Commentary #2: “How History Stays With Us”

Commentary #2: “How History Stays With Us”

The texts for this week’s commentary are:

• Starr: “Law of the Indies” & “A Troubled Territory”
• Roman: “Fandangoes in the Pueblo”

Commentary: How does history stay with us? How does what you learn in these text connect to present day L.A.?

What makes you think/wonder? What about? What do you find surprising? What do you want to know more about? How do the texts intersect in interesting ways?

Remember to:

1. write a commentary that is 300-600 words long and thoughtfully discusses the texts we are reading that week.
2. respond to the content of at least 3 classmates’ commentaries.

• Your comments should be thoughtful and serve to contribute to the discussion of the literature and add to the knowledge of our learning community as much as the commentaries themselves.
• Your comments should also help the writer know what works for the reader and what doesn’t so they may move forward to write a better commentary based on the feedback received.

1. save your work (commentary AND responses) in word, so you have a copy of everything you write

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMENTARIES:

1. Do your assigned reading!
2. Think about the salient topics/ideas/information–basically, ask yourself:

• What do you learn?
• What do you take away from the texts?
• What do they make you wonder/think about?
• What stands out and interests you?

1. After you narrow down #2, determine:

• What is your opinion on those topics/ideas? Why? What makes you think that? What evidence is your opinion based on?

1. Make a claim or statement ABOUT the materials

• DO NOT summarize the reading in Commentaries

1. Support your claim or statement

• DO use quotations or paraphrases from the reading to support your claim or stateme