ASSIGNMENT SHEET 5



ASSIGNMENT SHEET 5 Summary & Response

Due dates: Rough draft 4/15, Peer group 4/22; Final draft 4/27

Assignment: Write an essay in which you summarize and respond to a position presented in another essay. You must choose one among the following 5 essays to summarize and respond to. Each essay will be discussed in class:

▪ Ellyn Kaschak, “The Prism of Self-Image” (19-23)

▪ Dorothy Chin, “The Internet Encourages Isolation” (57-59)

▪ George D. Kuh, Ernest T. Pascarella, and Henry Wechsler, “The Questionable Value of Fraternities” (87-91)

(Source: Who Are We? Readings on Identity, Community, Work, and Career, edited by Rise B. Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper published in New York by St. Martin’s in 1997).

▪ Leonard Pitts, Jr.’, “Spare the Rod, Spoil the Parenting” (403-405)

(Source: The Allyn Bacon Guide to Writing, edited by John D. Ramage, john C. Bean, and June Johnson and published by Longman in New York City in 2003).

Michael Nelson’s “State Lotteries Are an Unethical Source of Government Revenue”

(Source: Opposing Viewpoints database (ed. James D. Torr) available through the James Walker library website at MTSU. It was first published in The American Prospect, vol. 12, no. 10, June 4, 2001 under the title “The Lottery Gamble”).

You may also respond to an essay of your choice. Consider essays dealing with controversial issues (such as gay marriages, the lottery, the Teri Schiavo case, etc.). Editorials or opinion pieces published in major newspapers/magazines would be appropriate. Your selection must be approved before you can proceed.

Purpose: Your general purpose is to persuade by argumentation. More specifically, you are to (1)introduce and summarize the essay to which you are responding, and

(2) show clearly, logically, and specifically where you stand, distinguishing your position from that of your source. You must disagree with the author at least in part.

Audience: You must assume that your readers have not read the essay that you are responding to. Be sure to narrow to a specific group, however. Most likely, you will want to select the audience that the writer of the essay most likely was targeting. Where was the essay originally published? What audience does the publication target? What hints does the essayist give about his/her targeted audience.

Do’s …

✓ Read selected essay critically by questioning and understanding

✓ Analyze, interpret, and evaluate the essayist’s position

✓ Quote, paraphrase, and summarize the essayist’s position accurately

✓ Present a logical and well thought out response

✓ Document the source appropriately using MLA guidelines

… & Don’ts

[pic] Failing to summarize the essay adequately for your reader who has not read the essay

[pic] Agreeing completely with the essayist, thus failing to offer any criticism of his/her position and insights of your own

[pic] Misrepresenting the author

[pic] Using the article as merely a point of departure to launch an argument of your own.

Format and Length: The usual guidelines and requirements apply to this assignment (see previous assignment sheets or go to Pipeline).

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