Reading Journal Component #3: Specialized Reading Strategies
To Do
Does your selected text include a chart, table, or graph?
OPTION A
If yes, write a paragraph that describes what you learn from reading this chart, table, or graph closely. Why do you think the author(s) might have included this information in a visual form, rather than in sentence form in the body of the text?
OPTION B
If your selected text does not include a chart, table, or graph, you’ll instead take this opportunity to practice the Cornell Method of Note-taking. Review the Science Texts video (repeated below). Apply the Cornell Method to one part of your selected reading. Even if your selected text isn’t a scientific essay, this method of note-taking is still useful to apply in many situations where you will need to remember the information later.
Worked Example
This student completed Option A:
Reading Journal Component 3
“Multiple Intelligences” by Fred Mednick
Option A
My reading selection does contain a table. It has two columns: one is “Multiple Intelligences” and the other is “Overview.” Each row defines a specific type of intelligence that Dr. Howard Gardner identified, and then gives a demonstration of what type of intelligence is and how it works. I think a table is a nice way to convey this information, because it lets you see what all the types of intelligences are at a glance, and get a sense of how each one works. I get the feeling that it would be easy to consult that table again later, like if I had to study to prepare for a test on this subject. There are 7 types of intelligences listed on this table. The rest of the article goes on to describe a few more types, and it would be nice if all of those appeared on the table, too, so that we could see them all in one place.
