Let’s Get to Summarizing!
Rationale
Comprehension and fluency are two important keys to understanding what you read.
It is critical that students understand what the important information in a
passage is, so that they can accurately summarize a story. By summarizing,
students are learning to pick out important information so they can comprehend
the story quicker. Through specific teacher modeling, students will learn how to
pick out important information and delete non-sense information. Eventually,
students will effectively use this strategy to summarize and comprehend.
Materials
“Giant Jelly Fish” article
Computer
Smart board
Poster with summarization rules
Highlighter
pencil
Procedures
1. TODAY WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SUMMARIZATION. WHO CAN RAISE THEIR HAND AND
TELL ME WHAT SUMMARIZATION MEANS? RIGHT, IT MEANS THAT WE PICK OUT THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS WE JUST READ, AND WE ARE GOING TO DELETE THE UNNECESSARY
INFORMATION.
2. LET’S LOOK AT THE RULES OF SUMMARIZATION TOGETHER AND READ THEM ALOUD. After
reading each rule, teacher will explain how to use this strategy.
Delete um-important information
Delete repeated information
Select a topic
Write a topic statement that covers everything important in the passage
3. NOW, EVERYONE LOOK AT THE SMART BOARD. WE ARE GOING TO READ THIS ARTICLE
ALOUD TOGETHER AS A CLASS. After reading the article, use the black marker to
cross out information that is not important. Then, use the red pen to underline
important information presented in the article. WHO CAN POINT OUT A SENTENCE
THAT CAN BE DELETED FROM OUR SUMMARY? RIGHT, THE LAST SENTENCE IS NOT IMPORTANT
TO OUR SUMMARY, SO WE CAN MARK THAT OUT. Allow time for students to use the
information that is highlighted and deleted to write a topic statement. Ask for
volunteers to read their statement aloud.
4. SO A GOOD TOPIC STATEMENT FOR THIS PASSAGE WOULD READ: NOMURA JELLYFISH ARE
INVADING THE WATERS OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN. FISHERMEN ARE HAVING A DIFFICULT
TIME FISHING, BECAUSE THESE JELLYFISH ARE BEING CAUGHT IN THEIR NETS. THE
JELLYFISH CAN DAMAGE THE FISH THEY ARE CATCHING, WHICH IS HARMFUL TO THE
FISHERMEN, BECAUSE THIS IS HOW THEY MAKE THEIR LIVING. FOR NOW, FISHERMAN WILL
JUSTHAVE TO DESIGN SPECIAL NETS TO ENSURE THAT THEY JELLYFISH DON’T GET STUCK IN
THEM ANYMORE.
5. Put students into groups of 2. Pass out a new passage and allow students to
read and work together. They will use their highlighter to point out important
information, and use their pencil to delete information that is not as valuable.
Remind them to use the summarization rules that are posted at the front of the
classroom. Book talk: IT IS
Heather Ramirez’S
JOB TO CAPTURE UNWANTED RATTLE SNAKES IN CALIFORNIA. SHE AND HER HUSBAND CAPTURE
AND RELOCATE MORE THAN 1,000 PER YEAR! FINISH READING TO PASSAGE TO FIND OUT HOW
THEY CAPTURE THESE DANGEROUS CREATURES.
6.Students will be assessed using the following checklist:
|
Did the student? |
Yes |
No |
|
Comprehend the information from the passage? |
|
|
|
Delete unnecessary information from the passage? |
|
|
|
Highlight important information from the
passage? |
|
|
|
Write at least one sentence that includes all
important information in the passage? |
|
|
If a student receives a “no”, they will be given the article back in order to
correct their mistakes. This way, they will truly understand how to properly
summarize a passage.
Resources
“Giant Jellyfish Invasion”
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/animalsnature/giant-jellyfish-invasion/
“Rattle Snake Rustlers”
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/morestories/rattlesnakerustlers/
Lesson design: Woods, Rebekah. “What’s that you say?”
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/realizations/woodsrl.htm