iii. “Writing Abstracts” e. As you write and revise, include at least two of the
sentence structures on the handout titled “Sentence Structures” f. Highlight and
label ...
News Article Précis News Article Précis To help you prepare for the AP English Language and Composition Exam, we will explore current events with great depth throughout the year. Thus, on a regular basis, you will submit an individual précis on a news article from the prior week. Please, only choose news items from credible sources: The New York Times, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time. You might find it interesting to track one event through several different news journals—you will begin to see bias in supposedly objective news reporting. You may follow a newsworthy topic of interest for two to three weeks; however, after three weeks, you must move to a different topic in order to build your base of knowledge. The article CANNOT be entertainment news (i.e. no Kardashians!). Steps to a Précis: 1. Select an article to read NOTE: Sometimes I will select a reading or require a type of reading. 2. Read and annotate the article (See directions and sample in handout titled “Annotation Basics”) 3. Write a précis. a. A précis is a brief, objective summary of the article. b. Use third person. c. Use less than 200 words d. See handouts on précis writing: i. “The Précis, or Abstract” ii. “Tom Reynolds—Writing a Précis for Literature” iii. “Writing Abstracts” e. As you write and revise, include at least two of the sentence structures on the handout titled “Sentence Structures” f. Highlight and label these sentence structures. 4. Staple the précis to the FRONT of the corresponding annotated article. 5. Turn all précis IN A FOLDER. The folder should have pockets and be clearly marked (on the outside) with your name and class period. 6. Each précis is worth 10 points in the homework category. They cannot be revised; however, I will provide you with feedback to improve future writing. 7. Depending on where we are in the semester, précis may be checked in or scored with thorough feedback. Discussion and peer review will be tied to précis writing and topics. At least once a month, students will pick their strongest précis for formal feedback and evaluation.
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News Article Précis Précis Plus: We will build to this type of assignment throughout the year. A précis plus is bulked up version of a précis. It requires the following: Annotated article Précis (brief, objective summary; less than 200 words; third person) A personal reflection (OPINION) of the information in the article (1-2 pages) o First person o Discuss specifics from the text (ideas, quotes, writing strategies) o As you frame your response, consider the following ideas: How do you feel about the information? Is the information new to you or do you already have an opinion? Did the article influence your opinion? Did you make any personal connections to the main ideas in the article? How well did the author make his/her point? Is the information credible? Convincing? What kind of bias exists in the article? Is there enough information included in the article to make an informed decision on the issue?
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