Rationale: Once students have mastered reading fluently, they will need to learn how to summarize texts. Summarization uses an effective method called about-point. In this method there are two critical questions that are asked about the text. They are: 1.) What is the text about? 2.) What is the main point the writer is making about that topic?  The first question is helping students to identify the topic, which will be the subject in the topic sentence. In the second question, students pull out the main important umbrella point from the many points the author makes. This umbrella point will become the predicate in the topic sentence.  

 

Materials: Copy of the National Geographic Surfing article (URL below); an overhead with the two paragraphs from the article; paper and a pencil for each individual student; summarization checklist and comprehension quiz for each student. 

 

Procedures: 

1. Say: You all know when you read a story how excited you are to tell every single detail and event that happened? (let students nod or answer) Well, that would take way too long to try and remember all those details of a story or article. We all want to be awesome readers, which means we need to learn how to use this process called, summarization. Summarization is used to remember the important details or points that the author makes about the topic. When we use summarization, we are able to take a text that is filled with many, many words and make it small enough to get the key points as an easy way to remember.  

2. Say: Did you all know that there is one way to summarize that is the best one to use, it is called about-point. This strategy is where you ask yourself two questions, one that is pretty easy: “what is the text about?” and then you ask one that is a little harder: “what is the main point the writer is making about that topic?”. In order to answer the harder question, we have to think of an important umbrella point from the many different ideas the author is writing about. 

3. Say: I am to show you all how to do about-point summarization with a chunk of our article on surfing. Some of the questions you all will be answering today are: How many of you, by a show of hands have surfed before? (let children answer, by raising their hands) Do you know all the different types of waves? By using different methods, how can you surf? Do you know what to wear when surfing? How long does it take to learn how to surf? An important vocabulary word you all will be reading about is the word Surf Line. Surf Line is an area of open water where waves break as they near a coast. There, surfers sit on their boards and watch waves roll into shore. Experienced surfers assess several different qualities in every wave. For example, a wave must be strong enough to surf on, but not too dangerous – so surfers watch the Surf Line closely for this reason

4. Say: Here is a paragraph from our article (show paragraph on projector): Surfers will paddle to waves they can quickly get to! When the wave breaks, the surfers jump from their bellies to their feet – how cool!! Surfers begin and end surfing very differently. This paragraph is all about the way surfers get on and off their board. Surfers wait for waves. Surfers have a specific method for catching waves. Surfers are taught how to get on and off the board. I can put these different points together and make a topic sentence: Surfers watch for waves using a specific method that helps them determine if it is safe to get on the board and safely get off.

5. Say: Now I want you all to use about-point on a paragraph: Surfing depends on the science of hydrodynamics. Hydrodynamics is the study of water in motion. Oceanographers, ship captains, and engineers must all be familiar with hydrodynamics. What’s this paragraph about? (let students answer) That’s right! This paragraph talks the science of hydrodynamics. What are the main points the author is making about the waves? (let students raise their hands to answer) Awesome job boys and girls! That’s right, surfers seek out certain waves using this scientific method! Another point is the way the author goes into detail about swells. Our last point is how weather can impact the waves. How do you all think we could put those ideas together to make a topic sentence? Hydrodynamics are a scientific term used by surfers to help them seek out swells and determine how the weather will affect the waves. Great work class!

6. ​Say: You all are going to finish reading the article and using the about-point method to make your topic sentences for each paragraph. When you all have finished you will have made your first summary of an  article. This will help you remember the really important facts about surfing. You all are writing a short version of this article in your own words, with the important ideas to remember. There will be a quiz when everyone finishes writing their summaries. 

 

 

Assessment: Collect every student’s summary and use the checklist to evaluate their summarization.

In the student’s summary did they…

 ___Delete unimportant information? 

 ___Create a topic sentence? 

 ___Create 3-5 good, clear sentences? 

 ___Choose key points? 

 ___Choose the correct main idea? 

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1. Where does a surfer wait to determine if the waves are safe? 

2. What is the scientific term used to describe the study of motion in water?

3. How can a surfer get on their board? 

4. Because of winds and such, _____ can affect the waves

5. Describe the process of determining if it is safe to surf

 

Reference: 

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/surfing/

McKenzie Griggs as a reference: https://mls0110.wixsite.com/ctrd3000/reading-to-learn

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