Erupting with Summarization
Reading to Learn Design
Rationale: Once students have learned to decode words and start reading
fluently, comprehending the story is crucial to successful reading. Summarization
is an important strategy for students to comprehend difficult text when reading
independently. This strategy includes being able to identify which parts of a story
are very important and which are not as important. In this lesson, students will learn
how to separate those different parts and focusing on the main ideas.
Materials:
-paper, pencil, and highlighter for each student
-individual copies of “Volcanoes” article
-whiteboard and dry erase markers
-comprehension quiz for each student
Procedures:
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Say: When we read, the most important thing to do is understand what we are reading. There is no point in reading a story where we don’t know what is going on and are just simply reading words. Comprehending helps us to understand what is happening in a story, or to learn important information from text. Summarizing is when we read a text and we are able to point out important things that happened. Today we are going to practice how to summarize and identify those main points.
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Say: We are going to practice this summarizing strategy, but we need to know these three important rules to follow. The first rule is to leave out any information that is not as important to the story as other parts. The second rule is to identify terms for multiple important statements or events. The third rule is to create a topic sentence that covers all the main ideas in just a few words.
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Say: Before we start reading, we are going to look at a vocabulary word that will be in the text today. When we know the meaning of a word, we can better comprehend the text and understand what is going on in the story. The article talks about how extinct volcanoes are the least dangerous ones. What do you think extinct means? (Wait for response) Yes, this means that it is no longer living. What is another example of something extinct? (Wait for response) Dinosaurs are a great example of something extinct. Now that we know what extinct means, how could we make a sentence with the knowledge we now have? (Wait for response) Great! Polar bears are in danger of going extinct if their artic homes disappear.
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Say: Since we now know the three rules to follow and our vocabulary word, I am going to give everyone a copy of the article “Volcanoes” that we are going to be reading today. Volcanoes can be very dangerous and can erupt with very hot lava! Does anyone know what lava is? We are going to read and find out. I want everyone to read this silently and then we will break down the story together so we can summarize. As you read, I want you to think about what information may seem unimportant or repeated. Pay close attention to what you think are important points in the story. This is a good time to use your highlighter to highlight any points or sentences you find important and keep an eye out for our vocabulary word. (Give students time to read the story to themselves.)
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Say: Let’s are going to go over some important points that we think need to be included in our summary. I want you to raise your hand if you have an important part you think I should write on the board for us all to see and remember. (Give time for students to think of and share points.) Now that we have all discussed main points, I want you to get out your pencil and paper and create a summary sentence that explains what the article is about.
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Say: Awesome job! I think we have all learned a lot about how summarization and how it helps us understand what we are reading. Our last thing to do is just 5 questions to see how your summarizing really did help comprehend the article. (Pass out comprehension quiz for each student.) We are going to work individually and there is no right or wrong answer, so just try your best! Raise your hand when you are finished so I can collect your papers.
Assessment:
(Comprehension) FOR STUDENT-
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What is a volcano?
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What happens when a volcano erupts?
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What is an extinct volcano?
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How are cinder cone volcanoes different than shield volcanoes?
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How can you be safe in the event of a volcano erupting?
(Summarization) FOR TEACHER:
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Student’s name: __________
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Summary checklist:
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Removed any unimportant or repeated parts? ____
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Wrote the main idea of the article? ____
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Wrote a couple well put together sentences? ____
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Selected important points from article? ____
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Was able to answer all comprehension questions? ____
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References:
Emma-Ruth Boles, Reading is as Cool as Ice!
https://erb0060.wixsite.com/website/blank-page-1
Anne Reeves, Rosie Revere Remembers Reading
https://sites.google.com/view/annareevesreading-com/rl-design
Anna Bolton, Roaring into Summarization
https://abolt833.wixsite.com/lessondesigns/reading-to-learn
“Volcanoes” Article
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-volcano.htm
Volcano Gif
https://giphy.com/gifs/southparkgifs-l0HlJzn5u7jPDzluM
