Summarizing (3/14)

To Do:

Get together with the members of your group, give yourselves a nifty name, and designate one member as the group's typist.

Group 1:  Julio, Jihyun, Linda

Group 2: Rebekah, Eliott, Diana

Group 3: Joao, Chanda, Baris

Group 4: Agata, Jorge, Carolina

Group 5: Lisa, , Julie, Jennifer

***

Today we will:

• Think critically about Summarizing
• Review a sample summary of a CAT reading
• Work in groups to summarize a second CAT reading
• Work individually to summarize a third CAT reading

I. Thinking Critically about Summary

1. On your own, take a few minutes to write down what the word "summary" means to you.
2. In your group, read the original text and the four versions of it in the document "Four Takes on One Text" below. Decide which of the four versions is a summary of the original text and why. If you have time left, describe what the other three versions are doing to the original text. Be prepared to share your answers with the class.

Four Takes on One Text

II. Summarizing

1. On your own, review "Summarizing" on page 2 of your packet. Now discuss with your group: Which of the ideas makes sense to you? Which do not? Why? Which do you think you could use when you are writing? Why?
2. On your own, read the sample CAT reading "How to Do One Thing at a Time" on page 9 of the class packet and then read the summary HERE. Now discuss with your group: What in the summary makes sense to you? What would you do differently? Why?
3. With your group, summarize the sample CAT reading "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" on page 11 of the packet in a MSWord document. Once the group is satisfied with the summary, copy and paste it into the Google Docs below. Sign the summary with your nifty group name.

Google Docs: Group Summary of "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

4. On your own, summarize "I Know the Truth, so Don't Bother Me with Facts" on page 12 of the packet in a MSWord document, then copy and paste it into the Google Docs below. Sign the summary if you wish.

Google Docs: Individual Summaries of "I Know the Truth, so Don't Bother Me with Facts."

5. From the document above, I will assign you a summary (not your own) to review. For it, write three comments in a MSWord document answering the questions below. Copy and paste your answers UNDER the summary you were reviewing.

• What is one thing that I really liked in this summary?
• What is one thing I found confusing , needed more explanation, etc?
• If this were my summary, what is one thing I would change?

6. After reviewing the comments for your summary, go to your blog and create Blog 3: Reflecting on Summary. In this blog entry, please answer the following questions:

• What have you learned from class today?
• How do you know that you have learned it?
• Can you describe how you learned it?
• What helped your learning? What made it difficult?
• How do you feel after today's class?