pollution

Summary and Response
For this assignment, you will read the following article and write a two-part paper that includes a summary and a response (analysis) of it.
The summary will be 350-500 words, and the response will be 650-800 words.
Part I: Summary
Your summary will provide an explanation of the context of the article (author, place of publication, when it was published, and any other pertinent information).
Example: In his article, “The Caging of America,” Adam Gopnik argues that ________.
The summary will clearly explain the thesis and all key points of the article:
What is the author’s thesis–argument? How does s/he then prove or evidence this claim? Stay grounded in the article. Do not stray from what is in the text into your own personal response or beliefs.
These summaries must be objective, avoiding judgmental language (what you think about it).
Do not include any direct quotes in the summary (your job is to provide overview/synopsis in your own words).
Be sure to include attributive tags/phrases: the author states, the article claims, Smith suggests, Smith argues, etc.
Your summary should rely simply on language that EXPLAINS the content of the article without evaluating or commenting on it. That is, you will not include your personal response or opinions in this summary–only what the author is saying.
Part II: Response
Your analytical response should clearly analyze why you agree or disagree with this article–or rather, what points do you dis/agree with the most and why. In this analysis, you should respond directly to REASONS used by the author. You will argue why you dis/agreed with the author using specific evidence or your own personal experiences. Your conclusion should evaluate the impact of this article in light of your own views of the topic.
Your response should be clearly organized into multiple paragraphs that include an introduction with a thesis, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Your response should have considerable support and development of your ideas concerning the author’s position and the topic itself. Moreover, you will have clear focus for the response overall (thesis) as well as a clear focus for each paragraph.
Criteria for a Successful Essay:
Appropriate Use of Sources: Your summaries should NOT rely on any direct quotes and should instead simply overview the article. However, you are expected to quote directly in the response section of the essay. *You must cite properly following MLA style.
Works Cited Page: You must include a works cited page that lists all of the sources cited in the paper in proper MLA format.
Style and Grammar: Your essay should have clear and easy-to-follow style with few, if any, grammatical errors and should engage the reader. Consistent grammatical errors will result in a lower grade. Tone, point of view, and word usage should be appropriate for an academic paper.
Organization/Structure:
Your essay should be organized with a clear plan in mind, with each paragraph flowing logically into the next.
Each individual paragraph should have a clear and unique topic with all information in each paragraph supporting the topic at hand.
Transitions should be used appropriately in and between paragraphs. (Refer to UNC Writing Center for a list of transitional words.)

How to Analyze an Article
When you read an article or a news report, find and identify the author’s main points and the thesis. Analyze the structure of the article step-by-step as you read. Always give yourself enough time to read through the article. Identify the purpose of the author’s written work. There can be several purposes of writing:
Inform the reader: look if the article has a clear structure and whether it provides sufficient evidence supported by facts and additional research.
Persuade the reader: look to find if the author has presented logical reasoning and counter-arguments, opposite opinions to persuade someone about a particular opinion.
Entertain the reader: see what emotions are caused by the article and how it personally influences and inspires you.
How to Write a Critical Analysis?
Start with reading an article in question to help yourself understand the author’s opinion and a purpose. Next, start working with an outline that will guide you through the main ideas as you prepare to write a critical analysis. Make sure to:
Try to avoid speaking of your ideas by starting with “I think,” “I believe,” and “In my opinion” as the subject of your critical analysis is a subject, not your personality.
Always make sure to introduce the subject in your paper, as the audience may not be aware of what you are writing of.
Focus on both strengths and weaknesses of the author by trying to follow the same structure used.
Always use evidence and the facts to support your claims and presented ideas.
Use critical analysis writing to tell of an article’s value and relevance.
Always remain open-minded and unbiased as you analyze, read, and write your paper.
How to Analyze a News Article
Since the news article has a purpose to inform the audience, it is important to understand that the news reports are time-sensitive and usually relate to particular events and incidents. When working with the news article critical analysis, look out for the following:
Check the headline of the news article and include it in your thesis
Focus on structure, voice of the article, tone, and rhetoric
Examine the structure of the news report to see how much of a personal opinion is included
Look for metaphors, alliterations, and allegories to understand the author’s true opinion.
Determine the tone of the article by trying to identify the news report with one word. It can be critical, angry, passionate, satirical or even neutral.
How to Analyze Research Articles
When you have to analyze research articles, you should make sure that you:
Describe the article briefly and explain it to the reader what the article is about. While you are reading the article, you have to look for details that identify the topic of the article.
Identify the purpose of the author or a reason why the author believes that a topic of research is relevant and important.
Identify the research methods and try to identify whether they appear to be suitable or not.
Check and provide evidence and facts as you speak of a research article and back it up with your own examples.
Check (and state, if applicable) whether the author refers to other research articles and if similar studies have been done. If yes, it should be mentioned and explained in your work as you speak of research methods and evidence.
Analyze the sources that were used by the author to get a better idea of how the author has formed his or her thoughts. It will help you to analyze research articles with greater professional competence and a higher level of confidence.
Article Analysis Template: Follow for a Better Writing
To make it easier for you to write a critical analysis essay, we have a helpful analysis writing template that will guide you through the most critical points. This helpful writing template will make sure that you are following the right format, structure, and do not miss anything important!
Introduction
State the title of the work that you analyze, specify the author’s name and the date of publication, if available.
Outline the main ideas of a news report or a research journal article to identify the author’s thesis.
Come up with your own thesis statement about whether the article was persuasive (or not) and why/how–show not tell.
Examples to Follow:
The “Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is an educational and a self-critical story because the author makes a point about…
The article “Racial Prejudice in Pretoria, South Africa” by Joost Van Der Graaf provides an unbiased insight on racial relationships in South Africa in a unique manner because the author has studied…
Summary
Provide a brief outline of the main ideas presented in your research article, news report, book or a movie.
This is an actual part that should answer to the questions what, why, who, when and how exactly.
Discuss the structure of an article that you are working with, talk about the style and the point of view presented by the author.
Examples to Follow:
This article discusses… An academic environment where the research has taken place is… The main subject in the news report is telling a story of his own vision of a financial crisis… The theme of a research article focuses on… The author clearly argues that… The research makes an important point of a difference between home-schooling and public education through the lens of … The authors conclude that…
Analysis
State what you like and what you do not like about the article or a news report in a critical way.
Explain your own ideas by offering specific examples from an actual article, a news report or a book.
Next, you have to state and explain whether the author has achieved his or her intentions and goals or not.
You have to use analysis to see whether an original journal article or a paper is focused, clear, unbiased, informative, and persuasive enough. Another important point to consider is whether an article targets a specific audience and if it really meets its intentions and a purpose.
Conclusion
a) Restate your thesis in a different way, using new words.
b) “So what” and “Why should anybody care” exercises?
c) If necessary and if appropriate, you should make a call to action for your target audience.
Examples to follow:
This article is important because it provides a unique… This article has a biased attitude because the author only focuses on… Instead of turning to real-life examples and the actual statistics, the author of the news report only makes assumptions…

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