Summary (Nonfiction)

What does every summary need to have?

• Beginning, Middle, End

• Introduction, Conclusion, Opinions

• Beginning, Details, End

• Details, Middle, Beginning

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

How many sentences should be in a good summary?

• 9-10

• 3-5

• 1-2

• 4-6

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

What graphic organizers do we use for writing a summary or checking to see if a summary is correct?

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

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.

What is the BEST summary of this passage?

• 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.4.9

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

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.

What is the BEST summary of this passage?

• There are a lot of cows in Texas.

• There are many different, varied parts of Texas.

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

• There are alligators in the swampland of southeast Texas.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Turn over a bag of potato chips. Is the label interesting? A simple food recipe may use several ingredients. These come from the soil and from chemistry labs around the world. Surprises also show up in the labels on clothing and other products. Look at the label on a package of lipstick. The tube seems small and shiny, but inside lipstick there is soap, oil, fish scales, and wax!

Which is the best way to summarize this passage?

• A bag of potato chips seems like a simple recipe. There are many ingredients from the soil and from chemistry labs.

• Clothes and other products have many ingredients as well. Lipstick alone has soap, oil, wax, and fish scales.

• Labels show what goes into food, clothing, and other products. A simple product may have many ingredients.

• Lipstick seems small and shiny. Look at the label sometime. It has at least four different ingredients.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

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.

The summary of this passage is:

• 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 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 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.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Picture this: a herd of elephants flies past you at sixty miles perhour, followed by a streak of tigers, a pride of lions, and a bunch of clowns. What do you see? It must be a circus train! One of the first uses of the circus train is credited to W.C. Coup. He partnered with P.T. Barnum in 1871 to expand the reach of their newly combined shows using locomotives. Before circus trains, these operators had to lug around all of their animals, performers, and equipment with a team of more than 600 horses. Since there were no highways, these voyages were rough and took a long time. Circuses would stop at many small towns between the large venues. Performing at many of these small towns was not very profitable. Because of these limitations, circuses could not grow as large as the imaginations of the operators. After they began using circus trains, Barnum and Coup only brought their show to large cities. These performances were much more profitable and the profits went toward creating an even bigger and better circus. Multiple rings were added and the show went on. Today, Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus still rely on the circus train to transport their astounding show, but now they use two.

The summary of this passage is:

• One of the first uses of the circus train is credited to W.C. Coup. He partnered with P.T. Barnum in 1871 to expand the reach of their newly combined shows using locomotives.

• Barnum and Coup only brought their show to large cities. These performances were much more profitable and the profits went toward creating an even bigger and better circus.

• Circuses used to have a difficult time traveling and had to stop at many small towns along the way. Trains allowed circuses to travel easily from large city to large city.

• Before circus trains, these operators had to lug around all of their animals, performers, and equipment with a team of more than 600 horses.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Are you looking for a fun, new activity? Consider paintball. It is fun for everyone! Paintball requires two teams. The game begins when the teams are at their separate bases. Both teams say they are ready, and one team yells, "Game on!" Then, the game begins. Each team tries to shoot different colored paintballs at the opposing team while completing difficult obstacles. When the paintballs hit, a large splatter of paint is left on the person's clothing. When a player is hit, the player has to raise his gun over his head, shouting that he is hit, and leave the field to the dead area. Once one team completes all of the objectives, the game is over.

What is the BEST summary of the information in the story above?

• Paintball is a fun activity. When playing paintball, you will need paintball guns, paintball pellets, uniforms, and equipment.

• If you try paintball, you will need to form two separate teams. Teams complete difficult obstacles. Move to the dead area when you are hit by a paintball.

• There are steps a player should follow when playing paintball. Teams should be formed, certain things should be said, try to shoot the opposite team to get them out, and be sure to leave the field once you are hit.

• A player should shoot the opposing team's players to get them out, and leave the field once he is out of paintballs.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

There are many different types of frogs, but the most poisonous frog is the poison dart frog. The name for these tiny amphibians dates back many decades. The poison of these frogs was historically used on darts. A dart that was dipped in this poison would poison the blood stream of any human who was attacked by one. One poison dart frog has more than enough poison under its skin to kill more than 8 grown humans.

What is the BEST summary of this passage?

• Poison dart frogs have a lot of poison. They can kill more than 8 grown humans.

• Darts were created because of the poison dart frog. The poison would kill a person if the poison entered their bloodstream.

• The poison dart frog is the most poisonous frog.Their poison used to be used on darts to attack humans. While these frogs may be tiny, their poison is very strong.

• There are a lot of frogs in the world. The smallest one if the poison dart frog.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2