Previewing |
What
is it? |
A "preview" is a brief inspection of a piece
of writing prior to reading it to find out what you can about the work. Your goals
are:
- To determine the author's purpose in writing the
piece;
- to identify its general contents; and
- to locate any special features of the text (graphic
aids, review material, glossaries, etc.) that might help you master it.
|
Why
do
it? |
Reading is, to a large extent,
predicting. The more accurately you can predict the content of a piece of writing,
the better and more easily you will comprehend it.
In addition, you are more likely to be able to follow the material presented if you know
in advance where you are going. You are also likely to be more successful in
mastering the material if you begin your reading with an understanding of how the pieces
of information presented are related to each other (chronological; cause and effect;
etc,). |
How
do
you
do
it? |
Take a few minutes to look over the pages
of the text to be read. Stop to read anything that stands out, including
- headings,
- bold-type words,
- graphics and their captions, and
- summaries.
Take notes to help you answer the questions below. |
Task #14
Step1:
Step 2:
|
Preview the chapter, "The New Deal." As you are doing so, prepare to
answer the following questions:
1. What does the author want you to learn from
it? Write a general statement about it, but be more specific than "The author
wants me to learn about the New Deal." What does s/he want you to understand
about the New Deal? Is the author writing to inform you about
something or to persuade you of something?)
2. What kinds of supporting information does the
author include about the topic?
3. What tools or aids does the author provide in the text to assist you
in mastering this material?
Post your answer on the forum as "Preview."
Read three other answers to each question. |
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