First, some directions. Once drafts have been posted, each should receive three responses. That means each person should search out three drafts and respond to them. There are particular expectations attached to these responses. Those expectations are spelled out in the Response Rubric. Address each of the points. For instance, the first point, about the introduction, is as follows:

The introduction should do the following: provide authors name (full name on first mention), the title of the text being summarized, and the point the summary is seeking to make. Additionally, there should be some general background information the text about the point that will be raised by the thesis. Let the writer know if any of these aforementioned elements are missing, what they might do to strengthen any of the elements, and what you think they have done well. Don't just tell them "good thesis" but explain why you think it is good. Same goes for the other points.

If something is missing, it's your job as a reader to point this out to the writer. If something is unclear, it's your job to point this out. If something is done nicely, it's important to point that out as well. It's better for the writer, and for you and your writing, if you explain why something is not so good, great or what have you. Once an essay has received two responses that have responded to the Response Rubric, then I'll read and respond to the essays as well.

Question: I am working on the middle part right now. In the Lecture notes you say that we need to use about three major points in our essays. Do you mean we need to talk about three points in details and just mention the rest major points, right? It's seems to me that if we are convey the author's ideas in our words we should not miss any important information, right? How long do you think the essay should be?

Answer: In the response portion of the essay, I suggest no more than three points. When you do the summary, you want to hit on all the major points, because you still want to use that part to give your reader a clear sense of what you are writing about and responding to. When you respond, you pull out and respond to the points you decide upon, for whatever reason. Since you are working on chapter two, maybe you'll respond to glittering generalities. There are plenty of examples of that sort for thing. You might begin with one of the examples from the book and then follow with some examples you've seen yourself. I mentioned the "satellite speed" in my lecture. Yesterday I saw an ad for a car that moves at "the speed of technology," showing how the driver got to a meeting quicker than his text message as it bounced from cell tower to cell tower. Still, what the heck is "the speed of technology"? A pencil is a technology. Is that the speed we're talking about? Horse and buggy? Clearly not, but the phrase is absurd on its face (and the ad stupid in my mind for many other reasons). The point is that you might write about just glittering generalities but flesh it out with an example from the book and one or two or three examples from life.

Question: Now, to the next step and I have some questions. I am choosing to write on ch 2. Do I build my essay just on chapter 2 and should I include anything from ch 1? I am thinking to use both chapters for intro and main idea but then support it with the facts from Ch 2. Do you think that's a good plan?

Answer: In both the summary and response for the essay portion of the assignment, you can ignore chapter one. You've already shown, through the major details summary, you've done that reading. I wouldn't include chapter one in the intro because that may create an expectation that is unfulfilled by the essay itself, which is never a good thing in an essay, or life really, creating expectations that can't be fulfilled.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.