9
Steps to Successful Reading FOR Evidence and Writing WITH Evidence – This covers questions where you have to figure out a reasonable
answer. These basic steps apply to any question where you have to figure
things out accurately and quickly. |
If you are just collecting information for
a general paper, you can probably work as you did as a kid and be OK. If you need to figure something out
accurately and quickly, critical thinking is a lot like a math problem that
is too big to work in your head. You have to use paper and pencil to work
it—to try out different solutions and reject some things if necessary. Paper
and pencil help: ·
With reading FOR evidence ·
With the 5Ws chart to help you understand
things so you can write WITH evidence |
Honorable reporters are expected to cover at least these things:
§ Who?
§ What?
§ When? (for this class, not a specific date but a period of time or an order of events)
§ Where?
§ Why?
§
and sometimes How?
Be sure you:
§ Always make sure you understand the question. For example, if the Comparison Topic is about a region, a type of worker, or any category, always check that you have the right one. If you do not find that in the resources for the course, then ask.
§ Write down the specific page number where you can find a specific fact you place in the chart. (If facts in a section of the chart are from one page, you may place the page number after the last fact.)
§ Do not write down quotations at this stage. Instead, if you think you might want to quote a phrase, write the word QUOTE? and the page number in the 5 Ws Chart as a reminder.
§
Line things up in each of the time periods so
you can see changes easily. (The videos above show you an example of how to
line up facts.)
When you are doing this for yourself, just write the 5 Ws Chart on a piece of notebook paper with lines.
§ Limit
yourself to a word or two for each
thing. Refer to things in the book; don’t copy what is in the book, especially
not quotations.
Caution: these are videos that show how to use read for evidence and write with evidence. The examples are from the textbook used previously at WCJC. The textbook has changed, but the methods shown apply to any source.
Information on a basic method for reading FOR evidence with examples of the reading method and of logging what you observed in a 5 Ws chart for pages: · 35 on how Africans in Virginia began in the 1620s sometimes as servants and sometimes as slaves · 75 on the changes to law by the colonial legislatures with the black codes If you prefer a face-to-face meeting or a phone conference, let me know. Tips:
|
§ If you want to quote a phrase that you identified, open the book and quote it exactly. To avoid errors in quoting, use the brain trick in this link.
§ Keep
your book closed as you write. If you must check on something, open it briefly
but close it again before you write
a word.
Why? If you have your book open when you write or you took extensive notes (see the tip with step 1), in almost
all cases you will make both these
errors:
- Plagiarize or do a “half-copy” version of plagiarism (to use the term in The Bedford Handbook)
- Be factually inaccurate
§ Read your paper syllable by syllable—ideally in a funny accent that will force you to pay attention.
§ Check your paper against each of the instructions for the assignment. Did you do everything?
§ Run spellcheck and grammar check with your paper, but do not make corrections automatically.
§ Check your citations: some people benefit by using this tactile method to make sure their citations are correct.
Here are
additional tips on how to prevent different types of errors:
·
How to verify content before you write
·
How to check evidence in your written work
· How to proof quotations - Plus the Basics about Quotations)
· How to proofread for clarity
Taking notes in a
separate notebook or on paper can be useful if you are collecting information
that you do not have easy access to. The typical example of when it is OK to
take notes is when you are collecting information for a term paper when you
can’t check out the source.
If you take notes in
a notebook when you read a textbook or when you read anything you have to do something with, it is dangerous to
your success. The simplest way to put it is:
IF you are absolutely sure that taking notes from your textbook is
something you ought to do, then click
here for a PowerPoint
video on the danger of taking notes separately from your source.
Copyright C. J. Bibus,
Ed.D. 2003-2015 |
WCJC
Department: |
History
– Dr. Bibus |
Contact
Information: |
281.239.1577
or bibusc@wcjc.edu |
Last
Updated: |
2015 |
WCJC
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