 1 ” margins  12 point font H u m a n i t i e s

English 1102
Summary Exercise, Summary Rubric
For this exercise, please summarize Matthew A. Baum and David Lazer’s “Google and
Facebook Aren’t Fighting Fake News with the right Weapons.” The link to this article is
posted on Moodle, and I have also posted a plain-text PDF version, in the event you can’t
access the web version. Please upload your summary to the turnitin link later than 11:59
pm on Sunday, August 30.
If for some reason you are not able to complete your summary by the upload date, be
sure to email me a completed Extension Contract by or before that time. If you do not
complete either a Summary or an Extension Contract by the deadline, you may forfeit
points for this assignment.
When writing a summary, be sure to refer often to Chapter 1 in your textbook. The
“Guidelines” guide on page 27 and the examples which follow it, are the best helpers for
summary work. Make sure to bookmark page 27 so you can refer to it often.
Formal requirements:
I have posted a model short essay to demonstrate what formatting should look like, but
in general, these are the requirements:
 1” margins
 12 point font, standard or default style
 Double space, no extra spaces between paragraphs
 Please include your full name, the date, your class and section number, and (if
you wish) the assignment description in a single-spaced “header block” in the
upper right or upper left hand corner
 Title the assignment, and center the title at the top of the page, below the header
block
Please refer to the formatting example posted on Moodle, and remember that appropriate
formatting is part of the overall grade for any word-processed assignment.
On the next page is a quick reference for competency in summary writing. Be aware
that “very competent” translates to the A-B+ range, “competent” to the B-C- range, and
“not competent” to the D-F range.
The following information is from Lila Harper’s Instructor’s Manual for the
Behrens/Rosen text:
Assessment Guide for Summaries
Very Competent Competent Not Competent
* Summary is titled.
* Author, title, thesis
clearly stated at the
beginning of the summary.
* Author’s purpose is
conveyed and restated in
writer’s own words.
*Author’s purpose is
accurately presented.
* Critical reading is
evident.
*The writer sustains
his/her discussion of the
passage’s objective.
*Language is vivid and
vibrant; the tone remains
objective.
* Sentence structure is
varied.
*Grammar reveals the
writer’s command of the
written conventions of
English.
* Summary is titled
* States the author and
title, the thesis is
accurately addressed
(restated); perhaps an
implied part of the thesis
is missing; the author’s
thesis is restated in
writer’s own words.
* Restates all key ideas in
the passage; some ideas
may not be fully
developed.
* Usually restates the key
ideas logically and
coherently in the writer’s
own words; there may be
gaps in coherence and/or
logic, but the thesis is
clear.
* Examples are given to
support the key ideas
made by the author in
support of his/her thesis;
these examples may not
be complete.
* Gives the reader a clear
sense of the contents of
the passage.
* Contains topic sentences
that present controlling
ideas.
*Free from serious
mechanical errors. Errors
do not distract the reader
or impede reading.
* No title.
* Author and title never
stated; no indication this is
a summary.
* Reacts to content.
* Misreads the author’s
thesis.
* Ideas are unclear; does
not refer to key ideas; key
ideas misquoted or
misrepresented.
* Lack of coherence (no
order of ideas);
relationship of ideas is
unclear; does not express
the complexity of the
ideas; there are no
transitions.
* No organization; main
points are presented
randomly or order
describes the sequence of
topics. No attempt is
made to show relationship
between thesis and
support.
* Vague language, vague
references; does not
convey ideas clearly.
* Uses author’s language.
* Mechanical errors.