Deconstructivist Architecture

 WRITING A RHETORICAL PRÉCIS ANALYSIS AND READING RESPONSE PAPER

I. How to read scholarly architectural texts:

As a critical thinking strategy for this course, as you read the required texts, start by situating them in their historical contexts. Ask yourself:

-When was this text written? and Who wrote it?

-Who is this person whose work I'm being asked to read? (Googling the author's name is encouraged)

-What can the text's date and the author's profile tell me about the argument he/she is trying to make?

-What are some of the key terms that these authors use to make their arguments?

-What do these terms mean?

-What is the central claim of the text, the purpose of each of these authors' writing?

As you read, use these questions to craft your weekly writing assignment, which we've called a reading response or rhetorical précis, where you will record some of these answers. To this information, add a reflection or reaction to the ideas you saw emerging in the full reading assignment for the week. Include questions, challenges, differing opinions, anything that will help us discuss, debate, or better understand the texts as we move on to discuss them as a group.

II. How to write a rhetorical précis:

A rhetorical précis is typically a short paragraph distilling the main ideas in the text and contextualized statement of their importance. It includes the following elements:

a) A single coherent sentence with the following: -name of the author, title of the work, date in parenthesis; -a rhetorically accurate verb (such as "assert," "argue," "deny," "refute," "prove," disprove," "explain," etc.) — this is important because authors usually don’t simply “say” things; and identifying what they are intending to do is a good starting point for understanding the reading.

-a that clause containing the major claim (thesis statement) of the work.

b) One or two sentences that explain how the author develops and supports the major claim (thesis statement). Does the author offer scientific evidence, or does he/she analyze under examined aspects of a work or idea…? What method, in short, does he/she use? What is the evidence the author uses?

c) A sentence or two that states the author's purpose (what for), including the intended audience and/or the relationship the author establishes with the audience. This sentence should clarify the angle, bias, or lens of the author; why they are bothering to write this; and who they are trying to convince. Another way of saying it is "what is the problem this author is trying to address in this writing"? Add your own comments.

**NOTE: PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PRECIS FOR THE WEEK TOGETHER IN ONE DOCUMENT, NOT SEPARATE DOCUMENTS FOR EACH.**

Précis Format Example:

Student Name

HTC1050/3050 History of Architecture and Design

Assignment Week (refer to course schedule)

Date (that you wrote the Précis)

Author

Title of Précis, Section/Chapter Name, Chapter or Page Numbers (If indicated), and Publication Date of Text

1. Sentence one provides:

a) the name of the author, the genre (essay, novel, etc.), and the title of the work with the publication date (in parenthesis), a concise appropriate verb (claims, argues, exams), followed by;

b) a “that” phrase in which the thesis of the work is stated (either paraphrased or quoted).

In [_______________________________]’s [_____________], [_______________________________]

author’s full name kind of source title of source

[(___________)], [_____________] argues that [__________________________________].

publication date author’s last name thesis of the work

2. Sentence two provides an explanation of how the author goes about supporting his/her thesis or main idea. Remember that brevity is important – you will not restate the details from the work, but explain the rhetorical method used by the writer to develop these supports.

By [_______________________________]ing [_____________________________________________]

verb how author supports the thesis and what evidence is used

[_______________________________] [_________________________________________________].

pronoun or author’s last name what the author is able to accomplish in the source

3. Sentence three states the purpose of the piece (which may reflect the thesis, but should also include the writer’s motives – why the author is writing this piece?). This is accomplished with an “in order to” phrase.

The author’s (His or Her) purpose it to [___________________________________________________]

author’s purpose

in order to [_________________________________________________________________________].

author’s goal or motivation

4. Sentence four explains the author’s intended audience and how the author positions the ideas or thesis with that audience.

[___________________] positions himself as [_____________________________________________]

author’s last name how the author positions himself/herself

and wants to reach [__________________________________________________________________].

Targeted audience for the source. Why? What is the bias?

5. Sentence five depicts how the source is relevant or applicable to your developing ideas.

[__________________________________________________________________________________].

how the work is relevant or applicable to your own developing ideas or research

6, 7, 8. Sentence 6 and 7 adds comments of your own reflection, analysis, or research direction. Sentence 8 restates an arguable point. No first person voice.

Options/Suggestions:

Text to Self: Something in the Text that applies or changes you (Self)

Text to World: Something in the Text that applies or changes the greater community or society (World)

Text to Text: Something in the Text that applies or relates to another text or precedent idea (Text).