Thought Exercises

Analysis, Evaluation, and Questioning Literature You took "Honors" English to prepare yourself for the AP English test or to prepare yourself for college. That means you should be reading something that will prepare you for those 2 events. Your outside reading book is something you should read thoughtfully and academically. It should not be a "casual" reading that you would do "just for fun." This is college-bound, college preparation reading. What is a Thought Exercise? A thought exercise is thinking analytically and interacting with a text. You use this technique to evaluate, summarize, question, critique, and learn.  You can't truly know something until you can  use it as your own, reflecting on a text's information, understanding the idea of the words, the intent of the author, and the personal reaction and thoughts you have before you read, during your reading, and after you've reading the text. Format Title your thought exercise creatively (not “Thought Exercise #2” or similar). Always put your NAME, Class period, and Date on a Thought Exercise. Mrs Phippen's Thought Exercise Sample Link See Mr. Nagro's thought exercise page here   The RULESHERE Honors READING LIST LINK

DIRECTIONS: How to Construct a Thought Exercise Example link here 1. As you read assigned texts, note passages that seem especially revealing, interesting, perplexing, or controversial.Mark them in your book with a post-it, card, or write it down somewhere you won't lose it. 2. When you finish reading, choose a quotation (minimum 2-4 lines of poetry, sentences of dramatic dialogue, or prose).  Introduce and incorporate this quotation into the body of the paragraph (do not use it as a topic sentence or a concluding sentence). 3. Write a thoughtful paragraph explaining the significance of the quotation to the work, why you find it thought-provoking personally, or representative of an important literary or historical idea.  Do not simply record your initial reaction and whether or not you like or dislike it. Explain and explore the quote! Title your thought exercise creatively (not “Thought Exercise #2” or similar) Following the paragraph, write one interpretive or evaluative question (or more) you have about the passage, the work as a whole, a theme, or historical context. You may also write a question that could stimulate class discussion. You may be called on to read your thought exercises aloud to the class at any time. Thought exercises may be collected and randomly redistributed to peers for discussion, feedback, and responses. Always do your best work. You will be graded on a 20 point scale: Ideas & Content = 10 points 10 = Outstanding, insightful 9 = Excellent, astute 8 = Good, discerning 7 = Completed, perhaps a bit thoughtful, but generally lacks sincere effort 6 and below = Extreme lack of effort, not a paragraph, sloppy, haphazard Unreadable responses will receive a grade of 0. Missing elements (e.g., no question(s), forgot the quotation) will incur deductions. Mechanics = 3 points 3 = Perfect 2 = Some errors 1 = Needs specific attention Voice & Word Choice = 3 points 3 = Interesting and creative 2 = Normal usage, age appropriate 1< = poor word choice or major errors Sentence Fluency, Organization = 4 points 4 = Uses varied sentence construction, uses transitions from point to point, has clever topic sentence, important details and facts, and logical conclusion 3 = Reads well, makes sense, has topic sentence, details, and conclusion. Average. 2 = Makes sense, but doesn't have enough detail, or detail is misplaced. Could have better organization. 1 < Does not have topic sentence, transitions, full sentences, or conclusion.