Summary Report:  What have you learned from these readings?                       Back to Comp 5

 We have been reading about smokers, former smokers, the illiterate, and you've listened to Jonathan Kozol talk about schools, about effect of government imposed rules on underprivileged children, and about the effects of testing on this same group of kids. This has probably offered you a chance to think about these subjects in a more focused way than you usually do, so you are most likely ready to discuss it, or to write about it in this case. I’d really like to know what you learned from these readings, what conclusions you have come to about these topics and the issues each article represents. Of course your experience on this subject is also valuable, so if you wish to include it as an additional source of information for your report, please do.

 You will need to have an introduction to start your paper. You may start with a question, or with an answer to a question, or with an interesting story about the subject. Don’t forget to identify the sources for this information. It is important to have your audience clearly understand who is saying what, and how each point relates to another. You will also need to include your main idea, which represents sum of your interpretation of this information. Another important point to include, especially at the beginning of your paper, is a clear explanation, or definition, of your point. The subject is pretty broad, with many possible interpretations. Your readers need to know what you understand the issues to be.

 With that done, you are ready to start the body of your writing. Here you will need to explain each point you have made. Make sure that your audience knows which part is your thinking and which part is a direct or indirect quote of information you’ve read by using transitional words and phrases when moving from one side to the other. When you are done with this part, move on to a conclusion, which restates the main idea, and reminds your reader of the content of your thoughts. Have fun writing!

Here are some questions (there are many more) that might help you get started. Of course, your writing assignment will focus on only one! 

1.       What do these readings tell you about the underprivileged?

2.        What do these readings tell you about people who are in a better position than the poor, the addicted?

3.        What do these readings tell you about opportunities that are/aren't available to people?

4.       What do these readings tell you about the choice people have, or don’t have about getting ahead in life?

5.     What do these readings tell you about society?