JULY 15 2013

ACADEMIC WRITING W9

PLEASE READ AND LISTEN ALONG TO THE AUDIO DURING THIS PRESENTATION. NOTE THAT NOT

ALL SLIDES HAVE AUDIO. THE ONES WITH AUDIO HAVE A SMALL YELLOW SPEAKER ON THE

BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. YOU CAN CLICK ON THE ICON TO HEAR MY RECORDING, BUT IT

SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY START IN A PRESENTATION

Active reading, summarizing,

paraphrasing, and Paper 1

Before summary & analysis: Active Reading

Reading is not a passive activity- it requires everyone to think, make connections, infer, and draw conclusions

Some texts require more time and energy from us It takes a while to digest them!

It is not always the goal to understand a text 100% Sometimes understanding the main idea, specific

examples, and implications is enough

Guidelines for active reading

Break down the reading process into four steps:1. Get the basics: features and structure2. Mark details that surprise, confuse or interest

you3. Read everything, again4. Dissect the visual aides. They are there for a

reason

1. Getting the basics

What kind of text am I reading? Essay, fiction, editorial Argumentative essay, expository essay

Why did the author write this? To inform me or persuade me?

Who is this intended for? Is this for a college student or a employee?

What is the author’s thesis? What is this text going to explain?

What evidence does the author give me to support his/her thesis? Is s/he giving me numbers, facts, or anecdotes?

2. Mark details: Engage the text

Write in the margins, highlight, underline, take a screen shot, or star: Sentences that are confusing, interesting, or

questionable Parts of the reading you don’t understand and

need to re-readMake note of any contradictory evidence

or ideas the author gives Always refer the ideas, examples and

statements to your own life. Do you agree or disagree?

3. Read and re-read

It may sound tedious, but often in order to understand dense material you MUST re-read it

Often when we re-read a text, we notice a sentence or idea that we had not noticed before

There are also techniques on how to skim through a text, looking for key words and ideas

4. Dissect the visual aides

Photos, graphs, and diagrams are all intentionally put next to a text Use the visuals to your advantage: Find out how they

help your understanding of the textTry to think about what first strikes you when

you see the image

Characteristic of Paraphrasing or Summarizing? Or both? Or neither?

Entire readingTypically uses present tenseIncludes own opinionHas a citationSame length as original readingPortion of readingIncludes main ideaIncludes quotesMay use a variety of tensesIncludes only a portion of informationIs put in own wordsMuch shorter than original readingDiscusses how the author supported their ideas

Answers:

Entire reading - summaryTypically uses present tense - summaryIncludes own opinion - neitherHas a citation - bothSame length as original reading - paraphrasePortion of reading - paraphraseIncludes main idea - summaryIncludes quotes - neitherMay use a variety of tenses - paraphraseIncludes only a portion of information - paraphraseIs put in own words - bothMuch shorter than original reading - summaryDiscusses how the author supported their ideas - summary

Summaries and summarizing

What is a summary? Generally speaking, it is brief an account that

explains something: a speech, a report, or an article

Specifically, it is a brief, clear statement of a work’s main ideas and key points

Why do we write summaries? Many reasons

For others: Teachers, bosses, peers, friends To check our own comprehension To prove our understanding of a text

Components of a good summary

Content: Main ideas Examples/points Title and author of the summarized text

Length: Usually 1 paragraph or 7-10 sentences The longer the text, the longer the summary

Order: First, mention the title and author of the text you

are summarizing Second, state their main idea(s) Third, state their points and examples

Language: 3rd person

Ex: “It is said” vs “I think” or “you should” Present tense

Ex: “She explains that the best time to take a nap is…: vs “She explained that the best..”

Remember to use your own words No copying or unintentional plagiarizing

Example Summary of “Bingo in Swansea” by Sasha Frere-Jones

In his article titled “Bingo in Swansea,” Sasha Frere-Jones introduces the American public to the music and background of British-Sri Lankan artist M.I.A. Describing her music as raw and unpolished, Frere-Jones believes that M.I.A.’s music represents real “world music.” He explains this not only in terms of the sounds and beats, but also in terms of the politically charged lyrics and dangerous themes, such as teenage prostitution. In addition to her music, Frere-Jones describes M.I.A.’s rough childhood and Tamil roots. He ends the article by giving a detailed account of M.I.A.’s first performance, held inEngland.

Sample summary of Wikipedia article

Jean Paul Sartre is a well- known French existentialist philosopher. He was born on June 21, 1905 in Paris, France. He was the only child of Jean Baptiste Satre and Anna- Marie Schweitzer. Since Sartre was a little kid, he had a big interest in philosophy. He earned a doctorate degree in philosophy at Ecole Normale Superieure, a well known school for French intellectuals. After that, he was drafted to go to World War II and that was when he started questioning the cultural and social assumptions and expectations of an individual. In 1943, Sartre published his first book, Being and Nothingness. After that he published, The Flies and No Exit. Sartre was very involved in society, he contributed to news articles such as Combat and The Rebel. In October 1964, Sartre was given the Noble Prize of Literature but he declined it. Sartre died April 15, 1980 because of his health was deteriorated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Paul_Sartre

Analysis

What is an analysis? “Whereas a summary most often answers the

question of what a text says, an analysis looks at how a text makes its point” (Hacker, 2007, p. 63)

Think of a written analysis as writing your understanding and interpretation of a text

A summary requires you to be objective, whereas an analysis require you to take a stance and form an opinion

An analysis involves you stating a point (in the form of a thesis or topic sentence) and arguing it (in the form of examples)

Some questions to ask when analyzing a text

What is the author’s thesis? Who is the audience?How does the author structure the text?What evidence does the author use to support

the thesis?Is the evidence credible?Where are his/her sources from?Does the author give faulty reasoning?Are the ideas plausible?

Did that sound familiar?

Reading and analyzing go hand in handIn fact, these two actions often blend one into

the otherYou can’t really do one without the other

Quick Quiz: Main Ideas of .ppt

What were the three main concepts of this presentation?

How do they relate to one another?What are the characteristics of each?How will you apply this to your writing?

Paper 1

Paper 1 will be a summary and analysis of the main ideas and concepts in the article on Desirable Difficulties

Follow guidelines from this .ppt and Writer’s Help

Write a paragraph or two in which you summarize the article

Write a paragraph or two in which you offer up your analysis of the ideas of Desirable Difficulties and your opinion on how credible they sound based on the evidence given by the author

1.5-2 pages in lengthAbout 1/3 summary and 2/3 analysisTimes New Roman12 point fontDouble spacedOne inch marginsInformative, descriptive titleClear distinction between summary and

analysis/opinionDetailed examples to support claims in analysisSmooth transition from summary to analysis

Paper 1 Continue

Go to bspace.berkeley,edu and click on the Assignments tab

Find the assignment for Paper 1 and read more directions there carefully

If you have questions, post them on the Forum rather than email me

When you have completed a draft, upload it under Assignments

Needs to be a .doc or .docx

What next?