What do to: write a three-to-four-paragraph summary that covers the following:
1. Paragraph one: identify the author and the context of the document: Provide the who, what,
when, where information about the author and the document. Conclude the paragraph with a
thesis statement that sets up your discussion of the document’s content and significance.
Significance may come from an idea of your own or may make a statement about how the
document connects to our class themes.
2. Paragraphs two and possibly three: summarize the main ideas of the document and explain
why it is significant to the themes of our class and/or how it relates to your thesis statement. This
will require using your textbook and previous lecture material to do so fully. Unit themes
are introduced at the beginning of each unit and reinforced at the beginning of class lectures.
3. Concluding paragraph: Reflect on the document. This paragraph is more open-ended. You
may use it to develop your ideas in paragraph two more fully, or if this reading inspired a
personal reaction to the document, you may explore that idea here.
Formatting:
-Your summary should be 1-2 pages, double-spaced.
-When you quote directly from the textbook or the primary source, you must use quotations.
-Use the Chicago Manual Style footnote system or another established citation protocol.
Grading: Will be based on the points system outlined in the rubric for this assignment
Extra Guidance? http://public.wsu.edu/~mejia/Summary.htm