Nonfiction Summarizing

Read the following passage and then select the best summary.

The Elk River flows from the far northern part of the state all the way to the southern tip. All kinds of animals rely on it for drinking water, people eat the fish they catch in it, and farmers in the state depend on it for irrigating their crops. Since there is very little rain in this state, the Elk River gives animals and humans the water they need to stay alive. Even though the river is not nearly the biggest in the nation, it is very important to the people and animals that live near it.

• The Elk River is a small river.

• The Elk River starts in the northern part of the state.

• The Elk River is very important to people and animals.

• People catch fish in the Elk River.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

Read the following passage and then select the best summary.

San Francisco is located on the coast of California in an area often called the Bay Area. The weather is generally very mild, seldom getting really cold or really hot. Its mild climate is one reason many people live there. It seldom snows in San Francisco and generally does not get below freezing during the winter. Even in the middle of summer, temperatures may be in the mid 80s with a cool breeze from the bay keeping the weather very comfortable.

• San Francisco has many neat things to do.

• It seldom snows in California.

• Many people choose to live in California.

• The weather in San Francisco is generally very mild.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

The explorer Marco Polo left his home in Italy in 1271.  After many years of traveling, his party reached the summer palace of Kublai Khan in what is now China.  Polo remained at the court for seventeen years.  He marveled at things not yet seen in Europe. For example, common people bathed daily.  Roads and bridges were paved.  People used paper money as currency.  They also burned coal as a fuel.  When Polo finally returned to Europe, it took a while before people believed the stories he told or the book he wrote about his travels.  Which title best summarizes this paragraph?

• What Marco Polo Was Like
• Meeting Kublai Khan
• A Wanderer from Italy
• The Travels of Marco Polo

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

You know that spiders spin silk, but do you know what spiders do with their silk? Mother spiders keep the eggs they lay in silk sacs. Spiders also use their silk to make webs or homes. Many spiders have hideouts in places such as window corners or under sills. They line the entrances to these places with silk. Spiders also use silk threads to drop straight to the ground when enemies appear. And, of course, spiders can spin silken traps and nets to catch their dinner.

Which title best summarizes this paragraph?

• How Spiders Find Food

• A Spider's Use of Silk

• Spinning Silken Clothes

• Outwitting Spider Enemies

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

Turtles have been around for more than 200 million years. Scientists think they are the most ancient of all reptiles. Turtles live in many places on land and in water. Like all reptiles, they are cold-blooded. Turtles that live where winters are cold usually hibernate. Turtles eat insexts, fish and frogs. They also munch on plants, including fruit and flowers. The largest turtle is the leatherback, which can weigh more than 2,000 pounds!

Which title best summarizes this paragraph?

• Interesting Facts About Turtles

• Very Ancient Reptiles

• The Large Leatherback

• Places where Turtles Live

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2