Lesson plan
Simple Summaries
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to write a simple summary after reading a fiction text.
The adjustment to the whole group lesson is a modification to differentiate for children who are English learners.
Introduction
(10 minutes)
- Ask students to turn and talk to a partner about what they know about summaries. Have partnerships share out and record student answers on the board.
- Tell students that today they are going to learn how to write a simple summary.
- Review the definition of a summary: When you write a summary, you are retelling a story in your own words. A summary should be short, about three sentences, and should include the main ideas of the story, not details.
- Explain to students that they will listen to a story and you will model how to write a simple summary. Read a short story aloud, like The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(10 minutes)- Display the Write a Simple Summary worksheet using a document camera.
- Model how to write a summary using the worksheet and the book you read aloud as a mentor text (i.e., The Paper Bag Princess).
Guided Practice
(10 minutes)- Show a short video, like Pixar’s "Lava" (or read a story aloud).
- Display a blank copy of the Write a Simple Summary worksheet and ask the students who the main character was. Allow students to turn to an elbow partner to discuss, then call on a student volunteer to provide the answer. Write the answer in the "somebody" box on the worksheet (i.e., the volcano).
- Repeat with each box on the worksheet (i.e., What did the volcano want? What was the problem?).
- Have students turn to their elbow partner and verbally come up with a summary using the completed worksheet as a guide. Keep the completed worksheet displayed as students discuss.
- Call on three volunteers to provide examples of a summary. Point out that even if the exact wording of the summaries are different, they all expressed the same key information.
Independent working time
(10 minutes)- Hand out the Hot Cross Buns: Read to Remember worksheet and instruct students to complete it independently.
- Circulate and offer support as needed.
Differentiation
Support:
- Provide additional examples during guided practice.
- Provide partially complete graphic organizers (i.e., somebody and so are filled in) and allow students to complete the missing parts.
Enrichment: Have students apply the skills learned to write a summary about a book of their choice.
Assessment
(10 minutes)- Write the names of several familiar stories on the board (i.e., "The Three Little Pigs," "Goldilocks and the Three Bears").
- Hand out a half sheet of the Simple Summary Reading Log worksheet and instruct students to choose a story that they are familiar with from the list on the board.
- Have students complete the graphic organizer and write a summary about the story they chose. Then, collect and check for understanding.
Review and closing
(5 minutes)- Hold up index cards with a word (e.g., "somebody") and ask students to identify the question that is associated with the word (e.g., "Who is the main character?").
Related learning resources
The Crab that Played with the Sea
Worksheet
The Crab that Played with the Sea
Introduce your little reader to some classic childhood literature, with Rudyard Kipling's charming story "The Crab That Played with the Sea."
4th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Short and Sweet Summaries
Worksheet
Short and Sweet Summaries
Use this resource with your students to practice writing concise fiction summaries.
3rd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Reading Response
Worksheet
Reading Response
Keep your budding reader organized with a reading response journal! Print out several of these response pages to create a homemade reading log.
4th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Reading Comprehension
Workbook
Reading Comprehension
These articles, short stories, fairy tales and fables teach kids about a wide range of subjects so your child can learn more about history and science while improving literacy and vocabulary skills.
4th grade
Reading & Writing
Workbook
