I see what I read I feel what I read It's like a movie in my mind I create pictures in my mind as I read.

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Summarizing and Synthesizing Information
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Summarize --

• to present the substance
• or general idea in brief form

• to create a concise, condensed
• account of the original

• to cover the main points

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Why summarize?

• Practice in summarizing improves students
  reading comprehension of fiction and nonfiction
  alike, helping them construct an overall
  understanding of a text, story, chapter, or
  article.
• (Rinehart, Stahl Erickson, 1986)

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SYNTHESIZE Beyond Summary
together
The putting
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Lesson 1
Retelling to Summarize Information Purpose
Provide a basic framework to help students begin
to summarize information through a brief
retelling of a story
Resource Assorted picture books, including For
Every Child a Better World, by L.
Gikow Responses Recording brief summaries on
sticky notes or charts, or through discussion
one word lists of a synthesis
Remember to tell what is important Tell it in a way that makes sense Try not to tell too much
Food Clean water Home Clean air Medicine school
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Somebody/Wanted/But/So Then

• Reading Skills Important
• to Summarization
• Conflict/Resolution
• Character Differences, Goals,
• and Motivations
• Main Ideas and Details
• Making Generalizations

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Excerpt from The Necklace Mrs. Loisel wanted to
be rich and wanted to go to the dance. BUT she
didnt have the right clothes and jewelry. SO she
shamed her husband into buying her a dress and
she borrowed a necklace. THEN Mrs. Loisel wanted
to give back the necklace after she wore it. BUT
she had lost it. SO she and her husband had to
find a new one and THEN borrow money to buy it so
she could return the replacement to her friend.
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Lesson 2
Paraphrasing to Summarize Expository
Text Purpose Making margin notes in your own
words to summarize sections of the text
Resource In Sickness and in Health, an
article in Kids Discover Magazine Responses
Brackets in the margins for summarizing
information sticky note coded S for summarize
two-column note form headed Whats
Interesting/Whats Important
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S Not everyone and everything have the same color
of blood
S Mammals and insects dont need the same amount
of oxygen.
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Lesson 3
Synthesizing How Reading Changes
Thinking Purpose To notice how our thinking
evolves and changes as we read
Resources Freedom Readers an article by Fran
Downey in National Geographic Explorer, Jan.-Feb
2006 Response Keeping track of changed thinking
on reading logs
Before Reading What does reading mean to you? Teaches you new information Takes you on an adventure
After Reading What does reading mean to you? Inspires freedom and independence in a democratic society
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Lesson 4
Summarizing the Content and Adding Personal
Response Purpose Summarizing the content of a
piece of text and responding personally
Resource Time for Kids article, Haiti Picks Up
the Pieces Young adult magazines. Including Kids
Discover, National Geographic Explorer and Time
for Kids Response A page of notebook paper
divided horizontally with the top half labeled
Summary and the bottom half marked Response
Summary On January 12, 2010 an earthquake devastated the country of Haiti. It is estimated that 200,000 people lost their lives and another 250,000 people were injured. Countries around the world are pledging to support Haiti with money, supplies and volunteers to help. Homes, buildings, roads were crushed. Survivors trapped by the rubble are still being dug out, ten days after the earthquake hit. People are living under tents and are water and food are being distributed slowly.
Response I cant believe the earthquake caused so much damage. Thank goodness people around the world are responding to the needs of the people of Haiti. I wonder how they can survive without food or water? They need to get the supplies to the people ASAP!
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Reading for the Gist Purpose Taking notes and
using a variety of strategies to synthesize
Lesson 5
Resource The picture book An Angel for Solomon
Singer, by Cynthia Rylant Response Lists of
notes and strategies one page written response
Prediction Every night he will eat at the
café The angel will give him what he wants but
only in his dreams The café is making him like
the place Questions How did he end up in New
York? Where is his family? What will happen in
the café? Will his dream actually come true? How
can he pay for all of his food?
Respond Notes He does not like where he
lives Not all that great of food, it is
canned Bad life nothing he likes, sad ? Grew up
in a wonderful place unlike now Very old Dreams
of things outside No one else in café
Visualize
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Written Response I think Mr. Singer has a
horrible place to live. He hates everything in
New York until he wanders into the Westway Café,
where dreams come true. This is a wonderful
book about feelings, dreams, and angels. When
our teacher was reading, it made me visualize. I
had a picture of a perfect home for Solomon, in
Illinois where I used to live. It had a balcony,
bouncy grass, everlasting fields of corn and
wheat. At night, he could lie down and stare at
the stars in the sky. He would have three cats,
two dogs, five fish, ten hamsters, etc. They
would be free to run all over and Mr. Singer
wouldnt be lonely. The sun would shine all day
long. But New York isnt that bad, now that he
found the Westway Café, especially when the angel
watches over him.
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Lesson 6
Writing a Short Summary Purpose Distinguishing
between a summary of the text and the readers
thinking
Resources The Librarian of Basra A True Story
from Iraq, by Jeanette Winter Response
Two-column think sheet headed What the Piece Is
About/What It Makes Me Think About
Important Ideas Librarian saved the books She
was passionate She loved books War Teamwork-her
friends helped Loyalty Risked her life 30,000
books Iraq
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What the Piece Is About What It Makes Me Think About
