3. What Is A Summary?
It’s a condensed version of the article you read, presented in
your own words.
0 It restates the central ideas expressed in the article and ONLY
the most relevant ‘big picture’ details, thereby satisfying our
general need to know who, what, where, why, when and how
0 It comprehensively covers the article’s contents without
delving back into specific details noted in the original.
0 It is objectively written, omitting any personal opinion or
response to the article; it does not include information not
mentioned in the article.
0 It’s roughly 150-300 words in length, depending on the length
of the original.
4. How Do I Write One?
0 Read the article carefully, paying attention to what the
content says but also how this information is organized.
0 Annotate as you read:
0 Circle important people or groups mentioned (WHO)
0 Put a box around relevant locations (WHERE)
0 Attempt to locate phrases or sentences that seem to express
the main/central idea and either label or put a star (*) next
to them (WHAT)
0The main idea is often, though not always, mentioned at the
beginning and/or end of the article.
0There may be more than one phrase/sentence that expresses the
big picture…annotate any that you find.
5. How Do I Write One? CON’T
0 Annotate as you read, cont:
0 You are welcome to underline any information you think is
important this first time around if it helps you understand it
better.
0 At the end of the process, we will use our highlighters to
distinguish which information is MOST important for
inclusion in the summary.
6. How Do I Write One? CON’T
Now that you’ve read the article, look back over it…
0 If the article contains sub-headings, reconsider what
information was covered in each of these sections; jot notes in
the margin that sum up the main point expressed in that
section.
0 If there are no subheadings, attempted to divide the text into
‘chunks’ yourself, jotting notes in the margin to sum up the
main idea being expressed in each part you section off.
Once you thoroughly understand the article and all its pieces, you
can decide what information is most important to include in the
summary.
7. How Do I Determine What
Appears in the Summary?
Once you thoroughly understand the article and all its
pieces, you can decide what information is most important
to include in the summary.
0 Review the annotated information. Using your
highlighter, do your best to differentiate between
primary and secondary information by highlighting
only those facts that are crucial to understanding the main
idea, those that answer who/what/where/why/when/how
basics.
0 Avoid the lure of very specific details!
8. Which Details Should NOT appear
in our Summary?
0 ________ Six oil-soaked pelicans and one young sea lion were
rehabilitated, officials said.
0 ________ Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Santa
Barbara County.
0 ________ The Plains All American Pipeline has 175 federal safety and
maintenance violations since 2006, responsible for more than
16,000 barrels in spills that have caused more than $23
million worth of property damage.
0 ________ The size of the spill is equivalent to the volume of water the
average American residence uses in a year.
0 ________ According to its Twitterfeed, the California Department of Fish
and Wildlife had more than 70 of its people in the field
collecting oil and protecting shorebirds.
9. Which Details Should NOT appear
in our Summary?
0 ___X____ Six oil-soaked pelicans and one young sea lion were
rehabilitated, officials said.
0 ________ Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Santa
Barbara County.
0 ___X____ The Plains All American Pipeline has 175 federal safety and
maintenance violations since 2006, responsible for more than
16,000 barrels in spills that have caused more than $23
million worth of property damage.
0 ________ The size of the spill is equivalent to the volume of water the
average American residence uses in a year.
0 ___X___ According to its Twitterfeed, the California Department of Fish
and Wildlife had more than 70 of its people in the field
collecting oil and protecting shorebirds.
10. Instead…
0 ___X____ Six oil-soaked pelicans and one young sea lion were
rehabilitated, officials said.
The spill harmed an undisclosed number of lobsters, fish, birds and other
wildlife in the region.
0 ___X____ The Plains All American Pipeline has 175 federal safety and
maintenance violations since 2006, responsible for more than
16,000 barrels in spills that have caused more than $23
million worth of property damage.
Plains All American Pipeline, the oil company faulted for the spill, has
been known to violate safety and maintenance restrictions in the past
0 ___X___ According to its Twitterfeed, the California Department of Fish
and Wildlife had more than 70 of its people in the field
collecting oil and protecting shorebirds.
Multiple state and federal agencies came to rescue the area from this
state of emergency, including the California Office of Emergency Services,
the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Coast Guard
11. Now It’s Time to Set Up Your…
SUMMARY/SOURCE CARD
ENVIRONMENT: energy, damage
POLITICS & GOV’T: big business, industry, regulations
“Santa Barbara Oil Spill: Crude flowed ‘well below’ capacity in
ruptured pipe”
(Martinez, Vercammen, and Payne)
CNN online, May 22, 2015
[NAME]
FRONT of Card
12. Now It’s Time to Set Up Your…
SUMMARY/SOURCE CARD
WHO: Santa Barbara County residents, Plains All
American Pipeline oil company
WHERE (national): Santa Barbara coast, California
SUMMARY:
(insert here)____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
BACK of Card
13. In May 2015, the coast of Santa Barbara, California, suffered its second
major oil spill in history, with over 100,000 gallons of crude oil soaking the
area. Multiple state and federal agencies came to rescue the area from this
state of emergency, including the California Office of Emergency Services,
the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Coast Guard, but
the leak ravaged the beaches and Pacific Ocean water, harming an
undisclosed number of lobsters, fish, birds and other wildlife in the region.
According to CNN, the size of the spill was “equivalent to the volume of
water the average American residence uses in a year.” Plains All American
Pipeline, the oil company faulted for the spill, has been known to violate
safety and maintenance restrictions in the past, and though they apologized
for the incident, “the fact is that oil development is innately risky” no matter
what regulations are in place. The article notes several other historical
cases including Santa Barbara’s first spill in 1969, and the even larger Exxon
Valdez and Deepwater Horizon spills of 1989 and 2010, respectively, to
suggest that continued oil development will inevitably lead to more tragic
spills like this recent one. (200 words)
SAMPLE SUMMARY
