Page 186 - Keys to College Success

Note themes. The National Council for the Social Studies organized the study of the
social sciences and humanities into ten themes: 5
■ Culture
■ Time, continuity, and change
■ People, places, and environment
■ Individual development and identity
■ Individuals, groups, and institutions
■ Power, authority, and governance
■ Production, distribution, and consumption
■ Science, technology, and society
■ Global connections
■ Ideals and practices of citizenship
One or more of these themes underscore everything you read in these disciplines,
even if they are not spelled out. For example, a political science chapter on presidential
politics may make you think of the history of elections or how the Internet is changing
electoral politics.
Think critically. Courses in the social sciences ask hard questions about ethics, human
rights and freedoms, and personal and community responsibility, looking at these top-
ics over time across cultures. Critical thinking helps you ask questions about what you
read, think of material in terms of problems and solutions, look for evidence for argu-
ments, consider possible bias of the writers, and examine big-picture statements for
cause-and-effect logic.

Literature
Even if you’re not an English major, you will probably take one or more literature
courses. Books you read for these courses let you experience other times and cultures,
build your understanding of how others react to the problems of daily life, and provide
insight into your own thinking. Literature courses ask you to look at different literary
elements to find meaning on various levels. As you read, use critical-reading skills to
consider:
■ Character. How do characters reveal who they are? How are the main characters
similar or different? How do a character’s actions change the course of the story?
■ Plot. How would you evaluate the power of the story? Did it hold your interest?
■ Setting. How does the setting relate to the actions of the major and minor characters?
■ Point of view. How are the author’s views expressed through the characters’ actions?
■ Style. How would you describe the writing style?
■ Imagery. How does the author use imagery as part of the theme?
■ Theme. What is the goal of the work? What is it trying to communicate?

Online materials
Many (but not all) reading materials are available in digital formats and applications that
can be used on computers, smartphones, and tablets such as the iPad. Although college
students are more likely to use digital devices for research and studying than for reading,
a recent survey of students who own digital devices indicated that over 60% had used
them to read an electronic textbook at least once, and almost half did so regularly. 6
Frequent screen readers tend to notice heads and subheads, bullet points, and visu- Reading, Research, and Writing
als, scanning material for the important points instead of staying focused through long
paragraphs or articles. They may also develop what Web researcher Jakob Nielsen
7
calls F-pattern reading—reading across the line at the beginning of a document, then
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