Summarize This!
Material: Non-fiction books (Science book), pen, paper, Discovery magazine. Holt Science Book, 1989.
Procedure:
1. Get out your science book and read pages 10-15 about alligators
and crocodiles. You read silently to be able to read at their own
pace. You can read fast over trivial details and slower over
important
facts.
2. Before beginning to read, I will discuss with the class what they
already know about alligators and crocodiles.
3. Read the pages I have assigned.
4. When finished I would like for you to draw a Venn Diagram.
(Show the class what a Venn Diagram is and I will explain what you
do.)
The Venn diagram compares and contrasts the two animals.
5. When finished doing that, I would like for you to summarize what
you wrote.
6. I will model summarization (I will read a small paragraph in a
Discovery
magazine and summarize it. The magazine article is on the
planets.
There are nine planets in our solar system. Earth is the third
planet
in the solar system. As far as we know, we are the only planet
with
life on it. This is how you summarize something. You just
hit
on the important parts of what you read.
Assessment: Have the students summarize the article on a piece of paper.
Reference: Holt Science. Rhinehart and Winston,
Inc.
1989. p. 312-315.
Discovery Magazines.
Pressley, M., Johnson, C.J. Symons., McGoldrick, J.A. (1989) Strategies
that Improve Children’s Memory and Comprehension of Text. “The
Elementary
School Journal.” 90, 3-32.
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