Monmouth College
History 112
Dr. Stacy A. Cordery
Spring 2010

Why Should You Read Your Textbook?

1)    The lectures cannot cover everything interesting, useful, helpful, or necessary--that is the nuisance of a survey class--and so I depend upon you to read the textbook:

• to fill in the details
• to provide context
• to give more examples than I've been able to give in class.

2)    The textbook will often give a different perspective than I will in the lectures. Hmmm, what does that say about our shared understanding of History???  What does that say about how we write History?

3)     Reading the text before you comes to class will help because:

• you'll understand  my lectures better because you will have had a context for them
• you will have to take fewer notes, because you'll know where to find information in the text that you might have missed during the lecture
• you will be able to ask informed questions
• you will feel less panicked about the speed of my lectures
• you will be familiar with some of the material before the lecture even begins.

4)     Repetition is a part of learning--and so even the parts of my lectures that seem to be repeated in the text will help you learn.

5)    The more you know, the more mastery you'll have, and the more interested you'll be.

6)     If you do not make the grades you desire on the quizzes or the exams, the first question I will have for you is "Did you read and study your textbook?"

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