Pick out the most important ideas Keep it brief Say it in your own words At the beginning of the war in Iraq, a brave, passionate librarian risked her life to save many books with the help of loyal friends Would I risk my life for some books? Probably not Is she going to build a new library? She has a lot of guts to stay there with her books. I would probably be on my way to Egypt or Turkey. Why would she go out in the middle of a war to ask someone to help her move books? I would feel like crying. If I didnt leave I would be in my house trying to calm myself down and saying its okay , not worried about some books. How did she feel after the war? She should definitely be honored and she should have her name like Mohmad.
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Lesson 7
Writing a Synthesis Personalities from the
Past Purpose Writing from a first-person
perspective to better understand the
contributions of historical figures
Resource Picture book biographies Response
Note-taking forms that support writing
A Picture Book of Anne Frank by David Adler A Picture Book of Anne Frank by David Adler
Facts from the Text Response
Six million Jews were murdered. They were cold and suffering. Margot died. Anne hid for more than two years. Anne died. I wish there were no Nazis because its not fair that others couldnt have food and homes. I wonder how it felt to hide and to be tortured by the Nazis. I felt bad for them when she died because I wouldnt like to be killed or get sick and die. I cant believe that she hid for more than two years because some of them got caught right away. I wouldnt want to be Anne Frank because she died in a death camp and hid for most of her life.
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Topic Benjamin Franklin Topic Benjamin Franklin Topic Benjamin Franklin
Subtopics Details Details
Family His dad wanted him to make candles and soap with his family. On September 1, 1730 Benjamin Franklin got married.
Why he is famous He invented lots of things that worked. He invented a chair that turned into a ladder. He also invented things that helped people.
Interests/ Dreams Benjamin loved writing books. He liked selling his poems in the street.
Other Interesting Facts He made a stove that gave out heat. He worked on the U.S. Constitution.
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In the 1700s your father could pick what you
learned in school and what your job was. When I
was little, my dad told me to be a preacher.
Later, he told me that they are poor. At school
I learned to write well, but I failed arithmetic.
Two years later, my dad told me you will work
for me and your family making soap and candles.
It was hard, smelly work, but I did it for two
years. Then one day I said, I want to go to
sea. But my father said No, your brother
drowned at sea. You will stay in Boston. When
I was seventeen, I decided to run away to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There I worked for a
printer. Then I started my own print shop.
Later I owned a newspaper and a store. I was a
busy man. But I wanted to do more, so I started
a library and a fire department. I did
experiments and wrote about science and I sold my
poems in the streets. Later, I invented a chair
that turned into a ladder and a stove that gave
heat away. I called it the Franklin stove.
Everyone wanted one! Then I wrote a book about
farming and weather and holidays. For
twenty-five years, each year I would write a new
one.
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Lesson 8
Synthesizing to Access Content Purpose
Noticing the thinking we do to access content
and acquire knowledge
Resource Boycott for Change, The Comprehension
Toolkit Grades 3-5 Response Two-column note
form headed Content/Process class
discussion
Content (Facts) Process (Thinking)
In 1880 all landlords were directed by politicians to lower the rent to all those living on their land in Ireland. Charles Boycott refused to follow the orders. Politicians made sure that no one worked for Boycott. In addition, mail carriers refused to deliver mail, and clerks in stores refused to help Boycott. The term boycott is used to describe the action taken by a group of people who refuse to do business with someone/something. Can politicians control a landlords rent? (Q) Why would Charles Boycott refuse? (Q) Charles Boycott must be greedy. (I) Charles Boycott must have felt very isolated? (I) Boycotts can be very successful if the cause is supported by large groups. (I)
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Lesson 9
Reading Like a Writer Purpose Noticing the
craft of a piece as well as the content and the
reading process
Resource Moonstruck Scientists Count 63 and
Rising (Boyd 1999), and Rhino Dehorned by
Rangers (Edlin 1992), articles in the Denver
Post Response Three-column note from headed
Content/Process/Craft (CPC)
Content (Facts) Process (Thinking) Craft (Writing)
There are 63 moons and more to come. Uranus is seventh from the sun. What does moonstruck mean? (Q) Maybe its scientists who like moons. (I) Wow! 63 moons! No kidding! Why didnt they know if they launched those satellites? (Q) Maybe when they say satellites, they mean moons. (I) A moon could be a natural satellites. (I) What is detector efficiency? (Q) Wow! When it said littering the starry skies, they were using very strong words that painted a picture in my mind. When the lead asks a question it pulls you into the article.
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Lesson 10
Trying to understand Seeking Answers to
Questions That Have None Purpose Synthesizing
information by attempting to answer difficult
questions
Resource The Triumphant Spirit Portraits and
Stories of Holocaust Survivors, their Messages of
Hope and Compassion, by Nick Del Calzo Response
Sticky notes with questions
I wonder how he survived the Holocaust. Its
amazing how he survived the camp. It would be
hard tp tell the story. I would cry if I saw
people die.
I wonder how hard that gas chamber would affect
his life. I bet he has a lot of nightmares about
the Holocaust and his parents dying.
I wonder how Harry Glaser can go three days
without food or water. I know in 3 hours Im
hungry right away and Im a little guy.
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TEACHING WITH THE END IN MIND ASSESSING WHAT
WEVE TAUGHT

• DETERMING IMPORTANCE
• Look for evidence that
• Students summarize information by retelling. We
  look for evidence that students can summarize by
  picking out the most important information,
  keeping it brief, and saying it in their own
  words.
• Students become aware of when they add to their
  knowledge base and revise their thinking as they
  read. We look for evidence that students are
  learning new information, adding to their
  background knowledge, and changing their
  thinking.
• Students synthesize information through writing.
  We look for evidence that students pick out the
  most important information and merge their
  thinking with it to come up with responses that
  are both personal and factual.
• Students use a variety of ways to synthesize
  information and share their learning. We look
  for evidence that students use authentic
  questions, inferences, and interpretations to
  synthesize information and teach it to others
  through a variety of projects and products.