Transcript EQ: What is a Summary? - LaVergne Middle School

EQ: What is a
Summary?
Refresher course
Key Elements of a Good Summary
 It
will be short
 It will be written in your own words.
 It will include the main idea, and KEY
supporting details.
Steps to Writing a Good Summary
 Get
rid of redundant or unnecessary
information.
 Pick out the most important details or
event from the passage.
 Write a statement that covers everything
that the author is trying to say about the
topic.
It was beginning to get dark. We were still not home yet. I bet dad is
going to be mad at us. I yelled at my brother to ride his bike faster but it was
difficult to ride a bike uphill. I was so tired that every muscle in my legs were
burning. My brother finally got off his bike and sat down. I stopped and went
back to help him. Suddenly, there was a car coming toward us. I could see
headlights. It was dad. He came to look for us since we were so late getting
home. I know I was going to get into trouble but at least we were safe. Dad
picked us up and took us home.
What is the BEST summary of this passage?
a. Two boys got into trouble. They were very late getting home. They could not
ride their bikes anymore.
b. Two boys were late getting home. Dad came looking for them. He took the
boys home.
c. He took the boys home. Dad came looking for them. Two boys were late
getting home.
March 2 was a great day at the New York Public Library. More than 250
first and second graders wore red-and-white-striped stovepipe hats. They were
celebrating The Cat in the Hat's 50th birthday. Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat
picture book has been published for 50 years now. The famous feline danced with
children racing around him. At the same time, pink, purple, and white confetti
rained down.
Serena Williams, the tennis champion, read The Cat in the Hat to second
graders. They sat on brightly-colored rugs around her. Two lucky second graders
from PS 152 in Manhattan sat next to Williams on a big red chair. Pink and purple
umbrellas hung from the ceiling. The students giggled while Williams made her
voice change from deep to high for the many characters in the story.
After reading the book, Williams shouted, "Tip your hat to the Cat!" The
students took off their hats and waved them excitedly.
Which sentence should be included in the summary of the passage above?
a. After reading the book, Williams shouted, "Tip your hat to the Cat!"
b. The students giggled while Williams made her voice change from deep to
high...
c. Two lucky second graders from PS 152 in Manhattan sat next to Williams on a
big red chair.
d. Serena Williams, the tennis champion, read The Cat in the Hat to second
graders.
It is hard to keep the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles down. The last two
sequels, in the early 1990s, nearly flipped them on their backs. However, writerdirector Kevin Munroe has changed all of that. Munroe made a movie that is more
in tune with the dark side of the original comic book. The earlier Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtle movies were much sillier. This change alone should make the comic
book fans very happy.
Munroe's TMNT is much darker and grittier than the earlier movies. TMNT
succeeds because it takes its heroes seriously. This is the same reason the
Superman and Batman franchises have continued to do well. Many people did not
like the first three movies. The live-action turtles looked fake and goofy. The CGI
world of TMNT is much more realistic.
Which of the following best summarizes the newspaper article above?
a. The characters in TMNT look real. This is because the entire movie is done
using CGI, or computer animation. The movies are now much sillier than the
originals
b. People who enjoy the original comic book will love TMNT. These movies have
done well for so long because Kevin Munroe wrote and directed all of them.
c. TMNT is a good movie because it is computer-animated. This is the same
reason that Superman and Batman have continued to be liked by wide audiences.
d. Kevin Munroe successfully made TMNT more like the original comic book than
the earlier movies. It is a darker, more realistic movie that takes its heroes
seriously.