Adopt-A-Book Reading Log

A scrapbook, journal, or webpage with entries on at least 120 pages of one of the books listed here:  Adopt-a-Book List 

Due October 10

Entries and the log itself may vary in length; what is important is that you read the book actively and thoroughly and record the experience of reading.

The purpose of this assignment is to supplement the common readings and central discussion of the course with your own individual focus.  You can use the reading log in several ways:

• To read the works of one theorist in depth

• To explore a moment in the development of feminist theories other than the one we are focusing on in class

• To explore the application of theory to research or activism on a particular feminist concern

• A combination of the above

Choose one of the books on the Adopt-a-Book list that you will make your own.  While the log is not due until after the midterm break, you'll get the most out of this assignment if you commit yourself to working on this project regularly.  Starting as soon as you select your book, plan on reading 20-30 pages per week and making weekly entries in your log.  Before you hand in the log, you will write a brief afterword encapsulating your experience exploring the book.

Format for Reading Log

The format is up to you.  It could be a notebook, a scrapbook, a lab book, a Word file, a website--whatever format you find comfortable, creative, and suited to your talents and learning style. 

Entries

Begin each entry with the date, the page numbers of the reading you're commenting on, and the title of the chapter, article, or section you read.  The length of the entry is not as important as a demonstration of your active engagement with the reading.

Here are some basic tips for making entries (these are not requirements; they're just to get you going):

• Record and comment on key phrases or brief quotes that capture the essence of what interests you. 
• What do you think of this reading? 
• How does it relate to the assigned readings and class discussion?
• How does the reading relate to the course's goals?
• Look for theoretical statements and examples that illustrate those statements—or contradict them, or overflow them
• What, specifically, about the reading draws your interest and extends your knowledge?   Comment on key phrases or details that capture the essence of what interests you. 
• How does the reading relate to earlier entries in your log?
• What theoretical issues does the source illustrate, or contradict, or expand on? 

Use your reading log as a discovery space; experiment with different approaches to the reading.  You are welcome to incorporate visuals, current news, materials from other courses--anything that relates to your Adopt-A-Book.  As always, clearly document the sources for additional materials, including readings and discussions from other courses.

Afterword

Once you've completed the entries, write a two to three page afterword.  Rather than trying to summarize the entire log, concentrate on the following points:

• What was new to you about reading this book--new learning, new approaches to issues or concepts?

• Reviewing all of the entries, what new thoughts do you have about your approach to the text--thoughts you haven't stated yet, reflections on how your thinking has changed?

• How has your work on this text interacted with our semester-long participation in the larger discussion of feminist theory? 

• What new questions do you have now?  Where would you go from here?

Assessment

The reading log is an informal research/writing assignment, so the assessment guidelines apply somewhat differently.  Please review these requirements carefully; assignments that do not meet these requirements will lose points.

(a) Technical Form (10%):  Whatever form you choose, include the Instructor's name, course title and number, your name, and complete bibliographic information for the book you've adopted at the beginning.  Date each entry and include the page range and title of the chapter or section you are commenting about.  All extra sources consulted must be fully cited, using any consistent format (APA and MLA are both acceptable); this includes citations from the internet.  Use of source materials in ways that violate academic integrity will result in a score of zero for the project as a whole even for an informal project.  Check out this Academic Integrity link.

(b) Writing Style (15%):   You are not expected to use formal academic prose in the log, but your comments should be readable and make sense.   The focus in this assignment is on your voice. 

(c) Organization (15%):   Whatever format you use, the log must have an overall cohesiveness.   Develop your ideas as you go along, refer back to earlier entries, and provide guide-posts to that development. 

(d) Content (60%):  The content grade depends mainly on evidence of your thorough exploration of the book you adopted.  You will need to do your best to grasp what the book is saying, researching terms and concepts, if necessary, to enrich your comprehension.  If  there are significant problems with the form, style, or organization of the log, it may be difficult for the reader to fully appreciate the content.  As in formal writing, in informal writing, reliance on self-evident statements, cliches, unsupported generalizations, and easy answers in general will result in low content scores.  Logs that consist largely of  passages from sources or close paraphrases without proper documentation or your own thoughtful, interpretive commentary will receive a total score of 0.  Again, check out this Academic Integrity link.