SUMMARIZING Page 59

What is summarizing? To summarize is to put in your own words a shortened version of written or spoken material, stating the main points and leaving out everything that is not essential. Summarizing is more than retelling; it involves analyzing information, distinguishing important from unimportant elements and translating large chunks of information into a few short cohesive sentences. Fiction and nonfiction texts, media, conversations, meetings, and events can all be summarized.

Why is summarizing important? Summarizing allows both students and teachers to monitor comprehension of material. Summarizing helps students understand the organizational structure of lessons or texts. Summarizing is a skill at which most adults must be proficient to be successful.

How do you summarize fiction? Use the plot to help you Include the major events, such as rising action, climax, conflict, and resolution Do not include your personal opinions or unimportant details

How do you summarize nonfiction? Skim the text to get a general idea of the topic Delete unnecessary or redundant material Find the main ideas in the text Find or create a topic sentence Substitute general or "umbrella" terms when appropriate (for example, trees instead of oak, maple, and pine) Do not include your personal opinions or unimportant details

An example of an everyday summary Last night, the San Francisco Giants beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1, to win the National League Division Series. Barry Bonds hit his third home run of the series in the fourth inning against pitcher Kevin Millwood. The Braves had a chance to win in the ninth inning, but Sheffield struck out with two men on base, and Jones grounded into a double play. How was the summary created? The score, big hits, and the ending of the game were included in the summary. Each hit, who played each position, and the score at each inning's end were not included in the summary. The main idea was stated in the first sentence, or topic sentence. Notice, no personal opinions are used in the summary.

So, what’s not a good example: Mabel didn't want to move to a new city. She was angry with her parents for making her leave her friends, and she yelled at them and slammed the door. She wanted to live with her friend Lisa, at least for the rest of the school year. Her friend Lisa had a very large room, and they could live together very comfortably. Lisa even had two beds in her room. What’s wrong with this summary? No introduction of the problem or characters at the beginning No resolution at the end Too many details that were not really that important

What’s a good example? Mabel's father had a great new job in Colorado, but Mabel didn't want to leave her friends in Phoenix behind. She tried to convince her parents that she could stay with her friend Lisa for the rest of the school year, but her parents said she had to move with them to Colorado. She was upset about leaving her friends, but she hoped that she would make some new friends in Colorado. Why is this summary better? Even without reading the original passage, just by comparing these two summaries, you can tell that the second one is the much better summary. It includes characters, setting, problem, and solution without including irrelevant or trivial details.

Watch me! It was beginning to get dark. We were still not home yet. I bet Dad is going to be mad at us, I thought. I yelled at my brother to ride his bike faster, but it was difficult to ride bikes uphill. I was so tired that every muscle in my legs was burning. My brother finally got off his bike and sat down. I stopped and went back to help him. Suddenly, there was a car coming toward us. I could see headlights. It was Dad. He had come to look for us, since we were so late getting home. I knew I was going to get into trouble, but at least we were safe. Dad picked us up and took us home. Listen to me summarize!

Watch me! It was beginning to get dark. We were still not home yet. I bet Dad is going to be mad at us, I thought. I yelled at my brother to ride his bike faster, but it was difficult to ride bikes uphill. I was so tired that every muscle in my legs was burning. My brother finally got off his bike and sat down. I stopped and went back to help him. Suddenly, there was a car coming toward us. I could see headlights. It was Dad. He had come to look for us, since we were so late getting home. I knew I was going to get into trouble, but at least we were safe. Dad picked us up and took us home. What is the BEST summary of this passage? a. Two boys got into trouble. They were very late getting home. They could not ride their bikes anymore. b. Two boys were late getting home. Dad came looking for them. He took the boys home. c. He took the boys home. Dad came looking for them. Two boys were late getting home. d. Two boys got in trouble by their dad.

You try! Cornelia wanted to get out of taking her test in Science. She asked to go to the restroom during science class. As she wandered along the hall the shiny red fire drill seemed to call her name. Cornelia looked left and then right, and pulled the alarm. Green spray came out all over her arms, just as she began to run away. Ms. Singelton saw Cornelia's green arms and took her straight to the office. Turns out she still had to take the test, but from ISS. Write a 1-2 sentence summary of the passage in your groups.

You try! Cornelia wanted to get out of taking her test in Science. She asked to go to the restroom during science class. As she wandered along the hall the shiny red fire drill seemed to call her name. Cornelia looked left and then right, and pulled the alarm. Green spray came out all over her arms, just as she began to run away. Ms. Singelton saw Cornelia's green arms and took her straight to the office. Turns out she still had to take the test, but from ISS. Which answer choice is the best summary? a. Cornelia did not study for a test so she made a plan to hide out in the restroom during that class. b. Cornelia wanted to get out of a science test so she pulled the fire alarm. She got caught and ended up in ISS. c. Cornelia hates tests so she decided to skip school instead of going to class on test days. d. Cornelia pulled the fire alarm so that Hannah could get out of taking a science test.

You try (independent practice)! Goosebumps happen when your body gets cold or when you have a strong feeling, such as fear. Nerves carry a signal to tiny muscles in the skin. The muscles tighten. The muscles make the hair on the body stand up. Which of the following sentences would be the best conclusion to the paragraph? a. Sometimes I get scared at night and get goosebumps. b. This causes the little bumps known as goosebumps. c. Science fiction books can be scary, too. d. If you have big muscles, you will get goosebumps more often.