Reading to Learn

Foggy Summarization

Reading to Learn

Baley Justice

Rationale: In this lesson, the students will learn how to read expository texts in order to comprehend information. Understanding the meaning of the text is the next step after learning how to read fluently. The students will learn how to summarize the whole idea of a text. This will allow them to point out the important information in a text and leave out trivial information.

Materials:

1. Pencils

2.Highlighters

3.Paper

4.Copy of “What is Fog” Discovery Kids article for each student

5.Comprehension Quiz

6. Summary checklist

7. Whiteboard/ Markers

Procedures:

1. Say: Does anyone know what summarization means? Let me give you an example, have you ever read a great book and told someone about it? Did you repeat the book word by word or did you pick out the details you thought were important? This is the process of summarization. When we summarize, we remember the important details of a passage and therefore “delete” the rest of the information.

2. Say: In order to summarize, we have to first learn the rules. (Pass out a sheet of paper for each child) I want you to fold the paper in half like this (fold paper) and then fold it again once more. Now open your paper up and you should have four squares although we will only use three. I want you to copy down the rules that I write on the board. (Use whiteboard to copy down the rules) In the first box, write: Rule #1: delete trivial information. This means that we are going to get rid of the information that is not that important. In the second box, write: Rule #2: delete any information that is repeated. In the third box, write: Rule #3: find a sentence in the text, or make a statement that covers everything that the writer is saying in the sentence. This is usually called a topic sentence. Sometimes finding a topic sentence is hard because you have to dig in the text for it.

3. Say: Now I am going to pass out the article that we will be reading. This article is about fog. Can anyone tell me what fog is? Has anyone ever wondered where fog comes from? We’re going to read this article to find out.

4. Say: Before we read the article, we need to understand the important vocabulary within it. Let’s go over a few words that we will see in the article today. [For each word: explain the word in simple language, model how to use the word (What does it mean? What doesn’t it mean?), provide sample questions using the word, and scaffold by making a sentence using the word for students to complete.]

Words: droplets, particles, vapor, microscopic

Example: Droplets. One of the words in our passage is droplets. Let’s see what the word droplet means.

-Droplet: A very small drop of a liquid

-A droplet is not a puddle of liquid

-Which of the following is an example of a droplet? A raindrop, a pool full of water, the water in an ocean

-Mist is an example of a droplet because _______ (Answer: It is a small drop of liquid)

5. Say: Now we are going to read the article together. Let’s start with the first five sentences. (Guide class in recitation) Now let’s summarize those five sentences. The title usually gives us a hint. (Call on students). Good! It’s about what fog is. We can take out the unimportant information, such as the part about what happens when the weather turns colder. Now we have to make a statement sentence to condense this information. For example, we can say, “Fog is a cloud that happens at ground level.” This summarizes the first five sentences. Now I want you to read the whole article, which focuses on what fog is.

6. Say: While you are reading the rest of the paragraph, I want you to keep that sheet with the four squares right beside you. I want you to use the highlighter that I provided you to highlight the important information. Then, I want you to use your pencil and mark out any information that is not necessary. Lastly, make your topic sentence and write it down.

7. Say: On the same sheet of paper that your topic sentence is on, I want you to write a summary on the article. Don’t summarize the repeated or unnecessary information. You will have a short quiz after you are all finished.

Comprehension Quiz:

1. How is fog made? (When droplets form)

2. What happens when the air cools? (it loses its ability to hold water)

3. Does the fog occur at ground level? (Yes)

4. Does the fog occur in the sky? (No)

5. Air contains what? (Water Vapor)

Summary Checklist:

______ Deleted/ highlighted information

______ Ignored trivial information in summary

______ Chose a thoughtful topic sentence

______ Summarized correctly

References: