Adult Learning Academy

Unit C Readers Response Assignment Sheet

In this formal readers response you will write a thoughtful, well-organized response to an article. By engaging with this topic through writing about it and relating it to yourself, you will deepen your understanding and demonstrate that you understand the content of the article. Your specific assignment is to respond to the thesis and at least three main ideas in an article you select. Step by step, heres how to get this assignment accomplished: Step 1: Read the rubric provided for this assignment. Step 2: Use a KWL+ chart to fine tune your reading of the article and to identify the main ideas and develop your initial response. Step 3: Write your draft. This is a formal writing assignment, and it should be word-processed using the provided APA-Lite template. Step 4: Use the rubric to revise for content (HOC). Step 5: Now, provide a second reader with the revised draft. Important: be sure to give your second reader your corrections sheet to work with. Step 6: Print out a copy, proofread aloud and edit by hand (LOC). Step 7: Now, provide a second reader with the edited draft. Frequently, a draft may go through this process multiple times until you reach proficient levels on the rubric. Step 8: When you have completed your readers response, please submit your final draft (see below) to your instructor. Your final draft submission should include: your completed KWL+ chart all revised drafts your final draft

TIPS FOR SUCCESS As you complete your work, you can consult with the instructors or the EAs. However, remember this is your process! Any suggestions (especially editing) should be explained, not just done. Always ask why a correction is suggested. If you need help with the word-processing, including saving your work so that it is always retrievable, ask us! We can help! When youre responding to a particular article, its important to know how to acknowledge the author or authors of the article. This can get tricky, so here are some rules of thumb to keep it simple: In her article Working in the Hospital, Judy Jones (2011) has provided us with (fill-in-thisblank with the main point of the article). Name: Jones Pronoun: She, Her Noun: The author, the writer, the researcher Jones described our society as having held a hospital-centric view for centuries (p. 35).

The first time you mention the article and author, it should look something like From then on, you can either refer to the author by: You wont need to repeat the year since it will be clear that youre still discussing the same article. If you quote any words directly, then just use her name again and put the page number at the end of the quote. Use the page number of the original article. Here are some great verbs to use to acknowledge what Jones did as she made her case: So much more interesting than Jones said. Also, please note: the verbs are all in past tense! See also List of Signal Words in Learning Resources.

admitted declared reasoned agreed denied rejected argued emphasized reported asserted claimed

responded wrote pointed out confirmed thought observed compared suggested noted insisted

A note on essay format for this assignment: Your introduction is a full paragraph. The introduction should identify the source, the topic, the main idea of the article and the response writers thesis statement. Your body paragraphs should identify and respond to each main point. Your conclusion: have at it! For example, how do you think the topic will affect you as a healthcare provider? Do you have further concerns or recommendations? Is the topic important? Imagine your audience to be your fellow classmates: ALA scholars who may not have read this article. You need to supply enough information from the text for your reader to understand your point of view.
revised 1/8/14