https://youtu.be/vP4iY1TtS3s
AFRS 100B
Summary Assignment
Summary –
A condensed version of an original text.
As your first formal essay, the Summary Assignment will highlight your ability to
connect to a text by identifying and summarizing claims made by Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. in his “I Have a Dream” speech. Although you will model the organization
and structure of the speech, you will use your own terms and employ your own
voice to articulate the speech’s claims and supporting evidence.
Your charge is to write a brief one-page, single-spaced summary, restating the main
ideas of
the speech. A copy of the speech can be accessed in
Call and Response: Key Debates in
African American Studies
.
The aim of this assignment is to thoroughly comprehend a text and to translate the
essential meaning of the text into terms accessible to others.
In your introduction, identify the author, subject, audience, and purpose.
Strategies:
Identify the main claims in the text and restate them near the start of your
summary.
Paraphrase the supporting points, examples, and details; use a thesaurus to
find synonyms for key words.
Condense the original text, keeping your writing within one single-spaced
page.
Be “objective” rather than “critical” – try to narrow down the original, without
adding editorial comments.
Use verbs that capture the author’s argument and analysis.
T