complete essay
Writing Project 2 – Summary/Strong Response Essay
This assignment will teach you how to write a summary/strong response essay that includes:
an introductory paragraph that captures readers’ attention, introduces readers to the topic in your essay; and leads the readers to the summary
a summary of the assigned article
a strong response in which you first analyze and then respond to the author’s ideas based on your own critical reading and thinking and based, as well, on your personal experiences and values.
Discussion of assignment:
This assignment asks you to read rhetorically and develop a strong response to ideas you identify in an academic article. Based on that response, you will draft a thesis-based essay. You will support that thesis with points that develop your response so readers understand how you arrived at your thesis. You will explain those points by drawing details from passages in the article as well as your own observations, experiences, values, and readings.
When you tackle a response essay that uses a single source, you are engaged in a partnership between your ideas and the author's. You want to strike an appropriate balance between your
ideas and those of your source. By reading the article rhetorically, you need to understand her main ideas and purposes in order to explain them to your readers. Nevertheless, YOUR voice should dominate your draft. Your thesis and the points that support your thesis should emphasize your own views about the article in your own words.
Why do a response essay? As a college student, you will often be asked to write papers in response to readings. Professors assign response papers because they allow you to demonstrate your ability to read course materials carefully, understand what they mean, and think critically about them. Response papers invite you to do more than just memorize key course concepts for a test. They invite you to begin "entering a conversation" about those concepts with the author.
Readings:
Various handouts distributed in class or posted in Canvas
Assigned article
Connection to Course Goals:
Be prepared to discuss how this paper connects to the following course goals:
Have something to say
Explore a topic
Shape writing according to your purpose and audience
Participate in good conversations about writing
Use sources well
Polish and present final work
Format:
Follow the MLA guidelines from the Formatting Exercise video and Sample MLA Essay.
Citation of sources:
Apart from your personal experience and observations, the primary source for the paper will be the article. When you use something from the author’s article, whether you quote directly, paraphrase, or summarize, you must attribute it to the author and cite according to MLA style. There will usually involve (a) a signal phrase, such as "according to X"; and (b) a page number citation in parentheses. At the end of your essay, you must have a list of Work(s) Cited.
Essay organizational structure and writing task:
Interesting Title
Introduction, Summary and Thesis Statement
Catch readers’ attention, and give background information and a focusing question that leads to a concise summary of the article. In your summary, consider your audience to be well-informed people who are unfamiliar with the author’s argument. Your summary should be 80-120 words. End with your thesis statement – a one sentence answer to your focusing question that points out the tension between the author’s ideas and your own response to those ideas, and presents a new or interesting approach to the ideas.
Rhetorical Aspects of the Article being Analyzed
Analyze the author’s purpose, audience, the genre where the article originally appeared, style (use of language for that genre), use of evidence, and/or Aristotelian appeals. Include a topic/point sentence with your topic and controlling idea and particulars (convincing support using specific details and examples from the article).
Writer’s Response
Choose separate or related passages from the article that make you think, make you see things in a new light, lead you to new insights on another issue or situation, or inspire a strong emotional response in you that you want to expand on, using your own ideas as well as the author’s. Respond to the author’s ideas either “with the grain” or “against the grain.” Topic sentences should use templates from They Say, I Say academic conversation templates. Paragraphs should be well-developed. For each paragraph, include convincing support using specific details, examples, personal experience anecdotes, statistics, facts, etc).
Conclusion
Return to the thesis for a sense of closure OR offer questions for further thought on the issue OR move the reader to action.
Instructor Response:
When I read this draft, I will look for the following:
evidence that you have used critical reading strategies
clear, accurate summary of article
interesting thesis that presents your strong response to at least one or more of the author’s ideas
thesis supported by points; points supported by specific evidence drawn from the article, and, if appropriate, your personal observations and experiences
effective quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing of the article integrated with your own ideas
evidence of revision
analytical, detailed writer’s statement
a complete draft packet (including essay drafts and written homework assignments)
careful editing and proofreading
Framework for a Summary-Strong Response Essay
Interesting Title (that reflects your position on the specific issue)
Introduction
Background information on the general issues
and… Move/transition to particular issue(s)
Summary of article (particular issue(s) )
And … Move/transition to ... 2 paragraphs
Thesis Statement/Roadmap
(answer to FQ/position on particular issues)
Rhetorical Analysis (2-3 from the list below)
Analysis (critical reading) of author’s
Purpose
Genre 2 paragraphs
Style – language
Evidence
Aristotelian appeals
Writer’s Response to at least 3 ideas from the article 3 paragraphs
Each has topic sentence from They Say, I Say
academic conversation templates
Conclusion 1 paragraph
Transition/return to thesis statement (specific issue)
Then… move/transition back to general issues
Works Cited
4
