Soaring into Summarization
It is important that students begin to comprehend information while reading. During this lesson, students will learn to summarize. Summarization can reveal whether a student has fully grasped the importance of the reading he/she was given. Students will learn how to delete trivial and redundant information in an article about bald eagles. They also will learn how to use important information to make a summary.
Materials:
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Class set of “Bald Eagle” by Kids National Geographic
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https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bald-eagle/#bald-egle-closeup.jpg
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Poster with the rules of summarization on it
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Delete the unimportant information
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Find the Important information
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Create an umbrella term
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Make a clear topic sentence
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Assessment chart for each student (for teachers use)
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Highlighter & pencil for each student
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2 pieces of lined notebook paper for each student
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Manila paper
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Large poster with the first paragraph of “Aardvark” on it
Procedures:
1. “Today we are going to learn about summarization. Can anyone tell me what that is?... (Not quite! Kind of! Yes exactly!- depending on answers) If you have ever read a book and you loved it so you wanted to tell everyone about it you wouldn’t read the whole story to them, would you?....Right. We wouldn’t read them the whole story; we would just tell them the most important part. When you give someone the important parts of a story, it is called a summary. Summarization is a helpful strategy good readers use to help comprehend or understand what he or she is reading. If you can summarize a book or article, it is a good indication that you are able to understand what you’ve read.”
2. “Everybody take out a marker and a sheet of manila paper. (Demonstrate as you explain) Fold your paper hotdog style now fold it again hamburger style. (unfold as you say this) This should create 4 squares. Okay, now let's look at our ‘Rules of Summarizing’ poster. Who can read me what the first rule of summarizing is? (Call on student). Yes, the first rule of summarizing is to delete the unimportant, or trivial information. We don’t want to keep any repeated information. Everybody write this rule at the top of the first column on your piece of paper. It can be very helpful to cross out unimportant information if you can mark on the article you are reading, but you are reading in a book you will probably have to make a mental note that certain parts may not be as important as others. This will help you to understand the message the author is trying to tell you. Let's look at the second rule. The second rule is to find the important information. Everybody write this rule at the top of the second column. When you find something that is important in the book or article you are reading, underline or highlight the sentence so that you can go back and remember that it must be important. The third rule is to find what we call umbrella terms. This is like if we were reading an article and it said ‘eagles, sparrows, and buzzards like to fly’ instead of listing out eagles, sparrows, and buzards we could just say birds. Does everyone understand what an umbrella term means? (wait and respond appropriately) Okay good! So if I were to say I had cookies, cake, brownies and pie, what would my umbrella term for that be?... Right, dessert! So now I want everyone to write umbrella terms in your third section. Now the final rule of summarization is to make a topic sentence. This rule combines what we have learned from the other three columns. A topic sentence combines all of the important information in a short, condensed way so that you are able to summarize and comprehend the paragraph you read. Please write topic sentence in your fourth and final box.”
4. (While passing out the article) “Now we are going to practice summarizing with an article called ‘Bald Eagle.’ Does anyone know what a Bald Eagle is? …(Wait for students to respond and respond in an appropriate manor back). Well today we are going to learn more about Bald Eagles, like what they eat, what they do at night, and some special skills they have. Can anyone guess what they eat?... That’s a good guess! What about some special skills they might have?... Oh I don’t know maybe! We will just have to read to find out won’t we! While we are learning these fun facts we are also going to be practicing our summarization skills! So now I want everyone get out a highlighter and pencil.”
5. “ Before we dive into the reading lets look at some of the vocabulary we will come across. The first word, brink, is in the second paragraph. Does anyone know what brink means?...Right it would mean on the edge of something or on the verge of happening. For example if I said ‘I was on the brink of a cliff’ what would that mean?... Right I was on the edge of a cliff. Now I want you to complete this sentence, I was on the __________ of falling asleep in class because I stayed up too late.’ (brink). Good job! Now I want someone to raise their hand and make up a sentence using the word. (Respond accordingly and correct and misuses). Our next word is aeries, which is located in the fourth paragraph. An aerie is an eagles nest. ‘The eagle waited in its aerie to hunt its prey.’ Where would you find an aerie? (student response) I want you all to complete this sentence The ________ sat high in the tree (aerie) Now I want someone to raise your hand and give me a sentence using the word pesticide. (respond accordingly). So what is it called when we are on the edge of something? Good. What is an eagles nest called? Correct
6. Okay now that we have gone over our vocabulary let’s get started. Everybody watch me as I use my rules to summarize this paragraph. (Pull out a pre-made copy of the 3 columns on paper and have poster with large print of the first two paragraphs hung). Lets look at the two first paragraphs together (read it to the students or call on a student to read):
A bald eagle's white head may make it look bald. But actually the name comes from an old English word, "balde," meaning white. These graceful birds have been the national symbol of the United States since 1782.
Bald eagles were on the brink of extinction because of hunting and pollution. But laws created almost 40 years ago have helped protect them, and they've made a comeback.
7. “Before we start going over the important details lets relook at the vocabulary word, brink. So we just talked about how a brink is the edge of something. In this meaning it would be like they were on the edge of extinction. So the bald eagles were on the edge of not existing anymore because of hunters. Does that make sense to everyone?” (Respond accordingly)
8. (As you are going over the paragraph cross out and highlight with the students on the large poster with the print) “Okay now let’s look at some details from this paragraph. Do we think it is important that eagles are graceful? Not really so we can cross that out. Is it important that eagles are a symbol of the united states? Yes, so let’s keep that. Now the last sentence. Is it important to talk about the laws created to protect them? Yes I think so too. Let’s highlight that”
9. “Now that we have finished the first two paragraphs let's try and see if we can come up with a topic sentence. Remember, a topic sentence is one sentence that explains what the whole paragraph is talking about. I am going to look at the parts I have highlighted to see what was important. I have that ‘the eagle is a simple of the United States….. and there is laws protecting them from extinction’ I would make the topic sentence by combining these important details, but I will not copy the wording exactly. For example I would make this a topic sentence by saying: Bald eagles are a national symbol of the United States that have been protected from extinction by fedral laws. (write on board) Now I have all my important information in one sentence, and this is a summary of the paragraph I was reading. Does anybody have any questions?”
10. “Now, I am going to let you summarize each of the remaining paragraphs and try and figure out what they eat and what kind of special skills they have and what they use those skills for! Remember to use your paper with the columns to help you break up the information. You can also look at our summarizing poster as well if you need help! Come up with one topic sentence for each paragraph and write it on a sheet of notebook paper. When you are finished, I want you to staple the article to your paper and turn it in to me. We went over the vocabulary I thought you needed help with earlier but if you still find yourself struggling with understanding a word please raise your hand. You may begin.”
11. Assessment: I will review each student's article to determine if they could successfully identify important and not important information. I will also review each student’s one sentence summarization of the different paragraphs. I will use the assessment checklist to record each child's grade. Topic sentences may vary slightly, but I will be looking to see if they child included the important information in each.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What is a Bald Eagle?
2. How do they attack their prey?
3. Where do they build their nests?
Assessment Checklist (1pt each):
Student Name: ___________________________
1.Did the students come up with topic sentences for the remaining paragraphs?
2.Did the student successfully delete unimportant/redundant information?
3.Did the student successfully identify important parts?
4.Did the student use the important information to come up with topic sentence?
References:
Article: “Bald Eagle” National Geographic Kids. Web.
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bald-eagle/#bald-egle-closeup.jpg
Lesson: Cossum, Hunter Scratching Our Way to Summarization
http://huntermackena.wixsite.com/education/reading-to-learn