The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate that you have thought carefully and analytically about the reading prior to class. Each paper must demonstrate that you have done the reading, but I want you to go beyond summarizing the reading to evaluate or compare the arguments or evidence presented by readings, connect ideas from different readings (this can include connecting ideas to one or more readings assigned for a previous week), and/or offer other analysis or reflections of your own on the reading. If there are several readings assigned for a given class session, you do not necessarily have to refer to all of them in your paper, but you should refer to any readings assigned for the session that are relevant to the topic of your paper. The best papers will be ones that demonstrate close engagement with ideas or information in the reading, present an original or thoughtful take, and are well-written.
You do not need to include a bibliography for these papers, but you should use a parenthetical citation to refer to the author’s last name if you are discussing an idea or information from a particular reading and the identity of that reading’s author would not necessarily be clear to me otherwise. If the reading has page numbers and you are referring to an idea or information from a particular page or set of pages, please include the page number(s) in the parenthetical citation too.
