Assignment 1: Text Summary and Comparison
Value
This assignment is worth 50 marks: 10% of your total course grade.
Overview
This assignment requires you to write summaries of two articles, and compare the texts on an assigned topic. The objective of this assignment is to demonstrate comprehension and analysis of two texts through concise summarization and thoughtful comparison of their key points.
Choose one of the assignment options below. Your assignment will be (at least) three paragraphs long: the first two paragraphs will provide summaries of the articles (at least one paragraph each), and the third paragraph will provide a comparison on the assigned topic. The assignment must include a title page and reference page, and adhere to APA formatting guidelines.
Assignments must use paraphrase and at least one quote in order to pass.
Choose one of the following:
1. Summarize Wolf and Barzillai’s “The Importance of Deep Reading” and Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Compare their treatment of reading practices and how it impacts the brain.
2. Summarize Vaidhyanathan’s “My Students are Using AI to Cheat” and Twenge’s “Has the Smartphone Destroyed a Generation?” Compare their assessment of how technology is impacting students and youth today.
3. Summarize Furfaro’s “Fast Fashion is Everywhere on Social Media. How Can Teens Resist?” and Monroe’s “Ultra-Fast Fashion is Eating the World.” Compare their depiction of the environmental costs of fast fashion.
Required Components
Summaries (approx. 500 words, 250 words per paragraph)
A summary briefly reports essential information without evaluation, interpretation, analysis, or bias. The objective of this assignment is to demonstrate your understanding of the arguments in your chosen texts by paraphrasing essential details. Imagine you are writing the summary for a reader who has not read the original text, and consider what information from the text is crucial for an unfamiliar reader. Do this by describing the argument clearly and concisely: what is the main argument being put forward, and how is the argument developed? Include key contextual details as well, and when paraphrasing, rely on signal phrases whenever possible.
Comparison (approx. 250 words)
The comparison paragraph asks you to consider a key shared theme between both texts, and analyze it. Critical analysis examines and interprets the language of a text by considering what is said, and how it is said. Close reading is encouraged. What words are used? Are images or metaphors being used? What point of view is provided? What type of evidence is used? What conclusions does each text draw?
You must paraphrase throughout the assignment, and direct quoting at least once is required to pass. Proper APA citation must be observed throughout.
Instructions
1. Review the assignment instructions. Before drafting your assignment, read these instructions in detail, and ensure you contact the instructor with any questions not answered in the course materials. In addition, review the example Summary and Analysis assignment [link] available on the School Library APA website.
2. (Re)Read your chosen texts. Re-read the texts with more attention to detail. Identify the topic and main argument of the texts. Try summarizing each text in one sentence: what would you say it is about? On subsequent readthroughs, highlight or annotate each text, focusing your attention on information you perceive as significant to the overall message or point. Also take note of any interesting writing elements (for example: tone, point of view, word choice, organization, evidence).
3. Without looking at the article, draft a practice summaries. This will test your knowledge of the original texts, and give you a rough draft to work with. Once you have drafted summaries, compare the details with the original to ensure they are accurate. Remember that summaries are meant to be concise, accurate, and unbiased; a reader who has never read the original text should be able to use your summary to understand the basic details of the argument.
4. Identify how each text treats the theme. What stood out to you about how each text treats this theme? Identify a key moment in each text that, for you, represents a significant moment in discussing this theme. Avoid arguments based in opinion and evaluation (whether or not you liked the argument) or arguments based on what hypothetical readers might feel.
5. Draft your summary and comparison. Use your notes, annotated texts, and any rough drafts you’ve produced already. Make sure your summaries make use of paraphrases and use at least one quote in your assignment. Focus on content at this stage, and budget time to proofread and polish the work.
6. Proofread and edit your work. Proofread your work, and correct any spelling, grammar, and/or punctuation errors you notice. Pay attention to sentence structure and syntax, and reread your essay to ensure the writing is clear.
7. Format your document. Follow the applicable APA guidelines for page and document formatting, ensure in-text citations and Reference citations are formatted correctly, etc.
8. Submit your document. In .doc, .docx., or .pdf form, upload your assignment. Click “submit.”
Marking Guide for Assignment 1 Summaries
Main idea (central theme/argument) of text 1 correctly identified. Essential contextual information (author, title, date of publication) also included. Summary includes relevant information and excludes unnecessary information. /10
Main idea (central theme/argument) of text 2 correctly identified. Essential contextual information (author, title, date of publication) also included. Summary includes relevant information and excludes unnecessary information. /10
Comparison
Includes a thoughtful consideration of the texts’ shared theme, and avoids generalizations or emotional readings of the texts. Engages in close reading. /10
Language, Style, Mechanics, and Formatting
APA and document formatting
• paraphrases in the summary are correctly cited
• direct quotes in the analysis are correctly cited
• includes title page, reference page, and proper formatting
/5
Evidence: paraphrase and quotation are integrated correctly /5
Mechanics
• grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, style/tone
/5
Document organization
• effective paragraphing
• word limit observed (a balance between concision and breadth)
/5
Total /50
LINKS TO THE ASSIGNMENT I CHOSE
Fast Fashion Is Everywhere on Social Media. How Can Teens Resist?
and I have attached the 2nd article, “Monroe Rachel – Ultra-fast Fashion Is Eating the World.”