This assignment calls for you to summarize and respond to a TED Talk or other short video of interest. For this project, you will utilize your summarization skills, reporting the video’s overarching messages accurately and objectively. Then you will respond to that text’s material or argument in any manner you wish.
For this essay, you should choose a video that interests you (and watch it at least twice). You must assume that your reader (of your paper) has not seen the video, so you must figure out how best to summarize what could be a lot of information. Remember, it is best to begin with the overarching message of any text that you summarize, and, depending upon the video that you choose, you might be describing an explicit argument (creator takes a stand on an issue) or you might be describing an informative or inspirational video. After you state the main point of the video, continue summarizing what you believe are the main supporting or informative points, then wrap up with a paraphrase of the video’s conclusion. This portion of the essay should be about 300 – 400 words or so, so choose a video that gives you enough material to work with.
Thereafter, you will offer your response to the material presented by that video. Ask yourself, have I gained new understandings? Do I have further questions? Do I wish to debate a point the creator makes? Your response is completely up to you; there are no right or wrong ways to engage with the video’s ideas. This portion of the essay should be about 300 – 400 words or so. You will want to give at least two paragraphs of response, each one focusing on a different aspect of your response to the video. (For instance, you could write one paragraph questioning the speaker’s ideas and one paragraph describing a similar text you have encountered, explaining how you see the two intertwining.)
The biggest trap that students fall into when completing this essay is writing too much summary and not enough response. Aim for about half and half, roughly.
Example Ways to Respond
Dispute or challenge certain points the creator makes
Concede, expand on, or correct certain points in the video
Identify strengths and weaknesses of the text’s argument, information, or entertainment value
Point out complications of the argument or issue in general (especially if not mentioned)
Express any doubts you may have regarding any of the ideas presented
Relate common experiences you may have had to anything shown in the video
Relate the material to other experiences, platforms, texts, or ideas
Express your reaction to the material
When approaching any text that you will comment on, keep in mind the following points:
Apply a balanced, in-depth observation of many parts of a text, including its language, themes, and images
Clearly identify the parts you feel contribute importantly to the whole
Decipher the author’s thesis or overall purpose in creating this video
Give in-text citation (attribution) to any outside source, including, of course, to the text you respond to
Timestamp any quotations or important paraphrased material
Include a Works Cited page with one entry (the video that you chose); see resources included in this week’s overview for help with this
Steps/Examples/Outcome
Please read this example response essay Download this example response essay.
Here is another example summary/response essay. Download another example summary/response essay.
Watch the video twice to best understand it.
Take notes or annotate as you read; especially write down questions or mark areas that “jump out.”
After watching, write down what you think the video’s thesis Links to an external site.or main idea is.
Decide on one or two areas of, or ideas from, the video to elaborate upon for your response.
Consider pre-writing Links to an external site.to organize your ideas.
In any reference to any source text’s author, give the author’s full name the first time that you mention her/him. Thereafter, you need only mention author by his or her last name.
Revise your response to be sure that it includes transitional Links to an external site.words between ideas.
Use PRESENT tense verbs to tell what the speaker says or what the text does.
Requirements
Your essay’s formatting should follow typical academic conventions: type your essay in 12-point font and double-space every item in it. Use the MLA left justified heading at the top with your name, my name, course title, and date. Put your last name and page number in the upper right header. Give a title to your essay, centered above your body text with no special formatting. You must decide how much to paraphrase, summarize, and quote, but you should include at least one area of quoted material, and you must give proper in-text citations. Create a Works Cited entry for the documentary; this should go on its own page at the end of the paper.
Your Essay’s Evaluation
This essay is worth 15% of your course grade and should be 750 – 800 total words or so in typed length. Each paper will be assessed along the above criteria of objective reporting of others’ ideas, clearly distinguishing the video’s ideas from your own, and giving proper in-text citations as well as for its grammatical and mechanical execution (proper use of the English language in terms of verb tense agreements, pronouns with clear referents, proficient punctuation use, etc.). See example paper to show correct formatting and a sample introduction.
