English 1301 Reading Journal

1. You don’t need a title page. Prepare first page and later pages in MLA style (See LBH for samples)

2. Title your journal as follows: Reading Journal: "article title"

3. Section I: Pre-Reading Journal (20 points; write at least a full page) Before reading the selection, fully respond to every question given in the "Pre-Reading Journal Entry," which is located right below the author's biographical note. You are encouraged to explore your thoughts–in a loose, unpressured way–about an issue that will be raised in the selection.

4. Section II: Summary (15 points; write no more than a page)
First, read the entire selection at least a couple of times to fully grasp the essential meaning of the work. Then, in your first sentence, provide the author's full name, the title of the work, and the central idea (thesis, not just the subject) of the work. (For example, Langston Hughes in "Salvation" says that people make bad decisions when they feel pressured.)
Next, present the work's main supporting points and stick to the original organization. Try to be objective; do not give your own opinion or value judgments. A summary should be written in your own words; use quotation marks around original phrases you feel are important to include for clarity of a point.

5. Section III: Evaluation (15 points; comment on at least two of the four areas listed below). Explain whether you like or dislike the selection. Your evaluation should be based on consideration of a) content (central idea & supporting details), b) organization (flow between ideas, introduction, and conclusion), c) style (language