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SUMMARIZATION

LEARNING ACTIVITY HOW-TO GUIDE

Summarizing is an important skill for analyzing information and recording it for later review. When you summarize, you actively process information as you read, listen, or watch. You make meaning of it as you distinguish between main ideas and details, and as you restate the source in your own words.

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NEED TO KNOW:

Q: Do I have to summarize everything I read?

A: This student guide gives you strategies for writing summaries that you can use to create a wide range of summaries, including those that are multi-paragraph in length and those that are a single sentence. So while you don’t have to summarize everything you read, if it means only writing a single sentence to help you remember the main ideas later, why wouldn’t you?

Q: Is a summary the same thing as a paraphrase?

A: Summary and paraphrase are often used interchangeably, but they are different. Both ask you to put things into your own words, but a summary also asks you to greatly reduce the length of the source. Paraphrases can be the same length or even longer than the original.

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A summary is a good way to solidify your understanding of a resource and note the important ideas for later reference.

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GET STARTED:

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WHAT IS IT?

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SIX RULES FOR SUMMARIZATION

1. Identify the topic sentence of each paragraph.

2. Write a topic sentence if a paragraph doesn’t have a one.

3. Delete unimportant details from paragraphs.

4. Eliminate any repetitions.

5. Substitute categories for lists of nouns.

6. Substitute ‘umbrella’ actions for lists of actions.

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Expert One-Sentence Summaries

Expert Summary of a Scientific Article

EXAMPLES:

Click on the two images below to see strong examples. As you review these examples AND as you create your own chart, use the quality checklist to make sure you’re on the right track.

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QUALITY CHECKLIST

  • Does my summary have all the main ideas?
  • Does my summary leave out the minor details?
  • Is my summary in my own words?
  • Does my summary use categories rather than lists of individual nouns or verbs?
  • Is my summary as short as possible?

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CREATE A SUMMARY IN FIVE STEPS

STEP

ACTION

DESCRIPTION

1

Read

  • Highlight, underline, or make brief notes
  • Look for cues that identify main ideas, such as titles, headings, and other text features

2

Check your understanding

  • Ask yourself questions such as “What is the general idea?”, “What did the author say?” or “What do I recall?”

3

Find the topic sentences and main ideas

  • Highlight or underline the topic sentence for the paragraph
  • Remember: the topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph, but not always
  • Write a topic sentence for the paragraph if it doesn’t have one

4

Cross out repetitions and unnecessary details

  • Eliminate information that is obvious or non-essential
  • Look for phrases, sentences, or entire paragraphs that contain ideas that were previously stated and eliminate them
  • Replace lists with a word or a phrase that can stand in for all listed items

5

Write

  • Convert your topic sentences and main ideas into a written summary

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Step 1: READ the resource

As you read, you want to actively engage with the text. Highlight, code the text, jot down notes, record your questions … Whatever you usually do to make meaning as you read.

Actively reading will help you to identify the big ideas and important details from the text, which will in turn help you write your summary.

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Step 2: Ask QUESTIONS to check your understanding

Asking questions to check your understanding allows you to monitor your own learning.

If you find that you aren’t sure about something you read, you can go back and review the resource, using your reading strategies, such as making predictions, making connections, and identifying main ideas and details by using text features.

You can also consult with your classmates and teacher if you’re stuck!

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Step 3: Find the main ideas & topic sentences

How do you find a topic sentence in the paragraph?

To find topic sentences, ask ...

  • What is the main idea or point of the paragraph
  • Which sentence expresses the main idea generally, without too much detail?
  • Which sentences can I rule out because they provide specific details that support the main idea of the paragraph?

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Step 4: Cross out repetitions and unnecessary details

As you review the resource, you’ll want to look for and eliminate repetitions--places where the author says the same thing over again, such as when including a direct quote from a source.

You should also delete unnecessary details. You can find them by asking, “Would I still understand the big idea if I didn’t know this?”

You can also replace lists a category--for example saying ‘fruit’ rather than ‘apples, oranges, pears, and bananas’.

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Step 5: Write

Take the information from the source or sources you are summarizing and put it into your own words. Once you’ve done this, you can review your summary by asking:

  • Is it accurate?
  • Would someone else reading this get all of the important information they would need from the source?
  • Are the ideas in the right order?
  • Is my summary objective--have I left out my opinion?
  • Did I use my own words and style, while keeping the key terms and concepts intact?

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Are you finished?

Let’s check:

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QUALITY CHECKLIST

  • Does my summary have all the main ideas?
  • Does my summary leave out the minor details?
  • Is my summary in my own words?
  • Does my summary use categories rather than lists of individual nouns or verbs?
  • Is my summary as short as possible?

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Variations:

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Sometimes you’ll be asked to write a summary as a paragraph or more. However, when you have a choice of format, you might consider some of the ways to create summaries listed below!

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One Sentence Summaries

Summarize the main ideas and vital details in one sentence. There are five different types frames you can use, or you can come up with your own:

Description: “A _____ is a kind of _____ that …”

Sequence: “_____ begins with … continues with … and ends with …”

Compare-Contrast: “_____ and _____ are similar because they both … but they are different because … while ....”

Cause-Effect: “_____ happens because …”

Problem-Solution: “_____ wanted … but … and so …”

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3-2-1 Summaries

SUmmarize the main ideas, why it matters, ask questions, or compare and contrast! After you’ve reviewed a resource, write down …

3 Things you found out , 2 Interesting things, 1 Question you still have

OR

3 Things you didn’t know before, 2 Reasons why those things matter, 1 Way you can use your new learning

OR

3 Differences between _____ and _____, 2 Similarities between _____ and _____, and 1 Reason why it is important to be able to distinguish between them

You can even mix and match from the ideas above or come up with your own 3-2-1!

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Most Valuable Idea

Identify the most valuable idea in what you’ve read. Use this idea to connect to another resource.

  1. Write down The Most Valuable Idea. It can be, but isn’t always, the main idea of the article. Ask yourself, “Why is this resource important? What is the most valuable idea I took away from it?”
  2. Find another resource that connects to the idea. You can review resources you’ve explored earlier in the Studio or in other Studios. You can even find your own resource to make a connection!
  3. Write down how the second article connects to the Most Valuable Idea. Briefly explain why you chose the second resource.

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SUMMARIES

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Congratulations! You’re now a rockstar SUMMARIZER! Remember that you can always come back to this guide to refresh your skills and check your work.

What will you rock next??