J.J. Saunders' article:

What is the Point & the Meaning of the Point?

       Consider and analyze this article. Maybe going 'backwards' will help:  What is the conclusion? Let's analyze:  What is the topic or area under study? What is the thesis? What sub-topics create the context for the evidence? What is the evidence presented? How convincing is it? Why?

      Another way to approach this, or any other such communication: What answers did Saunders give? What are the questions he responded to?   What evidence and/or reasoning did Saunders present in terms of these questions & answers? Does the evidence and/or reasoning work, or not? Why and/or why not?

        After your analysis, consider: What does it mean?  What significance do you see? What progress appears in the article and what does that say about the cultures involved? Do you agree? Why? Why not? (Please consider both why and why not.)     

       We will be discussing this in class so be prepared with notes, page numbers, ideas and your thinking on this.  Take some time with each paragraph. With forethought, ferret out the meaning of each sentence, each phrase and clause. Get Saunders' line of thinking down. Then deal with it. What do you think?

Food for thought: Science/techno in Islam, the West, China