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English 098: English Fundamentals
Instructor: Sydney Brown
Points: 100
ACADEMIC SUMMARY & RESPONSE TO FOOD, INC.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Length: two complete paragraphs with strong topic
sentences and fully developed bodies, no more than
500 words (2 double-spaced typed pages)
• Format: MLA with a Works Cited page (for an
example of how to cite a DVD, see page 434 in A
Commonsense Guide to Grammar and Usage)
IMPORTANT DATES:
•
•
GETTING STARTED
Thursday, March 22: Watch Food, Inc.
DUE Tuesday, March 27: One draft of your
Academic Summary and Response with Works
Cited page for class activity.
• DUE Thursday, March 29: Academic Summary and
A summary is a condensed, or shortened, version of a longer
Response. Staple draft from Tuesday 3/27 behind
piece of writing, media (film, television show, documentary, song,
your revision. Once I read and grade this paper, you
etc.), a conversation, or a situation. For this assignment, you are
will have the opportunity to revise it.
asked to write two paragraphs. For the first paragraph, write a
brief academic summary of the documentary film Food, Inc.,
created by Robert Kenner and released by Magnolia Pictures in
2000. In the second paragraph, you should explain your response to the film—how it affected you and perhaps made you think
about your own food choices and experiences with food.
The SIX Basics of a Good (brief) Academic Summary:
1. It has a topic sentence that states what is being summarized and its main idea. To be more specific, the topic sentence
introduces the author’s full name and identifies the genre, title, date, and states the author’s thesis (purpose, main point,
major claim or argument). This type of sentence is very common in academic writing. (TIP: Once you have introduced an
author by his or her full name, you may refer to him/her by last name only. Never refer to an author by first name only.)
2. It identifies the major support (how the film supports its position against factory farming).
3. It includes any final observations or recommendations made in the original piece (consider the recommendations made at
the end of Food Inc.)
4. It is written in your own words in an academic voice (more formal). When utilizing the academic voice, work to not write
like you speak—avoid contractions (don’t, can’t, won’t, etc.) as well as I and you.
5. It presents objective information (without your opinions).
6. It sometimes quotes the author. For this assignment, you are asked to directly quote from the film one time and to create a
Works Cited page. It is often a good idea to quote the author at least once to support your summary and give the reader a
“feel” for the author’s voice/tone.
For the response paragraph, you should do the following:
1. Write a smooth transition that helps your reader understand that you are moving from objective academic summary to
subjective response.
2. Write a topic sentence that gives your general response.
3. Support your general response with specific examples from the film and your ideas and experiences.
4. Maintain academic voice by avoiding contractions and use of the pronoun “I” unless you are narrating a point limited to
your experience.
5. Conclude in a way that addresses both the filmmaker’s intention and your overall response.
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GRADING RUBRIC
Controlling Idea
Does the title:
• Engage reader?
Do the topic sentences:
• Paragraph 1: Introduce the filmmaker’s full name and identify the genre, title, date, and
state the filmmaker’s thesis (purpose, main point, major claim or argument)?
• Paragraph 2: State the author’s (your) personal response to the film.
Organization
Do the sentences:
• Follow an organized sequence so that a general audience can understand?
• Adequately support the topic sentences?
• Identify any final observations or recommendations made by film and author?
Transitions
Do the ideas within the paragraphs
• Use appropriate transitional words that help the reader move from one idea to the next
and one paragraph to the next?
Development
Do the paragraphs as a whole:
• Clearly and accurately introduce and summarize the filmmaker’s argument and the
author’s response and supporting points (both in your objective academic response and
your subjective response)?
• Use academic voice?
• Utilize the author’s own words? Plagiarism will result in a zero for this assignment.
Does the second paragraph end with:
• A conclusion that reminds readers of the main point and makes an observation or
decision (or prediction) about what has been written about the subject?
Grammar, Punctuation & Mechanics Focus for this Assignment
• Are all sentences complete sentences (no run-ons, comma splices, or fragments)?
• Are words spelled and used correctly?
Format
Is the paper formatted:
• According to the MLA guidelines, including the Works Cited page?
GRADE:
COMMENTS