EEBO-TCP
Unit 3
Sample Exercise

What role does visibility play in these readings? Choose one text from column A and one from column B and discuss.

A	B
Hook Micrographie, "Observ. XVIII, Of the Schematisme or Texture of Cork,and of the Cells and Pores of some other such frothy Bodies." (p.113)	Scot, "This is the way to goe invisible" OR "A knack to know…"
Boyle, "Suspicions About Some Hidden Qualities in the Air" 1-51 OR"Some Additional Experiments Relating to the Suspicions About The Hidden Qualities of the Air," 1-13.	Mather, "Mr. Perkin's Way for the discovery of witches"
Ross, "The New Planet No Planet," 1-16	Valentinus, Ch. 6, "The Spirit of Gold," 94-111.

 

Each of these texts is interested in proof and evidence; evaluate the passages for the ways in which the authors handle the visible as it pertains to evidence. How important is seeing? What is visibility's connection to "proof?" To "truth?" What evidence do the authors rely on to convince their readers?

Please download the portion of text you are working with and annotate. Write one paragraph in which you synthesize the annotations, reaching some sort of conclusion about what you have read and compared. Post your annotated text and synthesis paragraph to the course web site. Your responses will inform our class discussion. Write another paragraph in which you reflect on your own choice of evidence. Which sentences or words did you focus on and why? E-mail the reflection paragraph to me.

Discussion of assignment: In using EEBO-TCP, students can search within a text for specific words. The keyed text is easy to read, providing a more accessible introduction to early modern materials for students; at the same time, they can always click on the links to view the original page. Students can easily download and annotate portions of assigned texts (or even the complete work), providing them with personalized access to primary source material, and allowing for inventive uses of this material in teaching. After downloading and annotating, students can easily share their work either in class or outside class through course websites or other online forums established for the course.