Summarizing
Educator Definition:
Readers identify key elements and condense important information into their own words during and after reading to solidify meaning.
Readers identify key elements and condense important information into their own words during and after reading to solidify meaning.
Student Definition:
Tell what's important.
Students have to summarize pirate captain Jelly Bones Jones' long-winded stories in this activity. In the first task, Jelly Bones explains five pirate skills, and students must
summarize to create a handbook on how to be a pirate. They first choose the main idea and supporting details for each skill, and then use those notes to write a summary in their own words. The second
task involves drawing a map to summarize Jelly Bones' rambling explanation of where the treasure is buried. In the third task, students summarize the story of Jelly Bones' last days to create a tale
which will help the pirate's memory live forever.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
This activity meets the following grade 3 Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts:
Print Version (PDF)
Foundational Skills
Phonics and Word Recognition
3.RF.3
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
- Decode multisyllable words.
Fluency
3.RF.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
- Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
- Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
Literature
Key Ideas and Details
3.RL.2
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
Craft and Structure
3.RL.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
3.RL.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently
and proficiently.
Informational Text
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
3.RI.7
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
3.RI.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Writing
Production and Distribution of Writing
3.W.6
With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
3.W.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
3.L.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
- Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
3.L.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
- Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
3.L.5
Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
- Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
- Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
3.SL.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Students use their summarizing skills to help a group of monsters rescue their friend Dracula. Learners must first resolve a dispute by summarizing each monster's argument,
identifying both the argument and supporting details in the monster's boastful claim. Then students help the friends draw maps to plan the rescue, visually summarizing informational text. Finally,
they condense Dracula's elaborate narrative of the rescue into a summary fit for a movie script.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
This activity meets the following grade 3 Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts:
Print Version (PDF)
Foundational Skills
Phonics and Word Recognition
3.RF.3
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
- Decode multisyllable words.
Fluency
3.RF.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
- Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
- Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
Literature
Key Ideas and Details
3.RL.2
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
Craft and Structure
3.RL.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
3.RL.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently
and proficiently.
Informational Text
Craft and Structure
3.RI.5
Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
3.RI.7
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
3.RI.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Writing
Production and Distribution of Writing
3.W.6
With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
3.W.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
3.L.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
- Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
3.L.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
- Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
3.L.5
Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
- Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
- Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
3.SL.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Download these short, lesson plans to practice the strategy.
Summary Ball (PDF)
Paper Bag Reports (PDF)
Artistic Summary (PDF)
Fortune Teller (PDF)
Reading Response Journal (PDF)
Story Wheel (PDF)
Somebody/Wanted/But/So (PDF)
Paper Bag Reports (PDF)
Artistic Summary (PDF)
Fortune Teller (PDF)
Reading Response Journal (PDF)
Story Wheel (PDF)
Somebody/Wanted/But/So (PDF)
Summarizing Booklist
Bang, Molly. Common Ground: The Water, Earth and Air We Share. Blue Sky Press / Scholastic, 1997. 32 pages
Blake, Robert J. Togo. Philomel, 2002. 40 pages
Cooper, Elisha. Ice Cream. Greenwillow, 2002, 40 pages
Fleming, Candace. Boxes for Katje. Illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003. 36 pages
Fleming, Denise. Buster. Henry Holt, 2003. 32 pages
Goldin, Augusta. Ducks Don't Get Wet. Illustrated by Helen K. Davie. (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science) HarperCollins, 1999. 32 pages
Haas, Jessie. Runaway Radish. Illustrated by Margot Apple. Greenwillow, 2001. 56 pages
Harjo, Joy. The Good Luck Cat. Harcourt, 2000. 32 pages
Markle, Sandra. Creepy, Crawly Baby Bugs. Walker, 1996. 32 pages
Muth, Jon J. The Three Questions. Scholastic Press, 2002. 32 pages
Rylant, Cynthia. Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. Harcourt, 2003. 48 pages
Willey, Margaret. Clever Beatrice: An Upper Penninsula Conte. Illustrated by Heather Solomon. Atheneum, 2001. 32 pages
Winter, Jeanette. My Name Is Georgia: A Portrait. Harcourt / Silver Whistle, 1998. 48 pages
Into the Book has nine 15-minute educational videos that help teach children how to use eight different reading strategies.
Mrs. Pingel models the summarizing strategy with a book of short biographies about National Park rangers. As they search for what is important in the stories during paired reading, Conlin goes into his story and uses the strategy to save an injured hiker. His newfound summarizing abilities even help him during games at the park with his friends.
Watch the Full Video
Video Clips
Learn about Summarizing
Practice Summarizing
Apply the Strategy