Summarizing Nonfiction

Dinosaurs lived on the Earth for approximately 180 million years. About 250 million years ago during the Permian Period, the Earth's seas shrunk. Reptiles, including dinosaurs, survived this period. The dinosaurs were the strong, dominant reptiles of the period. By the end of the Jurassic Period, dinosaurs had reached enormous sizes and roamed the Earth as leaders. In the Cretaceous Period, the dinosaurs died out, and more mammals began to flourish.

The reason why dinosaurs were able to survive the Permian Period is because _____.

• the only needed to eat vegetation in order to survive

• they were able to swim

• they were stronger than some of the other mammals

• the Permian Period didn't last for a long time

When writing a summary, it is okay to include any opinions or background knowledge you have on the topic.

• True

• False

As our landfills grow into large mountains of junk it has become apparent that we need to take action. Every year thousands of water bottles are thrown into landfills where they do not get recycled and they do not decompose. Thus, further adding to our society's waste.

These sentences support the argument that buying bottled water _____.

• destroys our environment

• helps people stay healthy

• makes people money

• makes finding clean water easier

When you determine the main idea and significant details of a text while condensing information into a short paragraph, you are _____.

• predicting

• summarizing

• evaluating

• judging

March 2nd was a great day at the New York Public Library. More than 250 first and second graders wore red-and-white-striped stovepipe hats. They were celebrating The Cat in the Hat's 50th birthday. Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat picture book has been published for 50 years now. The famous feline danced with children racing around him. At the same time, pink, purple, and white confetti rained down.

Serena Williams, the tennis champion, read The Cat in the Hat to second graders. They sat on brightly-colored rugs around her. Two lucky second graders from PS 152 in Manhattan sat next to Williams on a big red chair. Pink and purple umbrellas hung from the ceiling. The students giggled while Williams made her voice change from deep to high for the many characters in the story.

After reading the book, Williams shouted, "Tip your hat to the Cat!" The students took off their hats and waved them excitedly.

Which sentence should be included in the summary of the passage above?

• After reading the book, Williams shouted, "Tip your hat to the Cat!"

• Two lucky second graders from PS 152 in Manhattan sat next to Williams on a big red chair.

• The students giggled while Williams made her voice change from deep to high

• Serena Williams, the tennis champion, read The Cat in the Hat to second graders.

Which of the following best summarizes the text?

Squirrels are small creatures that belong to the family of rodents. They have a bushy tail and pointed ears. Squirrels can be divided into three types: tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels. Ground squirrels live in holes that they make on the ground. They eat nuts, fruits, berries, and insects. Tree squirrels live in holes that they make in trees. They eat the bark of trees, fruits, flowers, nuts, and eggs. If needed, they also come down in search of food. Flying squirrels live in nests or in holes that they make in trees. They cannot fly, but they can glide through the air from one tree to another. They eat fruits, berries, nuts, eggs, and small animals.

Squirrels are very possessive about where they live. They make very protective mothers and become wild and violent to protect their babies from enemies. Baby squirrels are blind when they are born and completely depend on their mothers. However, as squirrels get older, they have very good eyesight. They can spot their food from a distance. Many people think that they eat only nuts, but they are actually omnivores. This means that they eat both plants and animals.

Squirrels are considered to be very intelligent. They can imitate the actions of different animals and also of human beings. They hide their food in different places to keep it away from their enemy's reach. Squirrels also use different tricks to protect themselves from their enemies. For instance, they chew the skin of a dead snake and then lick themselves so that they smell like a snake. They then hide in their burrows. When an enemy passes by their burrow, it thinks that the squirrel is a snake. There is so much to learn about squirrels.

• Squirrels have a bushy tail and pointed ears. These pointed ears help them to hear the sound of their enemies. They are intelligent as they use different tricks to protect themselves from their enemies.

• Squirrels are of three types. They are intelligent rodents because they know how to protect their homes and their young ones. They are very flexible and quick as they can move very fast from one place to another.

• Squirrels are rodents and eat fruits and nuts. They are intelligent and teach their babies to protect their food and homes. They also prepare themselves by storing food for the long winter months.

• There are three different types of squirrels, and they are all omnivores. They are protective about their homes and their babies. They use intelligent tricks to store food and keep enemies away.

Which of the following best summarizes the text?

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 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 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.

• 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 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.

Which of the following sentences should be included in a summary of this text?

When some people think about Texas, they think of cowboys on the open range-herding cattle up a dusty trail. However, Texas has much more than open prairie with large herds of cows. There are the mountains of West Texas, the piney hills of east Texas, and the emerald waters off the coast of Padre Island. Texas also has large coastal harbors with numerous sailboats, powerboats, inland lakes, rivers, swamps of southeast Texas with alligators and other exotic wildlife.

• Texas is one of the biggest states in the United States.

• There are a lot of cows in Texas.

• There are many different, varied parts of Texas.

• There are alligators in the swampland of southeast Texas.