1. Central Idea and Objective Summary

2. Central “Main” Idea and Detail Main Idea- the topic and controlling point of a paragraph; what the paragraph is about Details- descriptions, reasons, examples, that support the main idea.  For a NONFICTION text the central idea is the main idea

3. What is an objective summary? Objective summary- is a summary of a text that only contains FACTS about a piece of literature (NONFICTION).

4. How to Write an Objective Summary? To write an objective summary, you must FIRST identify the CENTRAL IDEA of the text. NEXT, you must find at least 3-4 SUPPORTING DETAILS for the central idea. (1-2 from beginning, middle, and end) WRITE the DETAILS in your OWN words.  DO NOT include PERSONAL thoughts or opinions.

5. Step 1 First Sentence- This is your TOPIC Sentence. In the topic sentence you should:  Name it- Title and author  Verb it- Use one of the following “summary” verbs: shows, describes, explains, discusses, lists, explores, illustrates, teaches, compares, states.  State it- identify the central idea.

6. Step 2 Add your SUPPORTING DETAILS. (Remember, this should be in your OWN words) Don’t forget to add transition words so that your paragraph will flow in a logical manner. (The article discusses…)

7. Practice Let’s read “Toppling Towers” and write an objective summary.