MARGINAL ANNOTATIONS ² Read, Re-Read, Re-Read ² Some aspects you may make note of: u u u u u u Main idea Significant concept Key terms Questions you have Moments when you have an emotional response Contradictions/tensions DISCUSSING COYLE Think about these questions to identify uses and limits of the text (please cite page numbers!): A. u u u Main argument/claim and evidence What is the writer’s main argument/claim? What (if any) sub-claims/smaller claims does the writer make? Evidence—what examples, research, and other evidence does the writer use? B. u u u C. u u u u u u Aims/Purpose: What inspired the writer to make this argument? To whom you think the writer is writing? What you imagine the writer might want readers to with the argument? Methods: Does the writer make any assumptions? How does the writer collect evidence/do research? How does the writer present the argument to make it compelling and/or persuasive (i.e., turns of phrase, style, organization, etc.)? How does this writer establish credibility? How does the writer appeal to readers’ emotions? How does the writer appeal to readers’ logic or reason? D. u u u u Context/occasion: What was the occasion for writing this? What circumstances shaped this work; how did they shape the text (i.e., political, cultural, logistical constraints such as funding, deadline, length, etc.)? What we know about who this writer is? What we know about the occasion of publication? E. u u u Questions: What questions does the writer ask? What larger questions is the writer grappling with? What questions does the text generate for you?