Summary-Response Assignment

Length: Three to four pages First draft

Assignment

Write a summary and response essay based onHunter Rawlings' "College is Not a Commodity. Stop Treating it Like One." This assignment gives you the opportunity not only to show that you understand source material but also to express what you think about the ideas it includes. The audience for this summary-response comprises your instructor and classmates, but it is always helpful when writing a summary-response to think of readers that may not have read the original text. By imagining an uninformed reader, you will be sure to include sufficient information in your summary. You may respond to the source text in a variety of ways. In class, we will discuss using personal experiences and reactions; evaluating the currency, thoroughness, and reliability of the sources; and examining the internal logic of the source. You may incorporate other sources as part of your response, but it is not expected.

Organization

Begin your essay with a summary of the source text. Provide a general idea of what the source is about and the points you intend to address in your response. Avoid including any extraneous material. The summary should be less than a page in length.

Place your responsemap at the end of the summary in the same paragraph. After reading your mapping statement, your audience should be able to predict the form and content of the rest of your essay.

Your response should be two or three pages in length. It should include reasons and details that support your response map and refer back to the summary. In your conclusion, tie together the main points of your essay, relate them to the mapping statement, and discuss any implications of your conclusion.

Works Cited

Include a works-cited entry for any source you use.

Submission Requirements

Staple the following to the back of your paper, in the order specified:

o Previous drafts
o Peer-review comments
o This assignment sheet

If you fail to write a complete rough draft, attend peer-review workshops, or fail to give adequate peer feedback, your grade will be lowered significantly.