A student asked me these questions and I figured the answers would be good for everyone to read. My answers are italicized:

1. In the summary are there thesis and conclusion? Or is it just merely stating the major facts?

For now, it's just the facts. Each major detail should be covered in a sentence. When it comes to the summary and response to a point, there will be an intro with a thesis and a conclusion. The thesis will provide the direction for the response. It's okay that the summary may not seem to follow the thesis itself in the essay portion of the assignment.

2. Do I create paragraphs? Or do I just write sentences that consist of main points?

In the major details summary, no need. In the essay portion, yes.

3. Do I just start from the begging and write down all the major points. Or do I take into a consideration this text as a whole and write main points?

Yes, think of the major details and the summary itself as a map of the original.

4. How long should it be?

That depends, the major details will be no more than a dozen (give or take a little bit) sentences. For the essay, it will be roughly twice as long because of providing specific examples to illustrate each of the major details. At this point, it's better to be too long so you can cut the extra than to be too short and needing to add in the necessary information.

5. The first part that we are working on now is called the Descriptive summary, right?

No, right now we are working on the precis, think precis. Just a list of the major details in sentence form.

I read to all the summaries that other students have posted and it seems like they all use different format.

That will happen and it's not a big deal. The thing to look at is are they consistent in their choices of major details. That's what I'm concerned with, whether they are getting the big ideas from the reading, whether they understand. If various students do do things a bit different, I'm not concerned.

According to the guidelines I have concluded that I need to first read, which I did and then as I am ready to write I will read each section again and summarize it in my own words, basically stating the facts, not including
the examples. Am I right?

That sounds good. As I noted at some point, good readers are re-readers. I'm trying to push people in that directions.

Thank you for helping me to understand. I might have some difficulties in the beginning but I am sure next essays will be much easier!

Probably not. :-0, but at least this part of things should go more smoothly.