Spectacular
Summarizers
Rationale: The
main goal of reading is comprehension. Students can use the
summarization
strategy to better comprehend passages. Summarization is the
collecting
of the most important statements in a passage. This lesson will help
children
learn how to summarize. They will learn how to pick out the most
important information of the text they are reading by using the
summarization
rules.
Materials:
-Copies of
article, "Gorilla Rescue," by Scott
Elder for each student and teacher
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/AnimalsNature/Gorillarescue
-Poster
with summarization rules on it:
Checklist
for each student with the following:
1. delete unimportant information
`
2. delete repeated information
3. substitute umbrella words for list items
4. select a topic
5. invent a topic sentence if there is not already one
-Poster
with paragraph on it from "Lab Mice with Tans.
Eeeek!"
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/AnimalsNature/Micetans
Scientists have invented a lotion that gives laboratory mice a dark tan in just three weeks. No, they aren䴜t planning to send the mice to the beach. But the research could be an important step in creating a lotion that helps humans avoid getting skin cancer. Everyone knows that people with pale skin䴊and especially redheads䴊are most likely to get sunburned. That䴜s because their skin isn䴜t good at producing melanin, which protects skin cells by blocking the sun䴜s dangerous ultraviolet (UV) rays. Dr. David Fisher is an oncologist䴊a doctor who treats cancer. He was testing a lotion to see if it would cause mice to produce melanin in their skin, just like the sun does, without the danger of being exposed to the sun䴜s rays. The special ingredient in the lotion comes from a plant.
-paper
-pencils
-black
marker for each student
-highlighter
for each student
-Summarization
Checklist:
|
Did
the Student.... |
Yes |
No |
|
Get rid of unimportant information |
|
|
|
Get rid of repeated information |
|
|
|
Superordinate items and events |
|
|
|
Select a topic |
|
|
|
Write a topic statement that covers
everything that is important from the passage of text |
|
|
Procedures:
1. I will
introduce this lesson by telling the students
that they are about to learn a spectacular reading strategy.
"Alright
boys and girls today we are going to learn a new comprehension strategy
called
summarization. Can someone tell me what summarization is?
That's
right! Good Job! Summarization means to take the most important
ideas out
of a passage. We all can be spectacular summarizers!
Let䴜s learn
more
about how can be spectacular summarizers!
2. First, I
will review the crosschecking strategy with the
students. So boys and girls what is something that spectacular readers
do when
they can䴜t figure out what a word is while reading? Good
Job
crosschecking is
right! (I will write the following sentence on the board) I went
across
town the other day. ( I read the sentence incorrectly) I went across
tone the
other day. So students we know that the word tone made no sense in this
sentence so I am going to use my crosschecking strategies to figure out
that
this word should be town.
3. Tell the students that: "To comprehend and understand what we read, we can use our summarization rules that are on this poster board." Read the rules on the poster board aloud to the students. "I now want you to read the article on the poster board entitled "Lab Mice with Tans. Eeeek!". Read the article silently to yourselves, and I will then show everyone how to summarize this article following the rules on the board after everyone is done with the reading. "
4. So students I am now going to read the article with you. "Scientists have invented a lotion that gives laboratory mice a dark tan in just three weeks. No, they aren䴜t planning to send the mice to the beach. But the research could be an important step in creating a lotion that helps humans avoid getting skin cancer. Everyone knows that people with pale skin䴊and especially redheads䴊are most likely to get sunburned. That䴜s because their skin isn䴜t good at producing melanin, which protects skin cells by blocking the sun䴜s dangerous ultraviolet (UV) rays. Dr. David Fisher is an oncologist䴊a doctor who treats cancer. He was testing a lotion to see if it would cause mice to produce melanin in their skin, just like the sun does, without the danger of being exposed to the sun䴜s rays. The special ingredient in the lotion comes from a plant." So the first thing we need to look at when summarizing is to get rid of all unimportant information. What looks unimportant in this article? That䴜s right! The sentence, No, they aren䴜t planning to send the mice to the beach, is unimportant. Now is there any repeated information in the paragraph? There is no repeated information good job! Now what are some of the most important statements in the paragraph? Scientists have invented a lotion that gives laboratory mice a dark tan in just three weeks, lotion that helps humans avoid getting skin cancer, pale skin䴊and especially redheads䴊are most likely to get sunburned, and skin isn䴜t good at producing melanin, which protects skin cells by blocking the sun䴜s dangerous ultraviolet (UV) rays, testing a lotion to see if it would cause mice to produce melanin in their skin, just like the sun does, without the danger of being exposed to the sun䴜s rays. Those are our most important statements! Now we have to come up with a topic, and I think it will be Lotion test on mice. Lastly we have to make a topic sentence. Mine will read as followed: Dr. David Fisher has found a lotion that is being tested on mice that may be able to help humans from getting skin cancer. Now boys and girls that is how we summarize! Now lets all be spectacular summarizers together!
5. "Now, I
have a copy of an article from the National
Geographic Explorer Classroom Magazine that you can read silently and
then
summarize." I will provide the students with a book talk: So a
baby
gorilla has been found and rescued! The poachers killed her mother and
took her
to sell for money! These poachers didn䴜t get away for
long! Read this
article
and see how this baby gorilla is doing since she has been rescued!
6. For
an assessment I will have each child present
to the class his or her summary and picture. I will use the
summarization
checklist for each student. I will look to make sure each student
followed the
instructions on the poster board. I will also ask some comprehension
questions
to ensure theat the students understood what they read.
References:
Cadrette,
Mallory. What䴜s the Point?
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/encounters/cadretterl.html
Mangum,
Kathryn. Super Summarizers.
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/encounters/mangumrl.html