S05: Skills: Reading, Writing, Revising

• Is the Great Wall visible from outer space? Where does the myth come from, and why does it persist?
• What is a primary source? How to read it critically and creatively?
• How to write about a primary source? Strategies for argumentation

Sources

• “The Great Wall of China,” Robert Ripley, Believe It or Not, 1932.
• “Great Wall of China from Space”, People’s Daily (May 14, 2004)
• “Pictures of the Great Wall of China From the Space Shuttle” (Associated Press, April 19, 1996)
• Conversation with ChatGPT

Answer Four Questions:

• What I notice about the source: Who, what, why, when, how
• Questions / concerns I might have
• The very next primary source I might want to find
• Broader subjects and/or genres of questions that might be related to my problem

The mightiest work of man – The only one that would be visible to the human eye from the moon! Contains enough material to build a barrier 8 feet high around the earth. One million men were buried in the walls to make them strong. Yet – it was built in 15 years.

The misconception is wrapped up in broader myths about what is and what is not visible from space. For the record: No manmade structures on Earth can be seen with the unaided astronaut’s eye from the Moon. But many things – highways, dams and even large vehicles – are easily spotted from Earth-orbit with no optical aids.

• How do we know what we know about the Great Wall?
• How to properly read and cite a source?
• Why are we still debunking the myth today?

Editing

• is on a sentence / paragraph level, addressing problems with spelling, grammar, punctuation, or word choice.
• focuses on the paper as a product.

Revising

• deals with the paper as a whole, considering strengths and weaknesses, arguments, focus and organization, support, and voice, as well as mechanical issues.
• The purpose or revision is to ask questions, expanding ideas and challenging arguments which require discussion between the writer and the reader.