You can choose ONE of these work mentioned below to talk about.

Module 03 lists are Euripides: “Medea” 

Aristophanes: “Lysistrata” 

Sanskrit Play Kabuki and Noh Theater 

William Shakespeare: “Hamlet” 

“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” 

Module 04 lists are Lewis Carroll: “Jabberwocky”

 Edgar Allen Poe: “The Raven”

 “Shijing” or “Classic of Poetry” 

Unknown: “Love Song of a Girl” 

Wilfred Owens: “Dulce Et Decorum Est” 

Langston Hughes: “Freedom” 

Donald Hall: “My Son My Executioner” 

Bob Dylan: “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”

Directions:

Before Reading–Preview the text: There are no “right” answers here. I am looking for you to be thorough and show you are thinking about the story. Anticipating a story’s content helps us engage critically with it. Use the provided story outlines in the module to help you with the preview step of the critical reading process. Write down your answers as you will be asked to present the information (not just in your books).

1. Jot down the time when you start to read (you are going to keep track of your reading times).
2. Notice the title: Does it give you any ideas about the story’s content? Try to venture a guess! Authors often use titles to help direct the reader’s attention to themes or important subjects in the story.
3. Who is the author? Do you know anything about the author or the author’s style? If you do not know anything about the author,  a quick internet search.
4. Read the first paragraph of the story.
5. What immediate questions do you have after completing the previewing activities (We call these “focusing” questions)? Note: these “focusing” questions will be relevant for the next step. all questions that may apply or that interest you. Do not write “yes/no” questions, which do not lead to any exploration. Write something open-ended requiring you to search the text for an answer.

During Reading: You cannot remember every detail of everything you read. If you try, you will read poorly. Instead, have some “big” questions or main ideas to focus your reading. These help you find important details for your purpose. Perhaps, another time, you will re-read the story with another purpose.

1. Choose two of the above “focusing” questions (those you came up with at the end of the previewing step).
2. As you read, annotate the text when you find details addressing your focusing questions. Consider choosing two different color pens, highlighters, or post-it notes to help you differentiate details and help you answer both focus questions. (You will be showing a picture of this as part of your reading log).

Annotating During Reading:

After Reading: This is the point where you begin putting together details to help you analyze and discuss the story. For now, I just want you to reflect on your experience reading the story. 

1. Reflect: How did the story make you feel?

• Think about your own personal response to it. Did it make you angry? Sad? Did it make you laugh? There are an infinite number of responses you could have. Remember, though, I am looking for thoughtfulness. It is not enough to say, “I didn’t like the story.” Reflect carefully on how the story truly made you feel and why. Be more than superficial.

2. Reflect: Jot down the end time for reading and reflect on the experience.

• I am not grading you on how long it takes to read. This is just a way to “measure” and reflect purposefully on how you read. Perhaps you only spent 10 minutes skimming quickly, and you realize that is not enough time to truly understand the story.
• What hindered or helped your reading as opposed to previous reading experiences? This can be all kinds of things: Was the vocabulary or style in the story hard to understand? Was the room too warm, or did you feel tired? Did you wait too long to do the assignment so you rushed? Again, use this as an opportunity to reflect honestly on how you read and be more than superficial.
• How can you improve the reading experience for next time?