Reading Response Paper
“There is no perfect time to write. There’s only now.”
-Barbara Kingsolver
This paper is due by Saturday of Week 2 of class. The paper should be 2 double-spaced pages long, and follow MLA guidelines for paper formatting. This assignment is a formal essay, so you should follow the forms of good writing, which include no slang or text-speak, good grammar, spelling, and punctuation, good organization, a thesis statement with supporting points throughout (plenty of detail and specifics), and a conclusion. In addition, this paper will also introduce you to the writing process and require you to practice the second part of that process, which is called outlining. (See Week Two: Learning Activity for more information.) The brainstorming and outlining work must be turned in with your completed paper.
Paper 2 is a response paper. Response papers offer the reader/writer a chance to convey their perspective and knowledge of a specific text they have read. Response essays are a place in which the reader makes sense of what they have read through critique and synthesis. In reader response essays, you explain (and sometimes defend) your reaction to the reading(s).
For this paper, you will choose two (2) “This I Believe” essays from the following site: http://thisibelieve.org/themes/. Look for two essays that interest you and relate to one another in some way, for example, thematically.
Part IPreparing to Write the Reading Response Paper:
Read the two essays you have chosen. Read each essay first at your normal pace to get a sense of what the author is saying. Then, do a closer and more attentive reading of those “This I Believe” essays. This is a great opportunity to practice active reading! As you do the close reading, keep track of the following in writing:
Highlight main ideas (thesis statements), key points, any repetition, important words and terms, evidence, and conclusion.
Make notes of words or points you don’t understand.
Look for words or phrases that catch your attention
Ask the following questions about the essays:
What words provide the common thread?
What do the key words or terms mean to you?
How do the authors support their main idea?
Can you relate the author’s points to your personal experience or observation?
Do the essays remind you of something else you’ve read, seen on T.V., or talked about in another class?
Do you agree or disagree with the authors?
Part IIWriting the Reading Response Paper:
Your reading response essay should include the following:
In the first two paragraphs of your reading response essay, state the titles and authors of the chosen “This I Believe” essays. Give a brief summary of each and state the main ideas of the essays. Discuss the common thread(s) you have identified from the essays.
In the body of your reading response paper, explain your thoughts about the readings. Do you agree or disagree with the authors, and why? Has reading and examining the essays affected your thinking about the theme(s)? If so, how? Be specific, bringing in references and quotes from the essays to support your point. In addition, use the questions listed in step 4 above to help you formulate your response.
Your concluding paragraph is the last chance to pull your paper together for the reader. The conclusion should include a brief summary of your opinion of the authors’ main ideas, but don’t there. Also, re-read your paper, pulling out the most important points, and compile those points into a meaningful ending that encapsulates the various parts of your paper to show how they fit together.
Both your brainstorming work and outline must be submitted with the paper.
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Make sure I have brainstorming work and outline.
let me know if you have any question.
Thank you.
