You should be able to:

• identify the key points of the article or chapter and understand the arguments being made by the author. What is the article telling you?

• evaluate the author’s assumptions – including evidence, perspective and representations. You may agree or disagree with the author but should be able to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the article. You should also understand the articles you read as a perspectives on issues.

WHAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THE ARTICLE OR CHAPTER?  What, where and who is the article about?

WHAT IS THE CENTRAL CONTROVERSY OR QUESTIONS BEING ADDRESSED?  Look for statements that summarize debates/issues and sentences that contain statements such as "the aim of this article is…"/"I aim to…".

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OR CENTRAL ARGUMENT?  Try to verbalize what you think is the take home message of the article then write it down in your own words.

WHAT EVIDENCE DOES THE AUTHOR PRESENT?  Data, trends, personal research etc…Perhaps they don’t use any visible evidence at all, so what upon what do they base their arguments?

These are guidelines only. You should think specifically about the issues raised in lecture and how they relate to the assigned reading. Particularly think about the following:

• What does the author mean by "development"? Economic growth, increased human potential, sustainable agriculture etc.? Does the author lay the blame for development failure on certain places or people? If so where and who?

• What solutions (e.g. policy proposals) or predictions does the author offer?

• How does the author represent people, places and regions in the South? What words do they use and images do they present? How do you think the author wants you to feel?

• What is the author NOT talking about?