SUMMARY ASSIGNMENT 4

 

 

Remember when writing your summary that, in general, summaries:

  • are at least 60% shorter than the original text and omit the original text’s examples, asides, analogies, and rhetorical strategies
  • focus exclusively on the main ideas and do not include your interpretations or opinions.  Save those for the second paragraph, the reaction part of your writing.
  • are written in your own word.  Do not copy the original text word-for-word.  We will talk about this technique, called quoting, later on in class.
  • rely on the use of standard signal phrases such as “According to the author…,” “The author believes…,” “In the article, the author states…”
  • should be organized in the same way as the original text.  In other words, state the author’s thesis first and then discuss the support for that thesis. 
  • should be edited by you very carefully for grammar and mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, and spelling). 

 

 

Directions:  Scan/Read the three articles below that come from Explorations in American Culture by Kathrine Jason and Holly Posner.  Choose ONE of the articles, and write a summary of the article, which should be at least one page long, using the outline indicated below.

 

Paragraph 1:  Summary of the article, which begins by stating the article title and author’s name.  For example: 

·        In “THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE” by “FIRST AND LAST NAME OF THE AUTHOR,” the author discusses/outlines/describes/illustrates/shows…

·        The article “THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE” by “FIRST AND LAST NAME OF THE AUTHOR” outlines/describes/discusses/illustrates/shows…

·        “THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE” by “FIRST AND LAST NAME OF THE AUTHOR” discusses/outlines/describes/illustrates/shows…

 

Paragraph 2:  Your reaction to the article which discusses the following:

·        Do you agree or disagree with the author?  Why?

·        Which points made in the article do you find the most important/poignant/relevant to your life or society in general today?

·        Which points made in the article do you feel don’t apply to you or society in general today?

·        How do the author’s views on the subject differ from the views held by people in your native culture or other societies outside of the U.S.?

 

ESSAY 1 – “Severing the Human Connection” by H. Bruce Miller

ESSAY 2 – “I Find the Homeless Hateful” by Dale Maharidge

ESSAY 3 – “The Violence in our Heads” by David Gelman