Essay: Analytical Summary
Assignment Overview
The instructor will provide a selection of source articles that students will choose from. The articles do not have to be from the textbook, but they must each make an argument and have enough substance for students to write about. The articles may cover any topic or range of topics that the instructor chooses, and the instructor should try to construct a realistic rhetorical context in which students are writing their summaries.
This assignment is titled "analytical summary" rather than just "summary" because students are asked to do more than simply provide a point-by-point recap of the source article. They must identify and explain the basic rhetorical situation of the article (purpose, thesis, type of argument, audience, medium), they must distinguish between the central thesis and supporting points, and they must explain the organizational structure of the article. The instructor may go so far as to require a specific organizational structure for the paper, such as the following:
Paragraph 1: Identify and explain the rhetorical situation in which the source article participates.
Paragraph 2: Explain the organizational structure of the source article and how its supporting points advance the central thesis.
Paragraph 3: Provide a focused discussion of one key supporting point within the source article. (One might even add another task here, like "explain why the supporting point is important even outside of the main argument.")
Assignment Outcomes
Understand the concept of the rhetorical situation and identify its basic components within a written argument.
Identify the central argument, supporting points, and organizational structure of a written argument.
Effectively summarize, paraphrase, and quote source material using signal phrases (attributive tags) and parenthetical in-text citations (MLA format).
Construct a properly formatted bibliographical citation.
Requirements
Length: 750-1,000 words.
Format: Follow MLA guidelines.
Source Usage: Summarize, paraphrase, and quote from single source using signal phrases and parenthetical citations for attribution. Provide a full bibliographical citation for the source article.