Exercise 1- Give your opinion:

“House Attack” in Vienna, Austria

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ogil/338354430/

Exercise 1- Give your opinion:

“Dripping Color” by Dutch artists Lucy & Bart Hess

http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/-a01/bart10.jpg

Exercise 1- Give your opinion:

Pop artist Lady Gaga’s meat dress from the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yIXe6dl5V9A/TI37orFQeGI/AAAAAAAACEI/A863jhywjWE/s1600/lady-gaga-meat-dress-04.jpg

SUMMARY-CRITIQUEBy Betsy Divine

Adapted from Mica S. and Susan Ahmed

What is a summary-critique? A summary critique is a critical evaluation

or assessment of a written work. A summary-critique has two parts:

The objective summary that informs your reader about the content of the article.

A critical evaluation of the piece in which respond with your own impression of the article’s value.

Critical Evaluation Critical Evaulation means we need to

question the information and opinons in a text

Evaluation means determining the strengths and weaknesses of the text based on scientific criteria.

Introduction of a Critique Introduces the author and topic area.

Presents the aim and purpose of the article

Summarizes the author’s key ideas/findings

Gives the author’s academic opinion/reaction to the work in the form a thesis statement.

Introduction of a Critique The first sentence includes:

The source The main idea (note the verb tense)

Sentence 1: Author + titled of the article + main idea

In their October 2010 article in the Daily Egyptian, “Poshard defends dissertation against plagiarism charges,” authors Wilson and Crawford report that SIU Present Glenn Poshard’s 1984 doctoral dissertation contained many examples of blatant plagiarism.

Sample First Sentence In Anthony Tyson’s 1999 article “Mapping Dark

Matter with Gravitational Lenses,” + main idea According to Ivy Boskin in her article “Blue Whale

Population May be Increasing” (1998) +main idea Yong and Song’s 1991 paper on fluoridation

discusses + main idea Author Peter Berstein in his book Capital Ideas

(1991) states that + main idea Maria Garcias, in her 1995 article “Females in the

work place” states that men and women exhibit differences in the way they pursue success.

Unbiased Summary Be objective Use “evaluative” verbs sparingly in summaries

Note the difference in meaning: Mary Ivy, in her article “Is There a Female

Style in Science?” alleges that men and women exhibit differences in …..

Mary Ivy, in her article “Is There a Female Style in Science?” assumes that men and women exhibit differences in…..

Summary Provide a summary of the main points Present the aim of the text or key

arguments

Note: Key it neutral Avoid specific details (no quotes, points

yet) Intro may be 1-3 paragraphs…. Or it might

only be 1-2 sentences. End on the heart of the argument, then

thesis

Transitional Thesis In the last sentence of the introduction A brief statement of your evaluation of

the text. Can be either:

Positive + positive Positive + negative

Sample Introduction In his article, “It’s Not Easy Being English…”

published in the August 2007 issue of Newsweek International, William Black presents several reasons why foreign students are choosing places other than Britain and the United States to study and pursue their education. He cites [summary of main points of this article] as the main causes of foreign student attrition. Based on this evidence, Black concludes that Britain is in danger of losing even more foreign students in the coming years as educational options for students increase. While Black’s article raises a timely and important issue, he neglects to…

Sample Thesis Two Below is the same sample thesis with a

positive + positive response:

Black’s article not only raises a timely and important issue, but (he) also +

Note: A Positive + Positive thesis also includes

some form of negative critique within the essay.

Weak Introduction Examples An introduction that does not follow the

first sentence format:

In 2004, it was announced that Rico, a border collie from Germany, possessed a 250-word vocabulary that might provide insights into the origins of language. (1)

Weak Introductory Examples Using evaluative language: In 2004, it was announced that Rico, a

border collie from Germany, possessed a 250-word vocabulary that might provide insights into the origins of language. (1) A dog-loving public was enthralled by the discovery; finally science had validated their belief that their pets really do understand them. Some researchers were so excited by the notion that they surmised Rico processed complex linguistic abilities….

Weak Thesis Example Not including a positive aspect:

The article overestimates the border collies abilities and assumes intellectual capabilities that are unrealistic for dogs.

STOP!!

Please share your answers from the handout and follow the discussion questions in groups of three.

Body of a Critique Use 3-5 points to support your thesis

statement. The question that you have about the text

should serve as a guide to help you select your points. For example, you can discuss The author’s credentials/lack thereof The audience and appropriateness of

vocabulary The amount and quality of support used to

back ideas. The logic of the argument Etc…

Language Features of A Critique

Reporting Verbs and phrases Brown begins his article claiming that the

new teaching method represents… Modality

The word “theory” has an honorific status….the same could most likely be said for “practice”

Conceding (Concessive Clauses) Though by no means the first empiricist

among Greek philosophers, Aristotle stood out among contemporaries…

Evaluation: Three basic styles Positive

Verbs: agree with, approve of, accept Adjectives: informative, interesting,

succinct, original, useful, fascinating Negative

Verbs: disagree with, disapprove of, reject Adjectives: uninformative, mundane,

unfocused, pedestrian Mixed reviews

How to organize mixed reviews Some positive, but mostly negative

Positive (Weaker) opinion first = 1 paragraph Negative (Stronger) opinion second = 2

paragraphs Some negative, but mostly positive

Negative (Weaker) opinion first = 1 paragraph Positive (Stronger) opinion second = 2

paragraphs Don’t forget the use of outside references

for added strength.

USE PIE! Yumm Point out your idea Illustrate your idea (facts, examples) Explain why you gave that illustration Remember to give credit. Identify the PIE on your handout.

PIE The author uses many statistics to prove

his point, but he fails to indicate his source. He notes that one out of two marijuana smokers go on to use more dangerous drugs. However, he never says how he acquired that information, nor does he include a reference at the end of the article. Should the reader trust that the statistics are accurate, or could they be the author’s invention because he is opposed to all legalization of drugs? If no sources are acknowledged for statistics, the author casts doubt on his entire argument.

Conclusion of a Critique Summarize your judgments Offer recommendations Qualify reviewer’s judgments

Practice Summary-Critique!

Read the sample article “What our education system needs is more F’s” by Carl Singleton on the course website.

In small groups, write a critique of the article.

Submit as a group via Dropbox.