Reading Response + Discussion Participation

• How to Write a Successful Reading Response

Comparison paper between an Atlanta building and a building seen/studied in class.

 A 1-paragraph paper topic proposal + 3-source annotated bibliography are due 10/30 by 10pm; the final paper is due Monday, 12/14 by 5pm.

Part A: Choose an Atlanta-area building that you like and can spend some time in. Photograph it, sketch it, determine its plan and its defining architectural features, both interior and exterior. Ask a few questions of the building’s users. After getting to know the building well, you should choose a limited number of aspects of the design to focus upon – material, space-making techniques, contextuality, functionality, or any architectural issue of your choosing.

Part B: Select a building that we’ve covered in class that could have been a source for the Atlanta building you’ve chosen. Don’t be concerned whether the architect actually used it as a source for the Atlanta building, but instead act as a critic, looking for similarities and differences between the two buildings.

Part C: Substantiate your ideas through the use of scholarly materials, but also don’t be afraid to stretch your own deductive and comparative skills as you search out the similarities and differences between the two projects. Research should guide your paper and all citations must be located in endnotes, with precise page of original information included in the note, and quotations punctuated accurately
and precisely.

Length: 2,500-3,000 words in the body of the text. You must indicate the word count either on the title page of your paper, or at the very end of the text.

Illustrations: The final format of your paper will be article-style, rather than term-paper-style, and laid out in InDesign. All images should be embedded within the text of the paper in a relevant location and image sources cited. You must direct the reader to the figure in your text (e.g.: (Figure 1)). Examples of acceptable formats will be provided on the course Canvas site.

A successful comparison will center on +/- three issues that link or separate the two projects.  Here are just a few questions that might bring two projects into dialogue—your specific pairing will drive the formulation of comparative issues.

• How are the buildings organized on their sites?
• What architectural program is primary in each case?
• What materials are used?
• How are the socioeconomic conditions or politics behind each project similar or different?
• How does the formal language of the plan compare in each case? 

 Substantiate your ideas through the use of scholarly materials

Research should guide your paper and all citations must be located in endnotes, with precise page of original information included in the note, and quotations punctuated accurately, see Citing your work 

For additional information about buildings on the GA Tech campus (including archival materials) see: http://history.library.gatech.edu/exhibits/show/bldg 

How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography: The Annotated Bibliography

URL: https://guides.library.cornell.edu/annotatedbibliography

What Is an Annotated Bibliography?

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.

Annotations vs. Abstracts

Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they may describe the author's point of view, authority, or clarity and appropriateness of expression.

The Process

Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.

First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.

Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.

Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.

Choosing the Correct Citation Style

Your professor prefers the Chicago Manual of Style and your bibliography should be formatted according to Chicago Manual of Style,