My approach to active critical reading is comprised of first establishing the thesis, identifying claim sentences and supporting details, and marking any supporting details that I determine to be especially important. My markings on the paper include underlining the thesis, claim sentences and supporting details and circling and then defining any words that I find myself to be unfamiliar with. I am always sure to reread any given text to make sure that I do not miss any key details. I make sure to mark the paper frequently with reactions to the material as it makes me think and interact with the text, almost as if I am in a conversation with the author. In my chosen annotation evidence are my annotations of To Answer Our Most Fundamental Questions, Science Needs To Find A Place For The Arts. In my annotations, I underlined and wrote comments that marked Jonah Lehrer thesis of “If we want answers to our most essential questions, then we will need to bridge…” (Lehrer 2). I also marked supporting details as well as anything else that I thought would be useful in the development of my own argument while defining any words I did not recognize. I made sure to also write down my own reactions for further consideration. I mark anything that I deem to be important or useful to myself. In my opinion, this shows me that I have the ability to think critically about the material I am reading and that I am willing to write down my reaction and opinions.
