Summaries

Summarizing

non-fiction Texts

​Some text here about the topic of discussion.

• When writing a summary on a nonfiction text, always think about the SIGNIFICANT parts of the story.

• NEVER include your opinion in your summary. You are only talking about what the author has said.

Multiple Choice

What is a summary?

• an explanation of the story with how you feel about it.

• a retelling of a story based on the main idea and details

• rewriting the story over again.

​T.A.C.O.

• Saying TACO in your head when you go to write a summary can be very helpful.

  • T. The "T" in taco stands for TEXT, begin the summary by stating the title of the text.

  • A. The "A" stands for ACTION. What action is the author doing? Are they informing us, persuasding us?

  • C. stands for CENTRAL IDEA. What is the main topic about?

  • O. stands for objective. You are answering why the author wrote the piece? What was their purpose?

​T.A.C.O. IN ACTION!

Multiple Choice

when do we use T.A.C.O.?

• When reading poetry

• when reading non-fiction texts

• When reading fiction

Multiple Choice

Q. 

The Blackpole Warbler is a tiny bird that takes a really long trip. This little songbird lives in the forests of North America in the summer. However, when the weather turns cold in North America, the Blackpole Warbler takes flight.These small birds fly all the way to the Caribbean, where they spend the winter on warm tropical beaches. How far does the warbler fly for this tropical getaway? Scientists have tracked the Blackpole Warbler and say these amazing birds can fly over 1,700 miles!

Which is the best summary of this text?

• The blackpole warbler is a small bird. It is also asongbird. It can fly.

• The blackpole warbler is a small songbird that flies from North America all the way to the Caribbean. The bird fliesover 1,700 miles.

• The blackpole warbler is a small songbird that can flyover 1,700 miles.

• Birds often migrate to warmer places in the winter.

Multiple Choice

Rosa Parks has been called the "mother of the civil rights movement." She is one of the most important people of the 20th century. In December of 1955, she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger. The bus driver had her arrested. She was sent to court. She was found guilty of breaking the law.

Her act sparked a boycott of the bus system by blacks. Blacks refused to use the buses for more than a year. The boycott introduced the country to a man named Martin Luther King, Jr. People all over the country came to know King. Soon, the U.S. Supreme Court made segregation on city buses against the law.

Over the next forty years, Rosa Parks helped make Americans aware of the history of the civil rights struggle. She earned many honors, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize. She is an example of courage and strength. She inspires all Americans to live free.

• Rosa Parks was an important person of the 20th century. She refused to give up her seat on a bus, which led to a boycott of the bus system. She earned many honors for her work in the civil rights movement.

• Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus. The bus driver had her arrested, and then she was found guilty of breaking the law. She was important to American history.

• Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Then, the buses were boycotted, and Martin Luther King, Jr., became very well known. He had a prize named after him.

• Rosa Parks boycotted the bus system. This boycott brought Martin Luther King, Jr., to the front of the civil rights movement. People all over the country got to know Martin Luther King, Jr.

​Summarizing for Fictional Texts

• When reading a fictional text, we use SWBST to help us write a summary!

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Multiple Choice

One day Mary was walking to school in her beautiful new red dress. As she was walking she tripped and fell into the mud. Her dress was soaked and all dirty. Mary began to cry and ran home. She knocked on the door and her mother let her in. Mary changed into her new blue dress and her mother drove her to school. Mary was now happy and clean and had a great day at school.

What is the best summary of the story above

• Mary wore her favorite dress to walk to school. She fell in the mud and went back home to change to her blue dress.

• Mary knew her mother didn't like her red dress so she fell in the mud on the way to school. Mary got dressed and changed her clothes only to stay home from school anyway.

• Mary's dress got dirty when she fell walking to school. Mary went home to change and her mother drove her back to school where she had a great day despite the morning mishap

• Mary hated red dresses and she changed to a blue dress so she could wear it to school.

Multiple Choice

After their father died in an accident, Mary and Joseph supported their family by selling fossils to tourists, museums, and scientists. In 1811, Joseph discovered the skull of a large dinosaur that once lived in the ocean. A year later, Mary found the rest of the skeleton. The Annings' discovery made them famous.Which sentence best summarizes this paragraph from the article about the Anning family?  

• Mary and Joseph Annings' father died in an accident.

• Mary Anning found the rest of the dinosaur skeleton.

• Scientists bought fossils from Mary and Joseph Anning.

• Mary and Joseph Annings' fossil discoveries made them famous.