Thursday, August 30, 2012

 

Reading Logs

Here are guidelines you can use for your notes.

A Reading Journal
from Reading to Write: Composition in Context by Peter Elias Sotiriou (9)

Critical Reading Framework

1. What is the selection saying, or what is it trying to prove?

2. What details are used to support what the selection is saying?

3. Are these details convincing?

4. If these details are not convincing, what is missing?

Critical reading is not passive reading. You should be reading with a pencil or highlighter in hand; underlining important words, phrases, sentences and making comments in the margins.

In your reading journal include some of the following:

1. List questions you may have about the reading

2. Discuss what you liked about the about the selection

3. State what you disliked about the selection

4. Comment on how this reading compares with other readings on this topic that you have read

5. List words or other terms that need defining, also terms that you can define but still don't understand the context used in the passage. Some words carry connotations connected to the culture of the characters and /or author which one might not appreciate or understand unless one is also an "insider."

6. Briefly summarize key concepts in the selection. One can also list themes.

7. List characters or key persons introduced in the section. A profile of the character is also helpful, one you can add to as the story develops.

In Diana Hacker's Rules for Writers see 5 (70-83) in 7th Ed. or 50c pages 401-402 (6th Ed.) The newer text is a better resource.


Comments:
Jamon Barfield
Professor Sabir
English 201 B
September 3, 2012

Afeni Shakur chapter one reading log

After reading the first section it mainly is talking about tupac shakur’s mothers past life. After reading this first chapter I feel like this book is going to talk about past lives of the Shakur family and also how to get through certain things in live that we might at the time feel like we can never get through. Some details in the book to support that is on pg. x “I want to reach people who have big problems,” people that look like they won’t get through. I want to talk about how you get through garbage….. Just putting one foot in front of the other. I want to talk about how you can survive without destroying yourself in the process and that when you do survive there’s something left… some spirit left for the next day.” These details are convincing to me because she Afeni talks about her past life that’s just something someone doesn’t make up plus she’s telling for life story to let the world know about her. So far the main charters are Afeni Shakur the famous rapper Tupac Shakur and Jasmine Guy the author of this book another person is Glo Shakur’s sister. Something that didn’t really add up to me is who is Jasmine and how did she know Tupac because none of that was mentioned yet? Afeni to me seems like she had a rough life growing up and it all comes down to her father being the man he was, very mean. She mentioned that her mother was a weak person because she let her father beat on her. She was raised in Virginia where the Klan’s lived so being African American was hard. Some words that I didn’t know the meaning to until I looked them up were ostracized, sustenance, trinkets, silhouetted, eluded, and reluctantly.

 
Tova Solomon
Professor Sabir
English 201A
4 September 2012
Afeni Shakur Chapter 1 Reading Log
Chapter 1 gave us a little insight into the author’s relationship with Afeni, but mostly it teaches us about Afeni’s life, both current and while she was growing up. The author had Afeni tell us her life story in her own words, so we got to see her mannerisms as well. Everything she told us was compared to the author’s own life growing up. I don’t know why Jasmine Guy didn’t just explain Afeni’s life, it would have been shorter and could have excluded tangents like the history of the Lumbees. It could have more explicitly stated that Afeni was trying not to be like her father, that would have made the rest of the passage more powerful.
 
Name: Shuluo Fu
Professor: Sabir
Course: English 201A
Date:9/02/2012


   Reading Journal--The Stuff, Evolution of A revolutionary, Afeni Shakur
   "The Stuff", Chapter 1 in "Evolution of A Revolutionary", from Jasmine Guy, trying to tell us a truth from Afeni Shakur's experience of her family. The main idea of the author is from a sentence which Afeni Shakur told her before,that is:"It's important to know the stuff you come from." What Jasmine Guy want to prove from Afeni Shakur's sentence is that she is so happy to have an such good daddy, even have a completely wonderful family that Afeni Shakur have not had before. All the detail used to support is included in the conversation between the author and Afeni Shakur, and I think those are convincing.
1. Summary
   This chapter starts with a traveling of Jasmine Guy, which was from her home to Stone Mt. GA, to see Afeni Shakur, who maybe is one of her best friends. Meanwhile, she describes some memories about the last time she met Afeni Shakur. Afterward, the author states two themes in the conversation between her and Afeni Shakur . Firstly, they talk about the house which Afeni Shakur is living. However, Afeni Shakur tells the author what the truthy thoughts in her mind is that she want the "land", not the house. As Afeni Shakur said:"And I wanted the land, not the house. The land, to live on and to cultivate and pass on to my family". On the other hand, the Afeni Shakur talked to the author about her family, a disintegrate family, included her great-grandfather, great-grandmother, and her parent. Finally, the author expresses her mind when she is on her way to home, that is: Happy to have the Daddy I have.
2.Personal Description
   when it comes to the discussion about what I like or dislike about the selection, I am just trying to say that I love the whole story because it is absolutely an wonderful story I have ever read before. However, the episodes I like the most is the moment when Afeni Shakur hugs the author twice. The first time is from the beginning of the conversation:"she hugs me, strong and hearty, as if she were a big ole man instead of the small-boned little lady she is"; the second time is from the end of the conversation:"I hug Afeni one last time, or so it seems when I hug her, because like I said, she hugs that way". These two episodes profoundly reflect the deep friendship between author and Afeni, which makes me feel warmth after I read another sadly episodes. I also feel that the Afeni is a kindly lady cause she know how to communicate with her friend through a detail like a hug.
   The episodes I dislike is the "foul language" in the conversation like"shit";"fuck up" because I think it will lead to some teenagers' imitation in her story. Moreover, I hate a word--"disowned". It should not be used in a family, especially for a parents. Unfortunately, it did happens in Afeni's family.
   Furthermore, My questions about this chapter is 1): why Afeni alway refer to "land", and what does it mean"I want the land, not the house"? 2): What the purpose of Afeni when she said that she got some Lumbees help her with the her land, and why she states their background, which seems has nothing to do with this story?
 
Students misunderstood the assignment. You do not post your reading logs here.

These are great samples, by the way (smile).
 
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