Question Paper

Here is the overhead about the question paper I showed you in class. Again, the instructions are simply: ask an open-ended, interpretive question you have about the text, and try to answer it! Don't feel like you need to include lots of citations - I just want you to think about the text and try to make your own interpretation. Think of it as a higher-level freewrite!

1. What is a question paper?

A question paper is an alternative to "study questions" about a work of literature. It's a piece of focused freewriting in which you think on paper a sort of dialogue between the writer and yourself. The question paper begins with a question you have about the work (possibly from your reading logs) and proceeds through a series of possible answers and further questions these answers generate--a free-wheeling alternation of questions and possible answers.

2. Why do a question paper?

By asking your own questions about a text, you will have to look at the piece closely and find your own answers in a text, rather than trying to figure out what I am thinking or what the "right" answer is. In becoming able to ask your own questions about a text, you will be better prepared to interpret a text in the future without my help. This skill is crucial in order to succeed in college (whatever your major is), and also to make sense of any text as an adult.

Writing a question paper will also provide for a better discussion, because you can bring your questions and ideas to your fellow classmates. You can use this approach to any text, including science texts, films, newspaper articles, visual art, blogs, government documents, and non-fiction books.

If you would like to see a sample, log in to the nicenet page for our class (login is on the syllabus) and look under "Documents."

Please type your question papers if you can. If typed, your paper should be 1-2 pages single-spaced (and in 12 pt. font). If you write it by hand, it needs to be at least 2 pages.
Due Wednesday, March 4th

For this task, you do have the option to post your question paper on your blog. If you decide to do this, I will leave feedback and the points you earned in the comments section of your blog (if you don't want anyone to see, you can choose to delete or not to approve my comment).