1. Agenda
Go over Baldwin’s “If Black English Isn’t a language, Then, Tell Me, What Is?”
Refresh Major/Minor premise
Mini-lesson on Summarizing
Summarize Baldwin
I can write a concise summary with adequate detail.

2. Summary
A summary is a synthesis of the key ideas of a piece of writing, restated in your own words – i.e., paraphrased. 
You may write a summary as a stand-alone assignment or as part of a longer paper. 
Whenever you summarize, you must be careful not to copy the exact wording of the original source.
Let’s learn a little more about how to Summarize:

3. How do we Summarize? Questions to ask when you are summarizing:
What happened?
What is essential to tell?
What was the outcome?
Who was involved?
Why did this happen?
Is that a detail or essential information?
Why do we summarize:
Connects reading and writing
Things we can do as we read to help write a summary:
annotating text; post-it strategies; re-reading; inferences

4. Summary according to Harvard
Read the article on Summary published by The Writing Center at Harvard

5. Steps to writing a good summary
Read (1st time) – focus on overall meaning (get the gist)
Read (2nd time) – underline key words or phrases (identify the main ideas/major points)
Delete or Cross out ideas that are not important to the main idea
Delete or cross out repetitive information
Simplify – use “flowers” instead of “roses, daisies, and daffodils”
Write a topic sentence
Add summary statements about key points that support the topic.
Create a final draft
Keep it simple and stick to the facts
DO NOT include your opinion or comments about the information.
Burns, Leslie D. (2013). “How to Write a Systematic Summary (That Increases Reading Comprehension).”
Adapted from: Marzano, R., Pickering, D., and Pollock, J. (2004). Classroom Instruction that Works: Research Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall,

6. Write a Summary of James Baldwin’s “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?”
1st Reading – Focus on the overall main idea
Using your handout, come up with the overall main idea (Major Premise) of the essay
2nd Reading – Focus on the key words and phrases
What are the major the supporting ideas in the essay (Minor Premises)?

7. On your handout
Delete or Cross out ideas that are not important to the main idea
Delete or cross out repetitive information
Simplify – use “flowers” instead of “roses, daisies, and daffodils”

8. Write a topic sentence Create a final draft
Add summary statements about key points that support the topic.
Create a final draft
Keep it simple and stick to the facts
DO NOT include your opinion or comments about the information.