Rationale: Summarization is essential to reading comprehension. A helpful method for summarization is the about-point method, which asks two important questions about the text: 1) What is the text about? This question is typically easy and will identify the topic that becomes the subject of the topic sentence. 2) What is the main point the writer is trying to make about the topic? This question is harder since authors typically make multiple points. Students must “superordinate” the points or find an umbrella term or phrase in order to cover all of the main points the author is making. The main point will become the predicate of the topic sentence. 

Materials: white board and markers, student copies of Soft Schools article “Dolphins” (link below), paper and pencils for each student, summarization checklist

Procedures:

1. Say: When we read we are trying to figure out what the words on the pages say, but we also should be trying to figure out what they mean and what is most important about them. [explain to children why summarization is important]. When we read we don’t try and remember every word we read, we would have to spend all day trying to remember all of the words and details. That is why we summarize, because good readers don’t try to remember everything. Good readers use summarization strategies to remember the important points an author is making. Doing this reduces a text from hundreds to thousands of words to a small list of things to remember. 

2. Say: The best way to summarize is using something called about-point. Does anyone know what this might be? (wait for response) About-point is asking yourself an easy question and a hard question in order to make a topic sentence. The easy question is asking yourself “What is this text about?” The hard question is “What is the main point the author is making about the topic?” To answer this question we must think of an umbrella term for all the important points a writer is making.

3. Say: I am about to show you how to do an about-point summary with a story containing information about dolphins. What is a dolphin? Where do they live? Why do they have a hole on the top of their heads? Do you know anything about dolphins? (wait for responses and write what students answer on the board in order to revisit and fact check them later)

4. Say: Let’s talk about some vocabulary words we will encounter while reading today. Blubber is a layer of fat that some sea mammals have to help them float and keep warm. Dolphins are one of the creatures that have blubber. Does anyone know any other creatures that have it? (wait for responses). Can anyone tell me a sentence that uses the word blubber?

5. Say: Here is a paragraph about dolphins that we are going to read and then summarize together.

   1. The dolphin has a torpedo shape, long and thin. It can move quickly through the water as the flippers help it steer. The dolphin doesn't have bones. The fins keep the dolphin going in a straight line. Both the fin and flippers sense objects that may be in the way.

6. Read the paragraph out loud to the students and have them follow along.

7. Say: This paragraph is about dolphins, but what important points is the author making? The author is talking about how dolphins can move fast. Using this information I can make a sentence summarizing what I just read: Dolphins have lots of special features that help them swim faster.

8. Say: Now I want you to use about-point on a paragraph. 

   1. Dolphins can also communicate with their friends by sounds. Certain sounds send different messages. Dolphins will go to help another dolphin if they hear a cry for aid. Each dolphin has its own specific sound. It can be identified by other dolphins. Being able to communicate well with others is a sign of great intelligence.

9. Say: What is this paragraph about? Yes, dolphins! What is the main point the author is trying to make? Yes! Dolphins are good at communication. Putting these together with what we have learned earlier, we can summarize the article with topic sentences. [Create a summarization sentence for this paragraph with the class and correct what is wrong].

10. Say: Now I want you all to practice! Read the article again silently to yourselves and practice distinguishing important things from unimportant things. Underline what is unimportant and highlight what's important.

11. Say; Now I would like you to go back through the article and use about-point to make a summarization sentence for each paragraph. When you are finished, you will have a good summary of the whole article, which will help you remember important facts about dolphins. You are writing a short version of the article in your own words, including only the important ideas to remember. After you finish, I will collect your summaries and make sure everyone has got it.

Assessment:

1. Collect each students summary of the article and evaluate the summarization using the following checklist:

   1. __Collected important information

   2. __ Ignored trivia and examples in summary.

   3. __ Significantly reduced the text from the original

   4. __ Sentences brought ideas together from each paragraph

   5. __Sentences organized coherently into essay form.

2. Have the students complete comprehension questions about the article:

   1. How does blubber help dolphins?

   2. Why does a dolphin use echolocation

   3. How deep does a dolphin usually dive for its prey?

   4. Why is it important for dolphins to be fast?

   5. What is the point the author is trying to make about dolphin’s communication?

References:

1. Soft School’s article “Dolphins”: https://www.softschools.com/language_arts/reading_comprehension/science/31/dolphins/

2. “Swimming in Summarization”, Libby McKee https://edmckee13.wixsite.com/lessondeigns/reading-to-learn