Hunter Cossum

Materials:

• Class set of “Aardvark” by Kids National Geographic

  • http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/aardvark/#aardvark-tongue-out.jpg

• Poster with the rules of summarization on it

  • Delete the unimportant information

  • Find the Important information

  • Create an umbrella term

  • Make a clear topic sentence

• Assessment chart for each student (for teachers use)

• Highlighter & pencil for each student

• 2 pieces of lined notebook paper for each student

• Manila paper

• Large poster with the first paragraph of “Aardvark” on it

 

Procedures:

1. “Today we are going to learn about summarization. Can anyone tell me what that is?... (Not quite! Kind of! Yes exactly!- depending on answers) If you have ever read a book and you loved it so you wanted to tell everyone about it you wouldn’t read the whole story to them, would you?....Right.  We wouldn’t read them the whole story; we would just tell them the most important part. When you give someone the important parts of a story, it is called a summary. Summarization is a helpful strategy good readers use to help comprehend or understand what he or she is reading. If you can summarize a book or article, it is a good indication that you are able to understand what you’ve read.”

  

2. “Everybody take out a marker and a sheet of manila paper. (Demonstrate as you explain) Fold your paper hotdog style now fold it again hamburger style. (unfold as you say this) This should create 4 squares. Okay, now let's look at our ‘Rules of Summarizing’ poster. Who can read me what the first rule of summarizing is? (Call on student). Yes, the first rule of summarizing is to delete the unimportant, or trivial information. We don’t want to keep any repeated information. Everybody write this rule at the top of the first column on your piece of paper. It can be very helpful to cross out unimportant information if you can mark on the article you are reading, but you are reading in a book you will probably have to make a mental note that certain parts may not be as important as others. This will help you to understand the message the author is trying to tell you. Let's look at the second rule. The second rule is to find the important information. Everybody write this rule at the top of the second column. When you find something that is important in the book or article you are reading, underline or highlight the sentence so that you can go back and remember that it must be important. The third rule is to find what we call umbrella terms. This is like if we were reading an article and it said ‘dogs, cats and monkeys like to eat’ instead of listing out dogs, cats and monkeys we could just say animals. Does everyone understand what an umbrella term means? (wait and respond appropriately) Okay good! So if I were to say I had cookies, cake, brownies and pie, what would my umbrella term for that be?... Right, dessert! So now I want everyone to write umbrella terms in your third section. Now the final rule of summarization is to make a topic sentence. This rule combines what we have learned from the other three columns.  A topic sentence combines all of the important information in a short, condensed way so that you are able to summarize and comprehend the paragraph you read. Please write topic sentence in your fourth and final box.”

 

4. (While passing out the article) “Now we are going to practice summarizing with an article called ‘Aardvark.’ Does anyone know what an Aardvark is; besides that it has a funny name? …(Wait for students to respond and respond in an appropriate manor back). Well today we are going to learn more about Aardvarks, like how they slurp up insects, what they do at night, and some special skills they have. Can anyone guess how they slurp up insects?... That’s a good guess! What about some special skills they might have?... Oh I don’t know maybe! We will just have to read to find out won’t we! While we are learning these fun facts we are also going to be practicing our summarization skills! So now I want everyone get out a highlighter and pencil.”

 

5. “ Before we dive into the reading lets look at some of the vocabulary we will come across. The first word, ancestor, is in the first paragraph. Does anyone know what ancestor means?...Right it would be someone like your great grandparents or grandparents. For example if I said ‘my ancestors came from Europe,’ what would that mean?... Right people who are way older than we came from Europe! Now I want you to complete this sentence, ‘my mom and I share common __________’ (ancestors). Good job! Now I want someone to raise their hand and make up a sentence using the word. (Respond accordingly and correct and misuses). Our next word is pesticide, which is located in the last paragraph. A pesticide is a chemical that farmers sometimes put on crops to keep away unwanted insects, animals and invasive plants/fungi. ‘The pesticide kept the crop safe by repelling the insects.’ Are pesticides good for insects and animals? (student response) I want you all to complete this sentence ‘Pesticides ________ insects and animals, but keep ______ safe. (Harm… crops). Now I want someone to raise your hand and give me a sentence using the word pesticide. (respond accordingly).  So who are our great grandparents to us?...Correct and what harms invasive plants, insects and rodents? Correct. Good job everyone!”

