Summary Essay #1; The Namesake

Lab:

Registration for MCC is now open. This morning, if you are going to sign up for MCC's Dual Enrollment program, you may go to the following website: MCC Dual Enrollment.

• Select: Dual Enrollment Registration.
• Please read and check the appropriate boxes about key points of the program. This is a timed page. You must read the appropriate information before the system will allow you to move on.
• From the drop down menu, select RCSD - School of the Arts.
• Choose MCC College Writing, taught by Bradley Craddock, College Composition WR (ENG 101-04p). The first course is worth 3 college credits and costs $210. This fee will be waived for students who get free and reduced lunch.
• Fill in the basic information. Please be accurate, as this information will be used to create your official transcript. 
• You will need to provide your Social Security #. You do not currently have an MCC ID.
• If you are eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch you must select YES. Otherwise, you will not be considered for the scholarship and your fee will not be waived.
• After entering your personal details, you will be asked to review your application.
• Complete the application process. If you have questions, please ask. 
• If you are not comfortable submitting your application today, please sit down with your parent/guardian this weekend and complete the enrollment process. You have until October to decide. Next class (Tuesday) our MCC liaison will meet with us to answer any further questions about the program.

Otherwise, today, please write a summary essay for chapter one or chapter two of The Namesake. Use your notes (from your homework) to complete this assignment. Complete your summary by the end of period 1. Please print out your summary essay and bring it to the next part of our class (period 2).

Writing the Summary Essay

A summary essay should be organized so that others can understand the source or evaluate
your comprehension of it. The following format works well: 

A. The introduction (usually one paragraph):
    1.    Contains a one-sentence thesis statement that sums up the main point of the source.
           This thesis statement is not your main point; it is the main point of your source. 
           Usually, though, you have to write this statement rather than quote it from the source
           text.  It is a one-sentence summary of the entire text that your essay summarizes.
    2.    Also introduces the text to be summarized:
            (i)  Gives the title of the source (following the citation guidelines of whatever style
                sheet you are using);
            (ii)  Provides the name of the author of the source;
            (ii)  Sometimes also provides pertinent background information about the author of
                the source or about the text to be summarized. 

The introduction should not offer your own opinions or evaluation of the text you are summarizing. 

B.  The body of a summary essay (one or more paragraphs):
    This paraphrases and condenses the original piece. In your summary, be sure that you:
    1.     Include important data but omit minor points;
    2.     Include one or more of the author’s examples or illustrations (these will bring your
            summary to life);
    3.     Do not include your own ideas, illustrations, metaphors, or interpretations. Look
            upon yourself as a summarizing machine;  you are simply repeating what the source
            text says, in fewer words and in your own words.  But the fact that you are using
            your own words does not mean that you are including your own ideas. 

C. There is (customarily) no conclusion to a summary essay.
When you have summarized the source text, your summary essay is finished. Do not add your own concluding paragraph unless your teacher specifically tells you to. 

How to Write a Summary (2 min.)

If you finish your summary and there is still time in the lab during 1st period, please continue working on your creative assignments for your portfolio. So far we have worked on a "How it feels to be me..." personal essay based on Zora Neale Hurston's famous essay, and written a draft of an identity poem. If you have ideas from our brainstorming or freewriting prompts or discussions, please begin or continue working on those pieces as well.

CLASSROOM (Period 2):

1. Please form small groups of 3-4 where all 3-4 members have chosen chapter one of the Namesake to summarize. 
2. Please form small groups of 3-4 where all 3-4 members have chosen chapter two of the Namesake to summarize. 
3. We will compare summaries. Give and get feedback from your peers in the groups you formed. How concise and accurate is your summary? Can you reduce the # of words and still keep the essential details? Evaluate how effective your summary is. Examine the rubric and score yourselves. 
4. Then, when time is called, blend the groups to include at least 1-2 members who read the other chapter (if available). Share (and evaluate) your summaries again with this new group.
5. Finally, stay in the groups you are in and read the article on summaries. Your group should summarize the summary chapter and report to the rest of the class what your section was all about. What were the key details or main points? 

With time remaining, we will continue reading the synthesis articles and responding to them through discussion and writing.

HOMEWORK: Please read Chapter 3 of The Namesake. For yourself (no need to turn this in) please briefly summarize the chapter. You will need this summary for your final summary essay at the end of this book. Our MCC liaison will meet with us next class to introduce herself to you (and to answer any questions you have about the dual enrollment course).