CHAPTER SUMMARIES GUIDE 4 @ 10 PTS = (40%)
For your summaries, from the book -Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States- write a 4-page summary of the chapters below. I DO NOT WANT A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF EVERYTHING THE AUTHOR IS SAYING. This is not an exercise in how well you can repeat every detail. This is an exercise in being able to identify principle, key points in a 20 – 30 page scholarly history paper (which is essentially what each of your assigned readings from the textbook are), critically analyze them, and communicate your findings. I offer here some suggestions. Read the introduction and the conclusion first. These tell you essentially what the author is trying to prove in that chapter. You can make your outline for each chapter’s summary off of these. Then, carefully read the chapters. As you read the chapters, make sure to take notes relevant for each of the things that were mentioned in the introduction or conclusion. Look specifically for topics related to the themes in the course description above. Where there is a footnote or endnote, read the footnote or endnote. In many cases in historical writings, the footnotes/endnotes offer additional critical author’s notes and/or comments on the topic, or tell you the source of the information.
Have you ever heard the saying “consider the source”? It is referring to when someone makes an allegation, you must consider the particular experience, condition or situation or possible ulterior motivations that might lead that person to make those allegations. Someone never exposed to Mexican culture might make certain comments that might not sound offensive to them, but which would be an offensive stereotype to a Mexican. You can put whatever race/ethnicity you choose in place of Mexican. An ex-girlfriend or boyfriend tells the young bride- or groom-to-be nasty things about their fiancé. Who is making those allegations and why? If it is a government report, what led to that government report? Doesn’t the government have enough things to worry about than to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a report? Somehow someone thought it was an important enough undertaking, and pushed for it to get done. WHY? Was there political pressure to look into that issue? From whom? Other politicians? Who was pushing them? Business? Community groups? Labor unions? Human rights groups? Of course, I don’t expect you to actually do all of this research, but I do expect you to ask the questions! Take notes of any interesting findings. After you read the chapter, you should have sufficient notes to write a critical analysis of the chapter. When you sit down to write your summary, the format of the critique should be like this page, you may use MLA format, double-spaced, 1″ margins, and the font should be either 10 – 12 point Times or 10 – 12 point Courier.
Due this week:
3. Read the following chapters and summarize them in ONE 4-page summary:
CHAPTER 6, CHAPTER 7, CHAPTER 8
FOR EXTRA CREDIT: SUMMARIZE THE CONCLUSION
CHAPTER SUMMARIES GRADING RUBRIC
Name (your information)
Chicano Studies 008 Course Number
Due Date
Assignment Name (Chapter Summary # 1)
Assignment begins, no more than 8 lines down from where your name is. The paper must be on time, have the proper identifying information as shown above, 1” margins all the way around, have similar size and style font as this (11 point Times New Roman) and meet the minimum length requirements (4 pages) JUST TO BE ACCEPTED. You do not need to include a bibliography, cover page, or table of contents. They will be graded first on this format. You will be given 2 points for each of the following to begin:
Identifying Information and Formatting: Identifying information as shown above [including assignment name, author(s) name(s) and titles of chapters/articles and book to be summarized , and proper 1” margins (2 pts)
Writing Proficiency: Each full page of narrative (2 pts) (max 10 points per assignment)
IF you have met the above requirements, this will give you 10 points to begin with. From that point on I will begin to look carefully at the following criteria in your paper in this order, and deduct the points below if the paper does not meet the following:
Proper Introduction includes at minimum: the title of the book and chapters being summarized, and the name of the author- 1/2 page. (2 pts)
The Body must include: 1) the chapter summaries and 2) a general analysis/critique of each (as shown in the assignment guide above)- 1 page. (4 pts)
Conclusion: synthesis of your opinion of the work- 1/2 page. (2 pts)
Chapter Summary Assignment Outcomes: The student will be able to read and critically analyze a 20-30 page scholarly article/chapter from the required class text and write a 4-page critical summary-report on it in proper MLA format.
