Why every subject needs its own reading
A story is read for the plot. A science report is read for measurements. A history source is read for who made it and why. A manual is read for steps in the right order. The words may look simple, but the job of the reader changes. Good readers ask: what kind of text is this, and what do I need from it?
Reading history and social studies texts
Start with the source. Who wrote it? When? For whom, and why? A primary source comes from the time itself (a letter, a photo, a poster, a record). A secondary source was written later by someone studying that time (a textbook, an article).
Then find the claim. Look for the evidence the writer uses. Ask whether another source says the same. Notice bias: a writer may leave out facts that do not help their side. Put events in order and ask what caused what.
Tip: use timelines and cause-and-effect chains. Avoid political borders when you sketch; a simple relief map or a line sketch is enough.
Reading science and technical texts
Science and technical texts are packed with facts, numbers, units, diagrams and steps. Read slowly. Do these things:
- Find the question the text is answering.
- Check the units and what each graph axis shows.
- Follow a procedure step by step in the exact order. If steps are numbered, order matters.
- Learn special words (such as melting point) by reading how the text uses them.
- Match the words to the picture or chart. A good text and its diagram say the same thing.
Keep fact and opinion apart. "The cup melted in 6 minutes" is a fact you can check. "Salt cups look prettier" is a feeling.
Writing in history, science and technical subjects
Good writing here is an argument built from proof. Use the CER stack:
- Claim: your answer, in one clear sentence.
- Evidence: facts, numbers or quotes from a trusted source.
- Reasoning: one or two sentences saying why the evidence supports the claim.
Write in plain, exact words. Name your source. Use units. In a lab report or a technical description, give steps in order and say what you saw, not what you hoped to see. Last, read it again and cut every sentence that is only opinion.
Try it: sort a paragraph
Take a short paragraph from any textbook or news report. Use three coloured pens: green for evidence, blue for the claim, orange for reasoning. Cross out anything that is only opinion. Then see: is the claim supported by at least two pieces of evidence? If not, what proof is missing?
Key formulas and definitions
- Source check: who? when? why?
- CER = Claim + Evidence + Reasoning
- Primary source = from the time; secondary source = written later
- Fact = can be checked; opinion = a feeling or judgement
Worked examples
1. A letter written in 1930 by a farmer about a bad harvest. Is it a primary or secondary source?
Primary. It was written at the time by someone who lived through it.
2. Sort this sentence: "The cup with plain water took 9 minutes to melt."
Evidence. It is a measurement that anyone could check.
3. Sort this sentence: "So salt makes ice melt faster."
Claim. It is the main point drawn from the evidence.
4. Write a CER for: a plant near the window grew 8 cm and one in a dark cupboard grew 2 cm.
Claim: Light helps plants grow taller. Evidence: The window plant grew 8 cm but the cupboard plant grew only 2 cm in the same time. Reasoning: Plants use light to make food, so the plant with more light had more food to grow.
5. A history poster says one side "won easily". What would you check?
Who made it and why (maybe to cheer people up), what evidence it gives, and whether other sources agree.
Common mistakes
- Believing a source without checking who wrote it, when and why.
- Treating a claim as if it were evidence. A claim needs proof.
- Mixing fact and opinion in the same sentence.
- Writing evidence but no reasoning, so the reader does not see why it proves the claim.