Summarizing Lesson "A Kind of Grace"

Lauren Nearhoof

“A Kind of Grace” Unit

Skill: Summarizing

Essential Question:

How can you apply your knowledge about summarizing into writing?

Assessment Prompts:

Standards:

R6.A.2.5.1: Summarize the major points, processes, and/or events of a nonfictional text as a whole.

Materials:

·         Lined paper

·         Writing utensils

·         Timer

·         Access to chalkboard

·         Summary of MLK book

o   http://davidcolbertbooks.com/page3/page3.html

Activating Strategy:

1.      Hand out lined paper

2.      Have students complete the writing prompt

a.       Summarize what you did over the weekend in 1-2 paragraphs.

b.      Have the writing prompt wrote on the screen so students can refer to it as needed

3.      Allow 7-10 minutes

4.      Set timer to 8 minutes and see how many students are finished with summary

Teaching Strategy:

1.      Ask students to think about how they wrote their summaries

a.       How did you know which information to add to your summary?

b.      What kind of information did you leave out?

2.      Teach students what a summary is and how it can be applied in writing

a.       When writing a summary, one must decide which information is important and which information isn’t as important

b.      A summary should be smaller than the original event or piece of writing

                                                              i.      Your summary of your weekend shouldn’t have everything you did in the past three days- just the highlighted information

                                                            ii.      When you read a book, you write a summary of what the book is about, not rewrite the book

c.       Thought of as an outline

3.      Pass out summary of the MLK book

a.       Explain to students that this is a summary of the book they had just read

b.      Read with a partner

c.       Create a t-chart

                                                              i.      What information was provided in the summary or book review?

                                                            ii.      What information wasn’t provided in the summary or book review?

4.      Ask students if they could revise their summary, what changes would they make?

a.       Have a discussion

b.      Allow several students to share

c.       “This story we will be focusing on enhancing our summarizing skills”

Summarizing Strategy:

1.      On a piece of paper answer the following questions

a.       3 things you knew about summaries, 2 things you learned about summaries, and 1 thing I still am confused about

b.      If you can’t answer the questions, you can write more of the others