English 102 / Tenenbaum: Demonstration Summary
Drowning in Corn: Summary of “Industrial Corn,” from Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s
Dilemma
[The title conveys overall mood or theme, and is your big creative moment. The subtitle is
factual, saying what the paper is.]
In this selection about the corn as an economic commodity, Michael Pollan, an investigative
journalist, claims that these huge crops of corn are detrimental to the food system as a whole.
[The first paragraph, in combination with the title, gives the author’s name, the book title, and
the overall idea of what the “Industrial Corn” section is about.]
[Second paragraph] Here is a topic sentence introducing the first, most important subpoint (important according to a logical scheme you have thought out) to the overall statement in
the first paragraph. In the rest of this paragraph, you will, in some combination of summary,
paraphrase, and quotation, present information supporting the topic sentence above. It is likely
that every sentence will have a page reference.
[Third and following paragraphs] Throughout the summary, repeat the same structure as
in the second paragraph, putting the points in logical order, and using transition words to help
readers follow.
[Final paragraph] At the end, if you have any words left, you can include your own
response to Pollan’s ideas.
[The Works Cited is on the next page.]
English 102 / Tenenbaum: Demonstration Summary
Works Cited
Pollan, Michael. The Ominivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York:
Penguin, 2006. Print.