Handouts and Lessons for Reading/Writing

Open Textbook of handouts and lessons developed by NROC to support reading and writing.

Unit 1: Introduction to College Reading and Writing

Author, Audience, and Purpose
Topic Sentences
Fact and Opinion
Responding to a Reading
Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Subjects and Verbs
Prepositional Phrases
End Punctuation
Using Context Clues
Identifying Word Parts
Essential College Skills: Timeliness and Punctuality

Unit 2: Identifying Main Ideas

Stated Main Ideas
Supporting Details
Annotating a Reading
Developing a Thesis Statement and Supporting Ideas
Writing a Summary
Writing a Summary-Response
Run-on Sentences
Comma Splices
Sentence Fragments
Essential College Skills: Critical Thinking

Unit 3: Discovering Implied Meaning

Major and Minor Supporting Details
Author’s Point of View and Cultural Context
Implied Main Ideas
Developing an Implied Thesis Statement and Topic Sentences
Subject-Verb Agreement
Past, Present, and Future Tense
Coherence
Essential College Skills: Reading Comprehension

Unit 4: Interpreting Bias

Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions
Outlining a Reading
Outlining an Essay
Using Transitional Words and Phrases
Writing a Multi-paragraph Essay
Commas with Introductory Phrases
Commas with Transitions
Faulty Parallel Structure
Adjectives and Adverbs
Essential College Skills: Note Taking

Unit 5: Analysis Through Definition

Identifying Denotation and Connotation
Identifying Types of Definitions
Recognizing Objective and Subjective Language
Creating an Effective Introductory Paragraph for an Essay
Writing and Revising a Multi-paragraph Definition Essay
Understanding the Four Sentence Types
Comma Use in a Series
First-, Second-, and Third-Person Pronouns
Essential College Skills: Studying and Time Management

Unit 6: Learning Across Discipline

Understanding Reading and Writing Differences Across Disciplines
Creating an Outline for an Analysis Essay
Developing Support in an Analysis Essay
Creating an Effective Conclusion for a Multi-paragraph Essay
Writing a Multi-paragraph Analysis Essay
Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions
Commas with Relative Pronouns
Apostrophes
Essential College Skills: Organizing a Paper

Unit 7: Exploring Comparative Elements

Identifying a Comparison Made in a Reading
Paraphrasing Reading Passages
Developing an Outline for a Compare and Contrast Essay
Developing a Thesis for a Compare and Contrast Essay
Figurative Language
Writing a Compare and Contrast Essay
Commonly Confused Words
Parenthetical Expressions
Mistakes with Modifiers
Active and Passive Voice
Essential College Skills: Test-taking—Tips for Showing What You Really Know

Unit 8: Informed Opinions Through Causal Chains

Listing Causes and Effects in a Reading
Logical Fallacies and Causal Relationships
Responding Effectively to Essay Assignments
Creating an Outline for a Cause and Effect Essay
Writing an Essay Showing Cause and Effect Pattern
Numbers
Semicolons, Colons, and Commas
Essential College Skills: The Importance of Your Voice

Unit 9: Applied Critical Analysis

Recognizing the Main Idea and Source Bias in a Complex Reading
Evaluating Credible Sources Used Within a Reading
Creating a Thesis and an Outline for a Critical Analysis Essay
Using Effective Evidentiary Support
Paraphrasing vs. Direct Quotations
Logical Fallacies and Analysis
Writing a Multi-page Critical Analysis Essay
Creating Concise Sentences
Blending Source Material into an Essay
MLA Citation Styles
APA Citation Styles
Essential College Skills: Using the Voice of Others—Information Literacy and Credible Sources

Unit 10: Using Sources in Critical Reading and Writing

Relating Different Viewpoints
Finding and Evaluating Sources
Evidentiary Support
Developing a Thesis and Outline for a Persuasion Essay
Writing a Persuasion Essay Using Evidence
Avoiding Plagiarism
Capitalizing Words and Punctuating Titles
Quotation Marks
Formatting a College Essay — MLA Style
Formatting a College Essay — APA Style
Essential College Skills: Teamwork: Learning and Collaborating with Your Classmates

Handouts and Tools that will support your reading

These will help you as you read articles and stories in this course and they will help you to become better writers who fully support your assertions with evidence.

You can make your own copies of these handouts and use them if you are struggling with any of the reading and writing assignments in your course. On a side note, you may want to save these for college in a place that is not your school account so you have access to them after you graduate.

01 - Reading Closely for Textual Details

These handouts are designed to help you find details in what you are reading so that you fully understand what you are reading. 

02 - Making Evidence-Based Claims

03 - Researching to Deepen Understanding

04 - Building-Evidence Based Arguments



Last modified: Tuesday, April 7, 2020, 10:52 AM