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Job 1: Create a Rulebook Page
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A summary is a brief and condensed retelling of an original piece of writing. This can be a fictional piece of writing or a non-fiction. A summary should provide enough information to convey and share an understanding of the entire piece.
Should identify the “BIG IDEA” of the piece of writing and provide the main details with examples to support what is being said. It is a good idea to include the 5Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why.) |
Should share the important details of the story including the main characters, the important events of the story, and perhaps the message or meaning that is being created within. |
Summarizing. Retelling, Main Ideas. Supporting Details. These are all concepts that we practice from a young age. The ability to effectively summarize is an important skill, and one that should continue to be practiced as you get older. The older you get, the more challenging and difficult the level of reading becomes. It stands to reason that in turn, summarizing would be more challenging as well.
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Summarizing Fiction
Nonfiction
Summarizing Nonfiction
How to Summarize Fiction
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When summarizing fiction, some people will use the mnemonic tool Somebody Wanted But So Then to help guide them in structuring their summary and including the important information.
Here is an example of using this mnemonic to give a summary of the Disney movie Moana.
Who is, or who are the “sombodies” in what you’ve read. Who is the main or central character?
Moana is the main character of the Disney movie “Moana”. . She lives on the fictional South Pacific island of Motonui. She is the daughter to the people of the island’s chief.
What did the main character want? What were their desires? What did the seek?
Originally, Moana wants to know what exists beyond her island. Eventually, in pursuit of this, she also finds herself seeking the “Heart of Te Fiti”, a magic rock that had been stolen by the fiery and monstrous villain Te Ka. Moana wanted the Heart and its magic to save her people from the doomed, natural destruction of her beautiful island home.
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What got in the way of the main character achieving their want? What was the problem or obstacle that arose?
Moana faced many obstacles in her journey to seek what was beyond her island, and in ultimately finding the Heart of Te Fiti. Initially, her father was insistent that she had all she needed on their island home. Later, Moana faces several antagonist characters, the Kakamora, the giant crab of Tamatoa, and ultimately Te Ka, the evil embodiment of fire and earth. Each of these characters stood in the way of Moana reaching her goal.
How did the main character overcome their butt….I mean the “BUT”. How did they deal with or resolve the obstacle or conflict they encountered?
Moana seeks the assistance of the demigod Maui to guide her and provide support in overcoming her obstacles and achieving her goal.
THEN what? “SO”....what? SO...what were the results of being able to resolve or overcome the conflict?
Moana and Maui cross the ocean to confront Te Ka and take back the “Heart of Te Fiti”. Through this, Moana finds her own strength inside of her, and in doing so unearths the goddess Te Fiti, the antithesis to the evil and destruction of Te Ka. It is Te Fiti who is ultimately able to save and return the natural beauty of Moana’s island, and ultimately save her people.
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Watch this animated short. After watching, write a summary of the storyline using the SWBST method of organization. It is a good idea to watch the video more than once. Take jot notes as you watch it assist you in your writing your summary.
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Mr. W | Example |
The main character is a bird.
Blue bird, living in a nest, high in the trees, in a park in a big city. Daydreaming.
Sees a billboard for “luxury” living. Dreams of having this lifestyle himself.
Dreams of a luxurious lifestyle…rich and famous.
He doesn't’ live a life of luxury. Is not able to change his life in this way.
The fact of the matter is however…he is a bird, and such lavish lifestyles aren’t for birds.
Decides that he will steal things from people in the park and add them to his nest in order to make it more luxurious.
Undeterred by being a bird, decides to take matter into his own hands, employs “light feathers”
As he tries to secretly steal things, he gets caught by the woman he his stealing from. She makes it difficult for him and ultimately his nest is left right back where he started.
We follow the hijinks of the bird as he finds that reaching his goals won’t be as easy as he hopes.
Cover This:
Insert the video here if applicable.
If there isn’t a video link, replace with a relevant or connected image
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Use the table below as a first step in collecting the basic details and information you will use to summarize. You can also include ideas for potential descriptive or contextual language you might use as part of your summary.
The bird sees a billboard advertising to people the chance to live in the life of luxury. The bird is daydream and wishes that he could live a life of luxury too.
As the central character rests in his nest, looking out at the world below him, he finds himself immersed in the happenings of the human life all around. Before long, this average city-bird finds himself within a daydream, not dissimilar to that of many of his human counterparts. The bird is imaging what a life in contrast to his own might be like. A life of wealth and luxury.
The story is about a blue bird, who lives in a park in a big city.
The animated short, “Peck Pocket”, follows the story of big city blue bird, living in his treetop nest, high above a beautiful downtown park.
Under each heading, use the first box to take your notes from the table on the first page, and begin the process of writing your summary. Use the second box to revise your first draft, focusing in on specific and descriptive word choice to help paint the picture that will assist in your final summarization.
However, the problem is that he is a bird, and a life of luxury isn’t something a bird can have.
As is often the case with his counterparts in the human world, the bird is quickly confronted with the harsh reality that, despite his lavish dreams, the life of luxury is not one typically available to…a bird.
The bird is not going to let the fact that he is a bird get in the way of the luxury he dreams of. He decided that he will steal what he needs to take his drab nest, and make it a home of luxury.
Despite this fact, the bird decides that he will not be hindered by the limitations of his feathers, and chooses to take matters into his own…wings. Taking a “light feathered” approach, the main character ventures into the park determined to collect the elements of luxury that will update his nest towards the elevated life he seeks.
The bird’s mission is not as easy as he hopes. As he endeavours to steal the items he desires, he finds himself facing the wrath of an angry woman he had previously mistaken to be an easy mark.
**(*Could keep the above section, or in making sure that your summary doesn’t share too much, or give spoilers…you could potentially leave the summary at the end of “So”.
Summarize an Animated Short film of your choose using the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then model. (SWBST)
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Name | Name |
The baby squid.
There was a cute baby squid.
It was stowed away on the ship, but wanted to get back into the water.
The squid was stowed away on the ship. It wanted to get back into the water but could only find a mop bucket.
The pirates were scared of the squid, and wanted it killed.
It was here that the pirates discovered the baby squid. They were immediately scared, and decided that the squid had to go.
The pirates tried many times in vain to kill the squid.
The pirates tried to rid their ship of the squid using both sword and weapons to kill the small creature.
The pirates end up blowing up their ship, and the squid escapes.
The pirates have no luck and the squid is able to evade their attacks. In their attempts, the pirates end up blowing up their own ship, returning the squid to the water.
Cover This:
Insert the video here if applicable.
If there isn’t a video link, replace with a relevant or connected image
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Use the table below as a first step in collecting the basic details and information you will use to summarize.
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November 2020 | Date |
It made it a little difficult to be able to follow along when students picked their own Animated Short. This did open up a chance to personally see new shorts, and also have students contribute to the Animated Short Resource. | Some had difficulty, or didn’t recognize that the template is more of a planner than the assignment itself. The SWBST is to help organize ideas towards writing the summary. |
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Make a point of consistently talking about the type of language and voice students use in writing the summaries. They aren’t talking to me, this is a broad sharing of key info, and shouldn’t be formal. “The main character is”...vs “this story follows, Simba, the future Lion King…” | Group practice of writing down all of the details that pop to mind...characters, setting, storyline, events etc… ….Then go back and annotate notes, and discuss what is important, vs what doesn’t need to be included. Sub characters and plot elements that don’t need be included. Crossing out, adding detail etc. |
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Text | Text |
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