Purpose:  Practice quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing, with appropriate formatting and citation.  Please pay close attention to our instructions, and don’t forget to reference the pages linked for examples.

Tasks:

After reading , choose one paragraph from the text that interests you and and complete the following four tasks:

Task 1:  Critical Reading

Read the paragraph and , asking yourself the following questions        (your answers do not need to be part of your submission):

• Are there any unfamiliar terms or concepts that require review before you can assess or understand the paragraph?  Keep in mind that this may be because of how the author has written – you may simply need to select a different paragraph.  You may also need to take into account the context in which your chosen paragraph was written (i.e., the rest of the essay).
• What issue or question is the author addressing in this paragraph?
• Why does the author feel this issue or question is important?
• What is the author’s response to this issue or question?
• Is the author’s response effective?
• What main concept does the author want us to learn or know after reading this paragraph?

Task 2:  Engaging a Quote and Citing a Source

For this task, you will begin by copying and pasting your selected paragraph into your document.  Once you have done so, craft a paragraph around the quote, demonstrating you would engage this quote and present it to a reader.

• You will need to introduce your quote as if for an audience who is unfamiliar with the text.  This may include naming the author and the text, and providing a very brief introduction to the topic of the paragraph.  (Review steps in the ).
• If the paragraph is more than four typed lines, format it appropriately as a block/long quote (check this link for help).  Then, place an MLA formatted parenthetical citation after the block quote (review  for assistance).
• Follow the quote with a brief analysis (one to two sentences) of what the quote means or why it is important.

Task 3:  Summarizing the Source

Below Task 2, write one or two sentences summarizing the paragraph you chose for Task 2.  Make sure you limit your summary specifically to that section of text          ().  Summaries   tend to be general, but use your own words, NOT the source’s language.              Conclude your summary with an MLA formatted parenthetical citation.

Task 4:  Paraphrasing the Source

• For your final task, write a complete and well-developed paragraph of 5-7     sentences which paraphrases the quote in Task 2 (for additional                    assistance,  please review Paraphrased Passages in ).  Make sure to include MLA formatted parenthetical citations and/or mention the authors’ names in order to provide the authors with credit for their ideas and avoid plagiarism.  Again, paraphrasing requires the writer to use their own words, NOT the source’s language.
• Leave time to run it by , as students who complete this step usually receive a significantly higher grade.
  

File submissions:  Please submit your file as a .DOC, .DOCX, or .PDF file.

Criteria on which you will be graded:

• Your introduction, formatting, and citing of the quoted paragraph conforms to guidelines in our readings
• Your summary follows our instructions and the examples provided in the readings, and contains a citation
• Your paraphrased paragraph follows our instructions and examples provided in the readings, and contains at least one citation
• Your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct; comma splices, sentence fragments, and run-on sentences will be penalized.
• Your document follows MLA document formatting, and includes 12 pt font and double line spacing.
• On the first page of your assignment, include your name, date, and assignment name.

This activity may use a different grading rubric than what was used in past                 activities. Be sure to check the grading rubric before starting.