Extra Credit Summary Assignment

 Value:  Up to 60 points of EXTRA CREDIT (20 points per option x 3 options) 

This is extra credit.  So, you may do one, two, or all three of the options, or you do not have to do anything on this assignment.  It is purely extra credit and NOT required in any way.  Note:  You will see that this assignment is listed as 0 points.  That is so that every point you earn is treated as extra credit rather than required points.  Any work you submit and any points you earn will purely help your overall grade.

Due Date:  BY Thursday, March 16--NO GRACE!  

Why Summarize?  How to Summarize.

Summarizing is a skill we use all the time.  We summarize our eight-hour day into just a minute’s conversation, we explain the plot of a whole two hour movie in just a couple of sentences, or we give the highlights of our two-week vacation by showing a handful of pictures and talking for a half hour. 

Good summary focuses on the main ideas more than the details.  In also includes ideas from the beginning, the middle, and the end of the original piece.

One way to create a good summary is to underline one main idea in each paragraph; then use just those underlined ideas as the starting point for your summary; then cut away extra or repeated ideas to get the short version.  Another way to get to a good summary is to think t of some of the good power points you’ve seen.  Good power points summarize ideas into short bullet points along with images to convey the main ideas.

The Extra Credit Assignment

 You may do any or all of these options. Therefore, you can earn up to 60 points of extra credit.

 Option 1 - Summary of 100-200 Words

Value:  Up to 20 extra credit points

• Find an article on the web. (You may use an article you have already found for your final research piece.)
  1. The article must be at least a full page in length.
  2. Either include the url so that I can find that same article, or copy/paste that article onto your document.
• Write a 100-200 word summary of the article.
  1. Your summary must make sense.
  2. Your summary must be written in complete sentences.
  3. Your summary must incorporate ideas from the whole article.
  4. Your summary cannot go past 200 words.

Option 2 – Summary (précis) of EXACTLY 40 Words

Value:  Up to 20 extra credit points

• Find an article on the web.  (Note:  IF you do Option 1, you can use the same article for Option 2)
  1. The article must be at least a full page in length.
  2. Either include the url so that I can find that same article, or copy/paste that article onto your document.
• Write a particular type of summary known as a précis.  For this assignment option, you must write a summary of exactly 40 words.
  1. Your summary must make sense.
  2. Your summary must be written in complete sentences.
  3. Your summary must incorporate ideas from the whole article.
  4. Your must be 40 word exactly.
  5. Hint: If you did Option 1, summarize that summary for Option 2.

Option 3 – Summarize Using a Power Point or other Slide Show

Value:  Up to 20 points extra credit

• Find an article on the web. (Note:  IF you do Option 1 or 2, you can use the same article for Option 3)
  1. The article must be at least a full page in length.
  2. You must include the url on your first slide so that I can find that same article.
• Create a slide show---Power Point, Google Slides or some other slide show.
  1. You may have 3-7 slides—no more.
     1. Summarize the article within this limited space.
     2. Your summary must make sense.
     3. Your summary must incorporate ideas from the whole article.

1. You must use bullet points to summarize the information from your article.
   1. No more than 3 bullet points per slide
   2. No more than 5 words per bullet point
   3. Bullet points do not have to be written in complete sentences, but they do need to make sense.

• You MAY use images—pictures, diagrams, etc. to help convey information.
• Your slide design and titles may also help convey information.