Summarizing Informational Text

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Summarizing Informational Text
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Summary points

• A summary tells the important information in a
  selection.
• A summary includes the important details that
  support the main idea.
• A main idea sentence is the starting point of a
  summary.
• A summary does NOT include your opinion about the
  topic.

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Steps to Summarize

• Step 1 Highlight the most important points in the
  reading.
•   
• Step 2 Mention the author and the title of the
  text in your first sentence.
•  
• Step 3 State the topic of the text and the
  thesis/main idea at the beginning of your
  summary.
•  
• Step 4 Identify the Topic Sentence of each
  paragraph.

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• Step 5 Include only the most important points
  and supporting details.
• Step 6 Paraphrase the authors ideas rather than
  copy sentences, but be sure to include some of
  the key terms used in the text.
• Step 7 Present the ideas in the order in which
  they were discussed in the reading selection.
•  
• Step 8 Use transitional expressions to make
  connections between ideas.
•  

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Ask yourself the following questions to ensure a
quality summary

• What happened?
• What is essential to tell?
• What was the outcome?
• Who was involved?
• Why did this happen?
• Is that a detail or essential information?

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Summarizing Literature
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Summary Points

• Identify the main characters
• Describe the setting (time place)
• Explain the initiating event
• Explain the rising actions
• Explain the climax
• What was the resolution?
• How do characters react (in words and or actions
  to the events)

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SomebodyWantedButSoThen

• Somebody identify the character
• Wanted describe the characters goal
• But describe a conflict that hinders the
  character
• So describe how the character reacts to the
  conflict
• Then describe the resolution of the conflict

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• Somebody Anne Frank
• Wanted To hide from the Nazis
• But Someone turned her in
• So She died in a concentration
  camp.
• Then Her story was shared with the
  world.

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Writing the Summary

• Identify the title, author, and genre of the
  book.
• Use your notes from Somebody, Wanted, But, So,
  Then and next write a summary that elaborates on
  this information with specific details and
  textual evidence.

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Ask yourself the following questions to ensure a
quality summary

• What point is the author trying to make?
• What are the morals, the messages, the lessons,
  or the themes conveyed in this story?
• Have I addressed all the elements of story?