SRA 1 (short-reading assignment one)
eBook: THEY SAY, I SAY, 5th edition
Read: “Choking the Oceans with Plastic,” by Charles J. Moore
-Write: a one-page paper (one page not including the space for your name and class and such information, if you provide this), double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, that summarizes the main ideas of Moore’s essay.
Papers too short will be penalized proportionately. At the same time, writing one full page is a challenge in itself. Like an athletic contest that has only so much, time, in your summary you are allowed only so much space.
-This is not an opinion paper or a personal reflection paper about how you feel about the matter.
You must summarize the writer’s essay in one page or just a little over (1 ¼ ok). Do not write one-and-a-half pages to two pages or you will lose points.
You can be straightforward and simple in this assignment, and you may start in this way, and don’t forget to tab in to start:
“Choking the Oceans with Plastic” was written by Charles J. Moore. His essay is about…
or,
“Choking the Oceans with Plastic,” an essay by Charles J. Moore, is about…
-Then just tell me what it is about. Say what Moore did, where he went. Say what specific things he found out. Talk about the specific problems he expresses with regard to plastics, recycling, and the government. What are the consequences of the use of plastic? How are various, different things in our world affected by plastic? Is there any way to help the matter?
Do not quote the writer with quote marks. You can say what he said by paraphrasing (He says that…), but do not use his words exactly, with or without quotes. No quotes. No exact, precise copies of his words. This is because I need to see your writing in this summary.
-You do not need a Works Cited or citations that say where you got your information. For this assignment, I already know this. This is not a research assignment per se. It is a summary.
But you can certainly write things such as: Moore says… In Hawaii, he found… He also suggess… Biodegradeable plastic also… Our rivers have been… Oceans continue to have… Another interesting thing is… There is also the problem of… A possible solution is… The real challenge… A focus has been…
-For this assignment, when you write it, I’m looking to see from your writing that you read the essay (of course you may have to read it more than once) and that you can tell me what it is about. And when I say what it is about, I mean in your summary you must say what Moore’s message is or messages are (in summaries, we use the person’s last name and not the first name, Charles).
To do this assignment you do not have to know every single thing about the plastics and oceans and do not use any outside, extra sources. Just tell me what Moore is talking about, the problems he finds and what his meaning or message is. Keep it simple. Simplicity is excellent. As usual, no fancy stuff.
-Finally, again, do not include your personal opinions and feeling and reflections in the part of the paper that is the assignment of one page.
You are not being graded for your feelings or impression of the essay or how you feel about it. You may include your opinion after you have written the one-page summary, but your summary is not a personal opinion or reflection.
In your summary, you will give me the facts of Moore’s essay and you will be graded on that in terms of content and, as always, your English. When you are ready, submit it.
