For success after graduation, science undergraduates must master a number of skills such as scientific literacy (interpretation and evaluation of primary research articles) and effective communication. Many researchers have recognized the benefits of journal clubs in developing such skills, and a large body of literature describes how they may be incorporated into the curriculum. However, there is almost no literature that describes how to instruct students in the process of actually reading a primary article. Many students find primary articles intimidating and don't know what to look for to properly dissect them. Here, I describe a journal club mini-workshop that I developed, in which students learn a systematic method for reading primary literature. My reading method directs students to the main concepts and helps them to evaluate the data for themselves. It may be incorporated into any exercise that uses primary literature and is transferable to other classes. Students who have been taught this method are better able to interpret, critique, and present primary articles in a journal club and express increased confidence in their abilities to understand primary literature across the curriculum. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)