 

6. Okay now that we have gone over our vocabulary let’s get started.  Everybody watch me as I use my rules to summarize this paragraph. (Pull out a pre-made copy of the 3 columns on paper and have poster with large print of the first paragraph hung). Lets look at the first paragraph together (read it to the students or call on a student to read):

 

The aardvark gets its name from a South African word meaning “earth pig.” Although the aardvark looks like a pig, especially with its body and snout, aardvarks actually share common ancestors with elephants and golden moles. Aardvarks live throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa.

 

7. “Before we start going over the important details lets relook at the vocabulary word, ancestors. So we just talked about how an ancestor is someone/something we are related to. In this meaning it would be like an animal that has evolved or developed into something else. So the Aardvark evolved from elephants and golden moles. The elephants and golden moles are the Aardvarks ancestors. Does that make sense to everyone?” (Respond accordingly)

 

8. (As you are going over the paragraph cross out and highlight with the students on the large poster with the print) “Okay now lets look at some details from this paragraph. Do we think it is important that the Aardvark gets its’ name from South Africa? Not really so we can cross that out. Looking at the second sentence, is it important that the aardvark looks like a pig? Yes I would say that’s pretty important so lets highlight that part of the sentence, but I do not think it is important that they do ‘especially with its body and snout ‘ so lets cross out that part of the sentence. Is it important that aardvarks share ancestors with elephants and golden moles? I would say yes to that too! Lets highlight that “aardvarks share common ancestors with elephants and golden moles.” Now the final sentence tells us that aardvarks live in sub-Saharan Africa. Who thinks this is important? … Great, I do too! Lets highlight that part also.”

 

9. “Now that we have finished the first paragraph let's try and see if we can come up with a topic sentence. Remember, a topic sentence is one sentence that explains what the whole paragraph is talking about. I am going to look at the parts I have highlighted to see what was important. I have that ‘the aardvark looks like a pig…share common ancestors with elephants and golden moles.’ And ‘aardvarks live throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa.’ I would make the topic sentence by combining those three important details, but I will not copy the wording exactly. For example I would make this a topic sentence by saying: ‘Aardvarks live in sub-Sahara Africa and may look like pigs, but their ancestors are the elephant and golden mole.’ (write on board) Now I have all my important information in one sentence, and this is a summary of the paragraph I was reading. Does anybody have any questions?”

 

10. “Now, I am going to let you summarize each of the remaining paragraphs and try and figure out how they eat all those insects and what kind of special skills they have and what they use those skills for! Remember to use your paper with the columns to help you break up the information. You can also look at our summarizing poster as well if you need help! Come up with one topic sentence for each paragraph and write it on a sheet of notebook paper. When you are finished, I want you to staple the article to your paper and turn it in to me. We went over the vocabulary I thought you needed help with earlier but if you still find yourself struggling with understanding a word please raise your hand. You may begin.”

 

11. Assessment: I will review each student's article to determine if they could successfully identify important and not important information. I will also review each student’s one sentence summarization of the different paragraphs. I will use the assessment checklist to record each child's grade. Topic sentences may vary slightly, but I will be looking to see if they child included the important information in each.

 

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is an Aardvark?

2. Why do Aardvarks have claws?

3. What poses dangers to Aardvarks?

 

Assessment Checklist (1pt each):

Student Name: ___________________________                                

1.Did the students come up with topic sentences for the remaining paragraphs?

2.Did the student successfully delete unimportant/redundant information?

3.Did the student successfully identify important parts?

4.Did the student use the important information to come up with topic sentence?

 

References:

Article:  Winer, Jed. “Aardvark.” National Geographic Kids. Web. http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/aardvark/#aardvark-walking.jpg

 

Picture: http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/lionking/images/5/51/Aardvark_Walking.png/revision/latest?cb=20140503145331 

 

Lesson: Malone, Megan. Leaping Into Summarization. Spring 2016. http://mem0089.wixsite.com/lessondesigns/reading-to-learn

​

Click here to return to Entries Index​