Summarize

When would you most likely summarize a book?

• when you don’t understand a vocabulary word you read in a book

• when you want to tell a friend the gist or main ideas of a book

• when you want to tell a friend your opinion of a book but not what it was about

• when you want to forget a book you’ve read

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Read the summary below.

Cynthia and the Spaceship is a novel by Evelyn Redding. In the book, Cynthia, the main character, overcomes a challenge to accomplish her dream of owning a spaceship. The novel is set in Chicago in the year 2150.

Which of the following would improve this summary?

• cutting the title and the author of the book

• cutting the final sentence

• adding details about what the spaceship looks like

• adding details about the challenge Cynthia faces in the novel

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

The article “The Three Men Who Invented the Telephone” is about three different men who contributed to the invention of the telephone.

Which of the following should you include in a summary of this article?

• a brief explanation of how each man was involved in the invention of the telephone

• details about how smartphones and cell phones work

• your opinion about who really invented the telephone

• a detail about where the phrase “put someone on hold” came from

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

What detail should be cut from the following summary?

My Funny Friend Fiona is a novel about a girl named Fiona. It’s really quick to read, and you should read it because it’s the funniest book in the world.

• the title of the book

• that it's the "funniest book in the world"

• the name of the main character

• the fact that the book is a novel

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

It started when they got to the bears. Peter felt tired and his stomach hurt. He dragged himself over to see the elephants, which were eating from a stack of hay. Normally, the elephants were his favorite. Without much interest, Peter followed his classmates to the camels, which were busy swatting flies with their tails. Peter knew he should be having fun at the zoo, but he just felt terrible and all he wanted to do was lie down and rest. Even the lions and tigers did not interest him now. 
The sentence that best summarizes the paragraph is:

• Peter's favorite animals were the elephants.

• 
  Peter didn't enjoy the zoo because he felt really sick.

•  It was really hot at the zoo.

• The camels were swatting flies with their tails.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Read the summary below.

Adventures of the Time Traveler is a novel by John Doe. The protagonist, Tim, uses a time machine to prevent a disaster in the future. The novel is set in New York in the year 2200.

Which of the following would enhance this summary?

• removing the name of the author

• removing the setting of the novel

• adding details about the disaster Tim is trying to prevent

• adding details about how the time machine works

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2