Swimming into Summarization

By: Morgan Burkett

 

Rationale- After students have mastered the skill of reading fluently, they will then need to learn how to summarize texts. An effective method of summarization that we will learn about is called about-point method. In this method, we ask two critical questions about the text- 1.) What is the text about? 2.) What is the main point the writer is making about that topic? The first question helps students to identify what the topic is, which will be the subject in the topic sentence. In the second question, students will pick out the main point that the author is making in the text which will become the predicate in the topic sentence.

 

Materials.

• Pencils

• Paper

• Copies of Dolphin article

• Summarization Checklist for teacher

• Comprehension Quiz

 

Procedures

1. Say- When we summarize, we recognize the important points an author is making in a text and leave out the information that isn’t as important. Sometimes it’s hard to remember everything important while you’re reading so we are going to learn how to summarize. To practice our summarization skills, we are going to read an article and pick out the main points that we think the author is making and then write them down in sentences so we don’t forget them.

2. Say- To summarize our text, we are going to use something called the about-point method. To do this, we ask ourselves two questions after we are finished reading the article- What is the text about? And what is the main point the author is trying to make? In order to answer the second question, we will need to think of an umbrella term, or a big category, to combine all of the important points that we found during our reading.

3. Say- To practice the about-point method, we are going to read an article about Bottlenose dolphins. Does anyone know anything about Bottlenose dolphins that they would like to share? [Have students raise their hand and comment/explain] I know that Bottlenose dolphins live in the ocean and that they are very smart. In this article, we get to learn even more about Bottlenose dolphins and their lives in the ocean. [Pass out article to each student]

4. Before we begin reading, we are going to talk about a word that our article mentions that might be unfamiliar to you all. This word is echolocation. Echolocation is how dolphins see by interpreting the echoes of sound waves that bounce off of objects near them in the water. To echolocate objects nearby, dolphins produce high-frequency clicks.

5. Now let’s read a paragraph from the article about seahorses. 

“Very social and playful mammals, bottlenose dolphins form friendships that last decades hunting, mating and protecting each other. They like to surf in the waves and wakes of boats and swim through self-made bubble rings. They can swim up to 22 miles an hour.

These sea mammals feed on fish, squid, and shrimp. A group of dolphins will cooperate to make a mud ring to trap fish. Then, some of the dolphins in the group will wait outside the ring for the fish that try to escape, gulping them up as a snack.”

1. Say- This paragraph is about Bottlenose dolphins and how they live. What are some of the main points the author made in this paragraph? The author discusses how dolphins act, swim, and what they like to eat. 

2. Say: Now it’s your turn to use the about-point method using this paragraph from the article:

“Bottlenose dolphins are found in warm water all over the world. They live both in shallow water close to shore and far out in deep dark water. Dolphins face a lot of problems with getting trapped in the garbage humans leave on the beach.”

1. Say- What is this paragraph telling us? Dolphins are located in different parts of the word in warm water in shallow and deep water. This can cause them to get trapped in garbage that humans leave on the beach. What point is the author making? Yes, dolphins live in warm water, shallow and deep all across the world. This can lead to them getting trapped in garbage in the ocean. How can we combine these points? [Have students respond]. Right, dolphins live in warm shallow or deep water across the world, which can cause problems getting trapped in garbage.

2. Say- Now, I want you all to finish this article on your own and use the about-point method to create a topic sentence for the last paragraph. Once you have completed that, you should have the whole article summarized. This will help you remember the important facts about Bottlenose dolphins. Remember, only pick out the main points to create your sentences. The purpose of summarizing is to pick out key information and put it into sentences to remember what you read easily.

 

Assessment- Collect each student’s summary of the article and evaluate their summarization using this Summarization Assessment Checklist:

 

            ___ Collect important information

            ___ Ignored trivia and examples in summary

            ___ Significantly reduced the text from the original

            ___ Sentences brought ideas together from each paragraph

            ___ Sentences organized coherently into essay form

 

Comprehension Quiz

1. What type of dolphin is this article about?

2. What is echolocation?

3. What types of animals do dolphins feed on?

4. What types of water do dolphins prefer?

5. What is one problem that dolphins face in the ocean?

 

References 

 

National Geographic Kids, Bottlenose Dolphin

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/bottlenose-dolphin

 

Hartley, Taylor “Swimming into Summarization”

https://taylorhartley024.wixsite.com/lessondesigns/reading-to-learn

 

Murray, Bruce “Using About-Point Method to Awaken the Main Idea”

https://murraba.wixsite.com/readinglessons/reading-to-learn

​

Return To Awakenings Index