The Golden Line & 25 Word Summary

What line jumps out at you? A golden line does not have to be something profound. It can be the line your student does not understand, likes for whatever reason or just somehow speaks to them. And as they seek for it, they are THINKING!

No Right or Wrong! Many Students find this an easier task than some of the other reading tools because they do not have to generate something important. They can use the text before them and there is no wrong or right Golden Line. Generally the students have already thought of a reason why they picked the Golden Line and so writing or sharing about the Golden Line is just an extension of their thoughts.

WHY? What significance was there with: Why did they pick their Golden Line? Why does this line speak to them and in what ways? What significance was there with: Text to Self, Text to Text and Text to World Connection?

What is your Golden Line? Read the Reproduction and Heredity paper. What is your Golden Line? What significance was there with: Text to Self, Text to Text and Text to World Connection? Let’s share!

The 25 Word Summary WHAAAAAAAAAAT???

Where are the directions? Where am I? Do I recognize anything? Is this all new???? What road signs am I looking to find? What are the names of the major roads? Am I going to get lost on the side roads and alleys?

Start youR Trip! Read the text slowly. Talk to the text: Circle key words. Underline the main ideas. Take notice of bold words and bullets. Talk to yourself about what you think the main idea is. Write those thoughts down. Don’t get lost in the details. Write a summary and count your words. Rewrite your summary limiting it to 25 words. Have fun!

Share, share and share!! Have fun with this part! Learn from the sharing. Where were your weaknesses? Too many details? What were your strengths? You got most of it covered. Get into groups and decide together a 25 word summary, and then present it to the class. Then the class votes on which summary they like the best.

Learning from errors is still learning. When the class has finished voting, have the students go back to their original 25 word summary and have them write their greatest strength and greatest weakness in writing the summary.

Your Turn: Exploration, ColonialisM, And the American Revolution Remember to read the Key Ideas first. You can talk to the text as you read. You can make notes as you read. You can THINK as you read! Write your 25 word summary. Share with at least one person.

What is a 25-Word Summary? By Michele Lesmeister Students are asked to read a chunk of text and summarize the main idea that is presented within. This is a complex task for most students to master, but it is a very useful routine to teach and embed in our classwork. Summarizing is a bit different from "Getting the Gist" of a Passage. We know that asking students if they "get the gist" of a passage, that we asking about the general or global ideas within a chunk of text. This is a high-leverage reading strategy. When students are directed to a passage of text, and they are asked to figure out what does the text, paragraph, graphic, or even the sentence say and mean, they know at that very moment that they either understand the text or they do not. Summarizing is a complex task and it is a comprehension strategy. To summarize requires first read and comprehend what they are reading. Then the student must make a lot of decisions to separate the main points from the supporting details. They often must connect complex ideas. In addition, these summaries should be in the students own words.

Summarizing requires that students are able to use the text structures/features or signals of the passage. These text features include but are not limited to *punctuation * : followed by definition or example or listing * noun, appositive phrase, * ( ) for important clues to meaning like definition or source * formatting * organization of text: is there a list of objectives, theory , then application, etc. * white space: is there a layout that helps readers make sense of the text * placement of information: what has the author placed first in text * transition words such as however, consequently, thus, in this way, likewise, in other words, for example, etc. * syntax such as term , or _______________________, Students who are inexperienced in using text features, structures, and signals may miss the clues they provide. Thus, faculty must be explicit in teaching these. This is an important part of the knowledge-building dimension in Reading Apprenticeship.