Summarizing

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Summarizing
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What is summarizing?

• Summarizing is how we take larger selections of
  text and reduce them to their bare essentials.
• -the key ideas
• -the main points that are worth noting
• or remembering.
• WEBSTERS CALLS A SUMMARY THE GENERAL IDEA IN
  BRIEF FORM
• .

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What are We Doing When We Summarize?

• We strip away the extra. We focus on the heart
  of the matter. We try to find the key words and
  phrases that, when uttered later, still manage to
  capture the GIST of what weve read. We are
  trying to capture the main ideas and the crucial
  details necessary for supporting them.

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What is the difference between summary and main
idea?

• The main idea is the most important thing the
  paragraph says about the topic. The topic is what
  a paragraph is all about.
• A summary will include the main details within
  the story - it provides support for your main
  idea

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Summarizing No Nos.

• Writing down everything
• Writing down next to nothing
• Writing incomplete sentences
• Copying word for word

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• The spider constructed her web, using the inborn
  talent of her kind. Perhaps she would catch an
  insect in her trap today perhaps not. She could
  go for days without food, but when she did catch
  her prey, she would quickly paralyze it with her
  poison and eat.1. Which of these statements is
  the best summary? A. Spiders construct webs
  by instinct. B. Spiders can go without food
  for days. C. The morning dew makes webs
  beautiful. D. Spiders build webs to trap
  insects.

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• Most parts of your body have a job to do. Not
  the appendix! The appendix is a three-inch
  long, worm-shaped part of the intestines. While
  the appendix no longer appears to have a
  function, scientists think it was once an
  important part of the human digestive system.
  Some animals, like rabbits, still have an
  appendix. The organ helps them digest tough
  plant food. Although the appendix may not do
  humans any good, it can do a lot of harm. If a
  persons appendix becomes infected by bacteria,
  he or she can suffer an attack of appendicitis.
  The symptoms include pain, nausea and fever. If
  the appendix bursts, the infection can spread
  throughout the body. To prevent that from
  happening, a doctor will usually removed an
  infected appendix.5. Which of the following
  details supports the summary statement?A. If a
  persons appendix becomes infected, he or she can
  suffer an attack of appendicitis.B. The
  appendix is a three inch long worm shaped part of
  the intestines.C. Most parts of your body have
  a job to do.D. Rabbits still have an appendix,
  and it helps them digest food.

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Lets Practice Summarizing!