Each student will select one article or chapter from the
course readings and write one-page summaries of approximately 250
words.
This exercise is designed to develop analytical and writing
abilities and should help you in a variety of ways, including how
to read for key points and how to separate one's own reactions to
an article from a more neutral descriptive understanding. This
should be an easy way to help you refine your prose for longer
assignments.
These summaries are due by 5 p.m. on the Monday before class.
Send your summary to the instructor by email as well as making
enough copies to distribute to the class.
Include page references in parentheses for key ideas so that
the reader can use the summary to go back to the original
article.
The key to writing effective summaries is to be succinct and
to balance identification of key points with some detail.
Your opening sentences should identify the overall idea or
approach in the chosen article or chapter and then the rest of the
summary should succinctly fill in the content of the idea or
approach taken. Obviously, you can only state so much in a
one-page summary, so you will not be expected to be comprehensive.
Rather, the succinct use of words, readability, and overall
balance are the key elements.