Internet Academy

Instruction:

The Vietnam War may seem as far away to you as the Civil War. But to others it is as clear in detail and memory as the recent war with Iraq. In all cases, we remember our heroes. You may have read this passage already if you completed Lesson 11. Read or review Honoring Our Forgotten Heroes, linked to the book icon on the right. Then we'll work through one last short answer example before you take off on your own to practice writing summaries.
Keep the tips about summarizing in mind.

Again, in this example, you aren't doing the writing, you're doing the evaluating! Except this time pretend three of your friends have asked you to score their homework assignment before they turn it in because you're always the one who gets the best score! Help out your friends by making suggestions, rather than giving them the answers.

Honoring Our
Forgotten Heroes

Short Answer Prompt:

In your own words, write a summary of the selection. Be sure to include three main points in your summary.

After you agree, because all three pitched in and brought over your favorite ice cream for after the study session, you take a look at their drafts and give them each a score.

What are you looking for in their summaries?

A two point answer would accurately summarize the selection by including three main points or it would provide a summarizing statement and two main points.
A one point answer would show partial understanding of the main points, but might not include three in their summary.
A zero point answer might be "I don't know." Or it might include a statement that is not a main idea.

Now you actually take a few minutes and write your own summary so that you have a guide to make your evaluations. You write:

Prompt: In your own words, write a summary of the selection. Be sure to include three main points in your summary.

Your Answer (of course you earn a 2 point score!):

Maya Lin designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial while she was a college student. Her design was criticized at first, but Lin stood by it. Finally, it was built, and it became the most visited memorial in the United States.

Here are the three writings from your friends. Evaluate them and match the score to their answers by dragging and dropping the score earned by each friend.

Friend 1 writes:

Lin designs an entry for the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial and it wins. When introduced to the public, they didn't like it. After the Wall was built the public's attitude changed. Now it is the most visited memorial in the United States.

Friend 2 writes:

A small artist designed something that people could touch so you could remember loved ones. The wall helped many people get through bad times.

Friend 3 writes:

This article to me shows how much they care for forgotten soldiers. They care for them because they risked their lives for us to be free from not getting killed. That's how much they care for the forgotten soldiers.

After enjoying that ice cream, you help Friend 3 focus on the summary writing, and Friends 1 and 2 work together to improve the 1 point score. Then it's back to the ice cream.

And then on to your own practice in summarizing of course!

Practice 1 >>