Format of an Article Summary + Examples and Sample

Article Information:

Article Title: ____________________________  Article Source/Date/Author: _____________

Important Points:  List the main ideas, concepts or key points- point by point.  I expect at least 15 main points (no more than 25).

Example:

• Excessive fat consumption is a severe problem for many Americans
• Fat is high in calories and carbohydrates, so humans have evolved to like and store it
• Fat melts in one’s mouth and has a distinct taste, so it is difficult to mimic it
• Digestion involves caloric intake, but eating something that cannot be digested causes intestinal cramping
• Fat can be modified at the molecular level by replacing certain parts with certain sugars
• Fat typically has a glycerol backbone and three fatty acids
• Olestra tastes like fat and has less calories, but it can cause intestinal discomfort
• Many people have developed lower-calorie fat substitute, but they have not applied for Food and Drug Administration approval

Summarize the AUTHOR’s main point or idea- at LEAST 1-2 paragraphs (at least 5-7) sentences).

Example:  Summary of Author’s Main Points:

Fat has more calories and carbohydrates per given volume than nearly any other food. For this reason, humans have evolved to like the taste of fat and to store fat in their bodies. However, many Americans have excessively high cholesterol levels and insufficient blood flow to the heart as a result of excessive fat consumption. If one replaces certain parts of fat with certain sugars, he or she can cause the fat not to be digested. A product that makes use of this technology is Olestra, made by Proctor & Gamble. However, Olestra causes intestinal cramping and loose stools. Many other organizations have developed lowercalorie fat-substitutes, but none have applied for Food and Drug Administration approval.

Write a reaction paragraph to the article stating your own thoughts on the topic, using specific citations from the article to support your views. (At least 5-7 sentences).

Example:   My Own Thoughts on the Topic

The fact that fat is such a nutritionally useful food means that it was advantageous for the majority of human evolution. This gives people a craving to consume large quantities of fat. However, this is not an excuse for excessive blood cholesterol levels and insufficient blood flow to the heart as a result of excessive fat consumption. The difficulty involved in mimicking fat (it has a specific taste and texture, and it melts in one’s mouth) explains why it cannot be done well. I believe that it is possible to overcome the problems with current fat substitutes to create a practical lower-calorie fat substitute. Since an effective fat substitute would earn a tremendous amount of money for its inventor, I believe that the first organization to invent a practical fat substitute will immediately apply to the Food and Drug Administration for approval.

Relate to class.  Come up with at least 2 specific ways that the article relates to topics covered in class.   Example:

• This article talked about heart disease. In chapter 3, we learned about the cardiovascular system and the functioning of the hear.
• This article talked about saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats. In Chapter 3, we learned about different types of biological molecules, including liped.  Fats are a type of lipid.

 

Sample of Article Summary

1. Article Information:

Article Title:    A Plan to Keep Carbon in Check Article Source/Date/Author: Scientific American/2006/Robert H. Socolow and Stephen W. Pacala

Important Points

• CO₂ emission is increasing rapidly and may double by 2056
• The world should flatten out emissions now to avoid climate change
• De-carbonization agenda is achieved by avoiding coal power plants
• Emissions should be reduced in “wedges” seven times
• Each wedge represents 1 billion tons of gas emissions avoided
• This strategy applies when available technology is scaled up
• We are able to keep CO₂ emissions constant for 50 years
• Coal is preferred to oil and gas as power and fuel source due to its low cost
• Coal emits twice more carbon than oil and gas
• Electricity replaces coal because it is efficient
• Solar power should replace coal
• Wind-power should also be increased 40-fold
• CCS should be installed in Coal power plants
• The cropland should also be conserved to prevent emission
• Reduced rates of car driving also reduces gas emission

Summary of Author’s Main Points:

Gas emissions are now in an alarming rate. It should be reduced significantly before 2056 in order to avoid future problems. The “wedge” strategy and de-carbonization should be used to achieve that (Socolow and Pacala, 2006). Wedges are seven phases of averting emissions. De-carbonization requires reduction of carbon emissions by avoiding the use of coal. Gas emissions can also be reduced by avoiding car driving and conserving the natural environment.

My Own Thoughts on the Topic

Reducing gas emissions should really be the priority of everyone in the world. We all have the responsibility to stop gas emissions. The cars we drive and the fuel we burn emit gases. Therefore, in all our activities we should minimize actions that emit carbon gases (Socolow and Pacala, 2006). This article indicates that reduction of gas emission is a collective responsibility.

Relate to class. 

• This article talked about climate and air pollution, which is a topic we study in class.
• It suggested that air pollution through carbon emissions causes climate change, and should be avoided. We studied the effects of air pollution on climate.

Discussion questions

1. I see that authors are advocating for collective responsibility in fighting climate change. Are producers more responsible for emissions more than consumers?
2. Should the focus on air pollution and climate change be part of every country’s legal system?

Works Cited

Socolow, Robert H. and Stephen W. Pacala. A Plan to Keep Carbon in Check. Scientific America, 2006. Print.