Worksheet

Part 1: SUMMARISING THE ARTICLE (Rubric - 3 points)

You should not be expressing any opinions in your summary. Later you will be analytical and critical, and
then consider your own position with reference to the issue but this is not the goal of a summary. Rather, you
must identify, explain, and analyse the author’s thesis, the main points in the article and how they are used to
support the thesis.
You already need to think here about the platform which you will use to write your summary. You may want
to load up the article or organise the platform in some way for your notes and marking up. You are probably
also going to exploit an AI platform – Humata, ChatGPT, Rytr, Paper Digest, Quillbot, AI Alfred (Chrome
extension), writeGPT (Chrome extension) or Perplexity (Chrome extension)???? So you need to think about
all of these things.
1. Read the article:
a. Scan read, getting main idea(s) and thesis
b. In depth read, identifying (and marking up?) essential content (and/or marking out
non-essential content)
2. Identify:
a. General topic of the article
b. Author’s thesis – what is the author trying to convey to the audience?
c. Key points or content or arguments
d. Key points or examples which are used by the author(s) to support the thesis. (You might
need to prioritise and limit yourself to three or four key points.)
3. Write a summary:
a. Introduction
i. General topic of article
ii. Author’s research question or focus or approach to the topic
b. Author’s thesis
c. Key points
i. Key points in general
ii. Key points which author uses to support his/her thesis
d. Conclusion
i. Review how the main and key points work together to support the thesis
ii. What is the significance or what are the implications of the author’s thesis and
findings?
How long for a summary? This depends entirely on the circumstances and purpose. A summary at the head
of a scientific research article, written by the authors themselves, should be just a paragraph, albeit a long
one. Let’s say, for our purposes here, roughly about a quarter the length of the original article. This article
about energy drinks is a little over 3,300 words of text so you should aim for about 800 in your summary.
A summary in science should be crisp, brief and engaging but, above all, factual and reflective of the original
article.
Check for these:
● Eliminate wordiness, including most adverbs ("very", "clearly").
● Use specific, concrete and precise language – ie science. Avoid vague references (e.g. "this
illustrates" should be "this result illustrates").
● Use scientifically accurate language.
● Rely primarily on paraphrasing, not direct quotes. Direct quotes are seldom used in scientific
writing. Instead, paraphrase what you have read.
● If the author(s) use information from other sources and you use the same in your summary, then give
due credit by citing the author's last name and the year of the study (Smith, 1982).
● Re-read what you have written. Ask others to read it to catch things that you’ve missed.
Rubric for Assessment of Summary
This is not really a rubric; it is a check list of content.

Criteria 2 1 0
Introduction
i) General topic outline.

Introduction
ii) Author’s research
question or focus.

Author’s Thesis

Key Points
i) Key points in general.

Key Points
ii) Key points which the
author uses to support
his/her thesis.

Conclusion
i) How the main and key
points work together to
support the thesis.

Conclusion
ii) Significance or
implications of the
author’s thesis and
findings.

Structure &
Organisation
More or less 800 words
and clearly structured

Holistic Assessment
A combination of
factors which might
include a demonstration
of intellectual initiative,
commitment, an
unusual sense of
ownership of the
product, special insights
or depth of
understanding,
originality and
creativity.

TOTAL / 10
Part 2: A TEST OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF, KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT AND ARGUMENTS USED IN EXPRESSING AND
SUPPORTING THE THESIS OF THE ARTICLE (Test paper - 7
points)
So now, here is the catch and the way we need to move forward in the face of the artificial intelligence
challenge. AI will write your summary for you. In a few seconds! And then you can engage in a few seconds
more of dialogue with the AI platform to tune the summary to your specific needs and demands. Nothing
wrong with that! In fact, you must get practised in doing this because it is the future. So now, instead of
grading the summary, we need to grade your comprehension, outside of AI.

