Problem and Solution Summaries

Building academic language

Word

• Tell students that asking the 5W + H questions helps readers find the problem and solution in a story. Ask students to turn to a partner and talk about whether they're familiar with any of the question words and, if so, the names for the words. List the 5W + H questions on the board (e.g., who, what, when, where, why, how).
• Refer to the Glossary or Vocabulary Cards worksheets which have the 5W + H questions words, and read each word out loud. Say each question word again in the form of a question about a problem and solution (e.g., "Who caused the problem to happen? What was the problem?").
• Pass out the Part 1: Finding the Problem and Solution with Question Words worksheet. Read the text aloud. Model how to find the answers to the 5Ws + H questions by thinking aloud the reasons for your choices. Underline the 5Ws + H questions in the text and label them.
• Tell students to complete the bottom cards in partners. Circulate around the room to offer assistance as partners work together to complete the worksheet.

Sentence

• Tell students that once they answer they answer the 5W + H questions, they're ready to summarize the problem and the solution in a story.
• Explain that there are some important words we use when we write a summary, such as a conjunction, which is a type of transition word. Read the student-friendly definition of the word "conjunction" and "transition" from the Vocabulary Cards worksheet.
• Write two simple sentences on a piece of chart paper, such as, "Jose wanted to stay up late. His mom wouldn't let him," and read the sentences out loud.
• Rewrite the two sentences by joining them with a conjunction. For example: "Jose wanted to stay up late, but his mom wouldn't let him." Underline the conjunction "but" and circle the comma. Tell the students that a comma is sometimes needed before a conjunction.
• Model the process again with a different set of sentences: "The dog ran out the front door. Ricky ran after him." (Note: Use the conjunction "so" this second time.)
• Write two simple sentences on the chart paper: "Sarah ran very fast. The other runner was faster and won." Ask students to place a thumb up if they would use the conjunction "but" or "so" to combine the sentences. Combine the sentences with the conjunction "but." Underline the conjunction "but" and circle the comma.
• Have students repeat this process with you using another two sentences that will be joined together with the conjunction "so."

Discourse

• Tell students that they will be using the information from the worksheet Part 1: Finding the Problem and Solution with Question Words to complete a summary about the problem and the solution. Pass out the worksheet Part 2: Summarizing the Problem and the Solution with a Paragraph Frame and read through the instructions. Clarify any questions students might have.
• Model the use of a paragraph frame with your problem and solution from the beginning of the class. Write the sentences on the board, then underline the conjunctions and circle the commas you use in the summary.
• Assign partners to orally summarize the problem and solution from the worksheet Part 1: Finding the Problem and Solution with Question Words. Circulate throughout the classroom as students complete the worksheet.