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Ethics 1171 SEIQs: Summarize – Evaluate – Integrate – Question For each reading that we do this semester, you will complete a SEIQ: a summary of the reading, your own evaluation of the reading, and a list of questions that arise from the reading. These will be short, one page or less (around 500 words, single-spaced, the equivalent of 12 pt. Times type, 1-inch margins). They should be in the middle ground between informal and formal writing. They are not free-written journaling, but they are also not formal papers. For example, they do not have to present a polished argument. However, write using complete sentences and in a manner in which I/others can understand your thoughts. You should definitely proofread, but you do not have to complete three drafts before turning them in. Do not turn in more than one page!! Summarize (paragraph one): Your SEIQ should start with a brief (and I mean brief) summary of the reading. Here you need to distill down the author’s main point in the reading to a very few sentences. You want to be as concise as possible without leaving out any essential part of their message to the reader. Your goal here will be to demonstrate that you can identify the author’s ideas, balancing detail with brevity.

• The summary is not a play-by-play: she said this, and then she said this. • It is not an overview of the main topics the author discusses. • Instead, it is a clear articulation of the author’s position on those topics. • You should offer your own understanding of the author’s key ideas and conclusions (e.g., in this piece I

think the most important or beneficial points were. . . “. Evaluate (paragraph two): In paragraph two you will evaluate the author’s main conclusions. You can assess or reflect on the argument itself, or how the author reached or presented that argument. You should support your evaluation, draw independent conclusions, demonstrate that you can anticipate other positions or interpretations than your own, and engage the complexities of the issues. Some questions that might help you could be:

• Why do you agree/disagree with the author concerning their view of…? • What would happen if we were to take up the author’s suggestions to us, or the author’s ways of

understanding reality or argument? • Would the consequences be positive or negative? • Avoid an unreflective expression of your feelings. • Do express why you find certain ideas compelling or not.

Again, this will be concise; address what you think is your single most significant evaluation of the work. Integrate (paragraph three: integrate the argument or ideas from the essay with your own life experiences or professional interests. For example, a nursing student might analyze how notions like race affect health disparities. Parents might ask their children to reflect on the idea with them and record the family’s insights. Religious people might connect the ideas in the essay to their personal beliefs. Question (paragraph four): offer any questions that if once answered, will help you understand the material better (I am looking for more than one question).

• Ask at least one philosophical question. A philosophical question means humans can reasonably answer this question but the answers may rely on evidence, information, insight from multiple perspectives, and push toward a conclusion but not an absolute position.

• As one writer puts it, these may be “why” questions rather than the scientific “how” questions. E.g.: How does this argument connect with where I live?

Ethics 1171

• If the author were present with you, what would you want to ask him/her? Cite: If you used any quotations or outside sources, cite your work. See these links for helpful guidelines for in text citations versus works cited. In the past, some students have found it helpful to approach this assignment as though they are writing a letter to the author:

Dear philosopher, (Summary) You say in…that… (Evaluation) While I agree with you about…because… I must say that I’m not so sure about…because…. or (Integration) From my perspective… or It got me thinking about… (Questions) And left me with these questions for us to examine further…. So eager for your response, Cheerio, You

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Criteria Approaching Expectations 2 pt) Meeting Expectations 3 pt) Exceeding Expectations 4 pt)

Mechanics

Requirements fulfilled

Too short or too long

Plagiarized (will yield no points for entire paper)

Requirements fulfilled

250-500 words

Requirements fulfilled

1 page, single-spaced

250-500 words standard font and margins

Summary of author's main conclusions

Demonstrates little to no understanding of key concepts and terms

Offers an overview of topics

Demonstrates adequate understanding of key concepts and terms

Offers own understanding of author's main conclusions, some details may be missing or incorrect

Demonstrates strong understanding of key concepts and terms

Offers own understanding of author's main conclusions

Evaluation of author's main conclusions

Fails to adequately evaluate author's main conclusions

Does not support own evaluation of author's ideas

Evaluates the author's writing style (etc.) rather than their main conclusions and/or how they reached those conclusions

Evaluates the author's main conclusions and/or how they reached those conclusions

Fails to fully support own evaluation

Engages some of the complexities of the issue, though these may be suggested rather than fully treated

Evaluates the author's main conclusions and/or how they reached those conclusions

Supports own evaluation

Draws independent conclusions

Anticipates and addresses other positions or interpretations

Engages the complexities of the issue

Integrate author’s perspectives

Integrate vague generalizations about the essay to student’s life and/or work.

Integrate specifically a point from the essay with a student’s life and/or work.

Integrate multiple points or a significant reflection from the essay with student’s life and/or work.

Questions Only one question and not philosophical in nature.

Questions are not philosophical in nature but there is more than one question asked.

Questions are philosophical in nature and more than one question was asked.

Writing Reader must work hard to understand the writing or reader often cannot understand the writing

Writing is understandable with some effort on the part of the reader

Grammatical errors are very rare

Uses clear, concise sentences

SEIQ is a pleasure to read

Overall score Level 1

0 or more Level 2

19.2 or more Level 3

21.6 or more