Curated OER
Seeing is Understanding
Third graders practice visualizing elements from a story. They discuss the transition from picture books to chapter books. While reading a passage aloud, the instructor models what they see as they read the passage. Students draw a...
Curated OER
In a Nutshell
Students summarize a non-fiction article in this lesson. They review a six step process for summarization. They then read the assigned article, and work as a class to write a summary using the five steps provided. They then write an...
Curated OER
Let's Get Ready to Summarize
Learners practice a summarizing strategy in this lesson plan. They are given a copy of a "National Geographic Kids" article and are encouraged to read it silently. They then use the steps provided to write an individual summary of the...
Curated OER
Putting It All Together With Summarization
Students use a checklist to write a summary of a non-fiction article. The checklist includes: redundant information taken out, trivial information taken out, and only main points included in the summary. Using this checklist, they ...
Curated OER
A Web of History -- Summarization
Students listen to a reading selection about explorers in Alabama called "Spanish Explorations and Settlements." They listen for main ideas of the reading selection. As a whole group, the students create a word web using the important...
Curated OER
Digging through the mess to find the treasure
Students summarize a text selection of their choice. After a brief, written demonstration of summarizing, students read a selection of their choice. With a partner, they summarize what they have read in their own words and create a...
Curated OER
Seeing The Picture
Students practice visualizing elements from a poem or story. While reading the poem "Snowball," the instructor models what they see when they read the passage. Students draw a picture of the main character of the poem "Danny O'Dare"...
Curated OER
Columbus in a Summary
Students summarize a non-fiction selection in this lesson. Students review the rules of summarization: delete trivial information, delete repeated information, superordinate items and events, and find or compose statements that covers...
Curated OER
Look Who's Summarizing!
Young scholars summarize an article in this instructional activity. Students observe the teacher summarizing a short paragraph. They then look at a National Geographic KIDS and read an article. They use a highlighter to highlight...
Curated OER
Sum + It = Up
Students review silent reading techniques as well as summarization. They read copies of "Forest Life" silently and complete a story web to organize the main points of the story. They then use use the points to write a brief paragraph to...
Curated OER
Let's Sum it Up
Students review facts previously discussed about snakes and lizards and read pages in their science text book about snakes and lizards silently focusing on remembering important facts. They then complete a Venn diagram comparing snakes...
Curated OER
Summing Up SuperCroc
Students read an article in a magazine about crocodiles silently, remembering not to make a sound, and trying hard to understand what the author is trying to tell them. They then write down some important facts they have read on a piece...
Curated OER
Putting out the Trash
Young scholars explore the benefits of summarizing a piece of literature to increase comprehension. The teacher models summarizing by deleting trivial information from a reading passage. The students then practice summarizing...
Curated OER
It's Raining Meatballs
Young scholars participate in activities to determine their macro process and elaborative process abilities. During macro processes readers organize and summarize ideas as they read. They look at the big picture of the entire text as...
Curated OER
The Great Migration
Sixth graders explore the uses of herbal plants. They read the book Pharmacy in the Forest and discuss the vocabulary words that pertain to the structure of a plant. Students create a summary of what they have read and watch a video on...
Curated OER
Telling The Story
Learners complete a full retelling of a play they have read in class. After reading each act of the play, students retell and summarize the major plot points of the play in small groups. Groups complete their review until they have...
Curated OER
Summarizing with Post It Notes
Students practice summarizing articles using post-it notes. They gather information for their own article and summarize it as well. They are assessed by their teachers and the quality of their notes.
Bibliomania
Bibliomania: "The Secret Agent" by Joseph Conrad, Text and Notes
Complete text of Joseph Conrad's novel "The Secret Agent."
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Everglades
In this video segment from WILD TV, a scientist in the Florida Everglades talks about her research on the pig frog. [6:25]
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Comprehensive Questions: Nonfiction [Pdf]
Questions are provided to help students determine the main idea, topic, and fact versus opinion of a nonfiction piece. Students are prompted to write a summary of an informational text.
Other
Mapping Margery Kempe
The place to start in any investigation of the work of Margery Kempe. Full text of "The Book of Margery Kempe" and many resources and images related to the time and context of her work.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Scaffolding Summarization With Fishbone Mapping
Lesson that teaches students how to find important and significant information while reading text. After locating information through strategies, students learn how to summarize content-area text. A downloadable fishbone template is linked.
Daily Teaching Tools
Daily Teaching Tools: Additional Webs
This Daily Teaching Tools resource provides a series of graphic organizers. Young scholars will be able to plan the writing of summaries, paragraphs, and literary responses.
New York University
Nyu: r.k. Narayan the Doctor's Word
New York University offers a summary of and commentary on the short story by R.K. Narayan, "The Doctor's Word."