A. Overview of a Reading Reaction
Is a personal essay with a main argument that is generated from the reading, in this case from the
course textbook The Careless Society Evidence to support your argument can be taken from course
materials (ex. readings, lecture content) as well as personal perspectives and external sources (ex.
scholarly journal articles, media, etc.). The purpose of this paper is twofold:
a) think deeply and critically about the ideas and or themes that arise in the text (personal reflection), and b) describe how this relates to the broader context of health and wellbeing (course materials, external sources).
Together, this will help you analyze how the text has shaped (ex. solidified, remained unchanged,
changed) your thinking about the main argument.
Referencing:
o Write in first person – it is your opinion after all!
o Additional references are expected to support your argument/perspective.
o When citing/quoting the textbook, only page numbers are required (ex.,“…” (p. 35))
o Use APA formatting for external sources
• Headings: You are encouraged to use headings and subheadings to organize your paper.
C. Paper Structure and Content
Heading Number of pages Content to be included
Introduction ¼ page
• Introduce the title of the text and the author of the book.
• Outline the purpose or the main argument of your paper and summarize the key theme(s) that you identified from the book which will be discussed in the paper. Here are some ideas for iden tifying key
themes in the text:
-Were there questions that emerged as you read the text?
-what important idea (example, thought, etc) noted in the text is worth consideration or further Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Department of Health Sciencesdiscussion/exploration? Is there anything that you think the authors omitted?
– Do you disagree with something or is there a critique you would offer?
Themes
*These should be named; there should be 2-3 themes 4 pages
• How is the theme described in the text?
• How does the theme relate to the concept of health, wellbeing and/or healthcare?
o How are other course materials in this class (or others) or your experiences connected to this theme?
o How does the theme relate to health and wellness in Canada.
*You should respond to these questions for each theme you discuss.
Conclusion ¾ – 1 page
• Did the text change your thinking in any way?
o Does the text challenge you personally, culturally, politically and/or socially? If
so, how?
o How will your insights change your future work or practice?
o How are you applying what you have learned?
*Consider your Critical self-reflection essay. Are there elements of the text that you discussed in that essay and if so, how has your position/thinking changed? You are encouraged to make connections between the two.