Fourth graders learn how to boil a text down to a good summary, from finding the main idea and key details to leaving out the small stuff and using their own words, and order the steps.
Students will be able to…
A good summary is short but still complete. What are the steps that turn a whole text into a clear summary in your own words?
Project this and put the steps of summarizing a text in order — tap each step from reading to writing it short.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
A friend asks what a movie was about. You do not retell every scene. How do you give the short version that still makes sense?
Students put the summarizing steps in order.
Students sort details for a summary.
Students summarize a text.
Students reflect on summarizing.
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
Determine the main idea and summarize a text.
Summarize a story using key details.
Refer to details and examples in a text.
Draw on texts to support writing.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students read a short passage, follow the steps, and write a two-to-three-sentence summary in their own words, so summarizing becomes a routine. A printable summarizing worksheet is in the English Language Arts library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.