the examined text's thesis and main points in your own words (cf. p.90f)
4. Summarizing the text (cf. p.93)
5. Analyzing the text (cf. p.95)

Furthermore, I highly encourage you to read over the sample student essay by Emilia Sanchez. This appears on pages ninety-eight through one-hundred. This example will undoubtedly prove helpful as you begin to draft your first paper which is due next Thursday.

Happy reading.