Part 3: DEVELOP YOUR OWN OPINION OR FOCUS OF

INTEREST. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT ENERGY DRINKS
IN TODAY’S SOCIETY?
You may categorically support the author’s thesis or conclusions, or his/her suggested significance or
implications of the findings, or you may adopt a completely different position altogether. You also may
support the author’s opinion but then take it further.
The idea here is that you now become the protagonist. There is a change of role from simply reviewing
someone else’s work to now delivering a piece of original work.
1. KEEP YOUR MIND OPEN! Do not decide an opinion until you have worked on it. Don’t use only
gut-feeling here – you must be able to substantiate and support your opinion or direction.
a. Identify factual weaknesses (if any) in the author’s arguments (which you might later use to
support your own opinion or conclusion).
b. Identify the strongest arguments or support which the author(s) have used to support their
(and your?) opinion.
c. Conduct follow-up research or data-gathering, especially in the context of:
i. substantiating your agreement with the opinion of the author(s)
ii. factual weaknesses you might have identified in a. above which lead you to state a
contrary opinion
iii. a new direction or focus you wish to take
2. Now you are ready to decide your opinion:
a. Review and analyse the evidence which you have collected together, with an open mind.
b. Mentally decide what is going to be your position or point of view.
c. Now refine the evidence into a small number of strong arguments which you can use to
defend your point of view.
3. Create an outline of where you are headed in your platform. (No-one is going to grade or even see
this; it is simply your reference point for later.

NOW …
 Part 4: THE PRESENTATION (Rubric: 24 points)
This is the best part! You are now free to choose:
1. Your method of presentation
2. Your audience (cannot be 3BGU)
Try not to be bound by convention – think out of the box! Be creative but at the same time be a scientist who
is presenting their science in a memorable way!
The rubric will determine the criteria and content:
RUBRIC 3 2 1 0
Entirely appropriate Appropriate media The media used for
The media used for the
media are used for are used for the the presentation are
presentation are entirely
Media the presentation and presentation but are not suitable and are
inappropriate and are in
exploited in the best not exploited in the not exploited
no way used properly.
possible way. best possible way. successfully.

Suitability for The presentation is The presentation is The presentation is

chosen obviously suitable for unsuitable for the unsuitable for any
Audience the stated audience. stated audience. audience.

A clear summary of An inadequate

A summary of the
the original media summary of the No summary of the
original media article
Summary of article is provided, original media article original media article is
is provided, which
Original which then provides is provided and thus included and so no
then provides an
Article a proper provides a inadequate background is provided
adequate background
background for the background for the in the presentation.
for the presentation.
presentation. presentation.
A personal position
A personal position is
is expressed in the
expressed in the An attempt is made to
presentation and is No personal position is
presentation and is express a personal
convincingly expressed and no
supported with position but it is not
Personal supported with research or arguments
limited research or supported by research
Point of View research or are used except those
arguments beyond or arguments beyond
arguments beyond from the original media
those contained in the those contained in the
those contained in article.
original media original media article.
the original media
article.
article.
The student’s The student’s
The student’s presentation is presentation shows an The presentation has no
Creativity & presentation is creative enough to attempt at creativity impact, demonstrates
Initiative impactful, creative carry some impact but is not successful at no creativity and is in
and memorable. but is not truly developing impact or no way memorable.
memorable. being memorable.
The student
The student organises Either the time and
organises a suitable
a time and place, and place are unsuitable or
time or place and The student fails to
Product & then satisfactorily the audience is not
then delivers the deliver the presentation
Delivery delivers the correct or presentation
presentation to the to any audience.
presentation to the is not delivered
correct audience in
audience. properly.
a meaningful way.
All sources of Sources of
No attempt is made to
information used in information used in
Bibliography cite any sources of
the presentation are the presentation are
information.
properly cited. cited but incorrectly.
All the deadlines One of the deadlines
None of the agreed
agreed for finalising agreed for finalising
deadlines for finalising
Deadlines and delivering the and delivering the
and delivering the
presentation were presentation is not
presentation were met.
properly met. met.

Points (3, 2, 1 or 0) are awarded here for a combination of factors which might include a
Holistic
demonstration of intellectual initiative, commitment, an unusual sense of ownership of the
Assessment
product, special insights or depth of understanding, originality and creativity.