Reading Assignment

Percentage of final grade: 10%

Due date: Friday 28 March at 12 pm, midday.

Open from Thursday 6 March 12 pm midday until due date of Friday 28 March, 12pm midday.

This Reading Assessment requires you to read a specific reading from the course materials, critically think about the content of that reading and provide your written commentary on the reading.

This briefing document summarizes the main themes and important ideas presented in the provided excerpts from "Critical Reading and Commentary Guidelines." The document focuses on the objectives, process, and expectations for a critical reading and commentary assessment.

Main Themes:

The central themes of this document revolve around the development and demonstration of critical thinking skills in relation to academic reading. This involves not just understanding the text, but also actively engaging with the author's arguments, evaluating their validity, and forming reasoned opinions. The guidelines also emphasize the importance of independent analysis, clear articulation, succinctness, and coherent reasoning in the written commentary.

Key Ideas and Facts:

Purpose of the Assessment: The primary goal of this assessment is to encourage students to "think critically and make reasoned commentaries on a selected reading," aligning with specific course capabilities (Capabilities 4 and 6).
Definition of Critical Thinking: The guidelines explicitly state that "Critically thinking about the reading means considering the points or arguments that the author makes in the reading and evaluating whether you agree or disagree with their points or arguments." This emphasizes active engagement and evaluation, moving beyond mere comprehension.
Guiding Questions for Critical Analysis: To facilitate critical thinking, the document provides a series of guiding questions students should consider while reading. These questions cover various aspects of analysis, including:
Comprehension: "Do I understand what the author is saying?" and providing strategies for addressing a lack of understanding (dictionary use, rereading, peer discussion).
Identification of Key Ideas: "What are the key ideas explored by the author?" and "How do these ideas relate to each other?"
Evaluation of Support: "What examples are used to support these ideas?"
Forming Personal Opinions: "What are your thoughts?" "Do you agree or disagree with what the author is saying about these ideas?" "Why do I agree or disagree?" and "What examples can you use from the reading to support your understanding?"
Commentary Requirements: The assessment requires students to:
Highlight: Identify "two different sentences or two portions of two different sentences" in the reading, ensuring no duplication with other students' selections.
Write Two Commentaries: Produce two separate commentaries, one for each highlighted section.
Word Count: Each commentary must be "a minimum of 80 words and a maximum of 160 words."
Independent Work: "Your commentary must be independent; do not respond to the commentary of other students."
Examples of Commentary Starters: The document provides non-exclusive examples to guide students in initiating their commentaries, such as: "I agree with this sentence because…", "I disagree with this sentence because…", "This argument is persuasive because…", and "This argument is not persuasive because…"
Qualities of Relevant Comments: "Relevant comments are those that focus on important issues or insights that relate to the reading." Examples of relevant comments include "elaboration on a topic, explaining its assumptions or using an example to shed some light on it."
Assessment Criteria: The guidelines implicitly highlight key criteria for evaluating the commentaries, including:
Articulation: "Articulation is the use of clear, simple sentences to explain one’s ideas."
Succinctness: "Succinctness is your ability to concisely state your ideas."
Coherency: "Coherency is ensuring your comment contains an idea or view that is supported with logical reasoning. Your comment is set out in a systematic manner such that people can follow what you are saying."

Key Quotes:

"Critically thinking about the reading means considering the points or arguments that the author makes in the reading and evaluating whether you agree or disagree with their points or arguments." This clearly defines the core expectation of the assessment.
"Your commentary must be independent; do not respond to the commentary of other students." This emphasizes the need for original and individual analysis.
"Relevant comments are those that focus on important issues or insights that relate to the reading. Relevant comments may include elaboration on a topic, explaining its assumptions or using an example to shed some light on it." This provides guidance on the desired content and depth of the commentaries.
"Articulation is the use of clear, simple sentences to explain one’s ideas." This highlights the importance of clear and understandable writing.
"Coherency is ensuring your comment contains an idea or view that is supported with logical reasoning. Your comment is set out in a systematic manner such that people can follow what you are saying." This underscores the need for well-supported and logically structured arguments.

In conclusion, these guidelines provide a clear framework for students to engage in critical reading and to articulate their reasoned responses in a structured and concise manner. The emphasis is on active intellectual engagement with the text, independent thinking, and the clear communication of one's analysis and evaluation.

Part 1 provides an overview of Perusall and the purpose of the assessment. It also describes how you may further develop your reading and writing skills.

Part 2 gives instructions for completing the assessment, and grading information.

This is an introductory assessment that will require you to think critically and make reasoned commentaries on a selected reading (as per Capabilities 4 and 6 in the LAW121G Course Syllabus on Canvas).

Critically thinking about the reading means considering the points or arguments that the author makes in the reading and evaluating whether you agree or disagree with their points or arguments. For more information, see Learning Essentials (below).

As you read, consider the following questions to guide your critical analysis and your written commentary:

Do I understand what the author is saying?
1. If not, use a dictionary to look up words you don’t understand and/or reread those parts which you don’t understand.
2. If you are still unsure, ask others in your clinics or those in your study group to explain those parts you don’t understand.
- What are the key ideas explored by the author?
  1. How do these ideas relate to each other?
  2. What examples are used to support these ideas?
- What are your thoughts?
  1. Do you agree or disagree with what the author is saying about these ideas?
  2. Why do I agree or disagree?
  3. What examples can you use from the reading to support your understanding?
    Once you have considered the above questions, you can then highlight two different sentences or two portions of two different sentences. Do not highlight the same sentence or sentences as another student.
  2. You should make two commentaries, one for each highlighted area. Each commentary should be a minimum of 80 words and a maximum of 160 words.
  3. Examples of how you might begin your commentary are (but not limited to):
  I agree with this sentence because…
  I disagree with this sentence because…
  This argument is persuasive because…
  This argument is not persuasive because…
  4. Your commentary must be independent; do not respond to the commentary of other students.

Following instructions this means highlighting two different sentences or two portions of two different sentences and providing commentary on each highlighted section with each commentary being a minimum of 80 words and a maximum of 160 words.
Relevant comments are those that focus on important issues or insights that relate to the reading. Relevant comments may include elaboration on a topic, explaining its assumptions or using an example to shed some light on it.
Articulation is the use of clear, simple sentences to explain one’s ideas.
Succinctness is your ability to concisely state your ideas.
Coherency is ensuring your comment contains an idea or view that is supported with logical reasoning. Your comment is set out in a systematic manner such that people can follow what you are saying.