Simple Summaries
Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade
by Sarah Sumnicht September 16, 2017
Keep it simple! Teach your students to write a summary using the Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then frame for
analyzing a story.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to write a simple summary after reading a fiction text.
Materials and preparation Key terms
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch summary
Two copies of the Write a Simple Summary
worksheet
Half class set of the Simple Summary Reading
Log worksheet
Class set of the Hot Cross Buns: Read to
Remember worksheet
Projector for document display and video
Prelabeled index cards (Somebody, Wants, But,
So, Then)
Attachments
Write a Simple Summary (PDF)
Simple Summary Reading Log (PDF)
Hot Cross Buns: Read to Remember (PDF)
Introduction (10 minutes)
Ask students to turn and talk to a partner about what they know about summaries. Have partnerships
share out and record student answers on the board.
Tell students that today they are going to learn how to write a simple summary.
Review the definition of a summary: When you write a summary, you are retelling a story in your own
words. A summary should be short, about three sentences, and should include the main ideas of the
story, not details.
Explain to students that they will listen to a story and you will model how to write a simple summary.
Read a short story aloud, like The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch.
EL
Beginning:
Ask students to talk to a partner about the definition of the word summary using English or their home
language (L1).
Provide a student-friendly definition of the word main ideas and details.
Intermediate:
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Show an example of a summary of a text that the class recently read.
Have ELs rephrase the definition and qualities of a summary. Provide a sentence stem for student
conversation, such as "A good summary __."
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (10 minutes)
Display the Write a Simple Summary worksheet using a document camera.
Model how to write a summary using the worksheet and the book you read aloud as a mentor text (i.e.,
The Paper Bag Princess).
EL
Beginning:
Have ELs turn and talk to a partner about the important information from the text, using English or L1.
Give learners a partially completed graphic organizer to fill in during the teacher modeling.
Intermediate:
Define any unfamiliar words in the text by providing a student-friendly definition and image.
Give learners a copy of the graphic organizer and have them record information from the teacher
modeling.
Guided Practice (10 minutes)
Show a short video, like Pixar’s "Lava" (or read a story aloud).
Display a blank copy of the Write a Simple Summary worksheet and ask the students who the main
character was. Allow students to turn to an elbow partner to discuss, then call on a student volunteer to
provide the answer. Write the answer in the "somebody" box on the worksheet (i.e., the volcano).
Repeat with each box on the worksheet (i.e., What did the volcano want? What was the problem?).
Have students turn to their elbow partner and verbally come up with a summary using the completed
worksheet as a guide. Keep the completed worksheet displayed as students discuss.
Call on three volunteers to provide examples of a summary. Point out that even if the exact wording of
the summaries are different, they all expressed the same key information.
EL
Beginning:
Provide sentence frames for student conversation, such as "The main character was ____. The main
character wanted ___."
Give learners a partially completed graphic organizer to accompany the text.
Intermediate:
Provide a copy of the graphic organizer for students.
Encourage partnerships to write their summaries on paper or whiteboards.
Independent working time (10 minutes)
Hand out the Hot Cross Buns: Read to Remember worksheet and instruct students to complete it
independently.
Circulate and offer support as needed.
EL
Beginning:
Supply a word bank for students to use as they complete the graphic organizer.
Allow ELs to work with a small, teacher led group.
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Accept a verbal summary from ELs and allow them to utilize the graphic organizer.
Intermediate:
Allow ELs to work with a partner.
Provide a dictionary or glossary in English or L1.
Related books and/or media
VIDEO: Pixar’s "Lava"
BOOK: The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
Find interactive books for each child’s level.
Differentiation
Support:
Provide additional examples during guided practice.
Provide partially complete graphic organizers (i.e., somebody and so are filled in) and allow students to
complete the missing parts.
Enrichment: Have students apply the skills learned to write a summary about a book of their choice.
Assessment (10 minutes)
Write the names of several familiar stories on the board (i.e., "The Three Little Pigs," "Goldilocks and the
Three Bears").
Hand out a half sheet of the Simple Summary Reading Log worksheet and instruct students to choose a
story that they are familiar with from the list on the board.
Have students complete the graphic organizer and write a summary about the story they chose. Then,
collect and check for understanding.
EL
Beginning:
Allow ELs to listen to an audio version of a familiar text, in English or L1.
Provide a partially completed graphic organizer and a paragraph frame for students to use.
Intermediate: Provide a copy of the familiar text for students to reference.
Review and closing (5 minutes)
Hold up index cards with a word (e.g., "somebody") and ask students to identify the question that is
associated with the word (e.g., "Who is the main character?").
EL
Beginning:
Ask ELs to orally explain their thinking to a partner in English or L1.
Provide index cards with the different words from the graphic organizer (e.g., "somebody") and the
questions that are associated with the words (e.g., "Who is the main character?") and allow students to
match them.
Intermediate: Ask learners to share with a partner before sharing with the class. Allow them to use English or
L1.
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Name: Date:
Write a Simple Summary
After reading, complete the organizer. Then, use the keywords (wanted, but, so, then) to summarize, or retell, the story in the space provided.
Title or Chapter:
Somebody:
Who is the main
character?
Wanted:
What does the main
character want?
But:
What is the problem?
So:
How does the character
try to solve the problem?
Then:
How does the story end?
Summary:
Use the keywords in the boxes above to write a summary paragraph.
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Name: Date:
Simple Summary Reading Log
After reading, complete the organizer. Then, use the keywords (wanted, but, so, then) to summarize, or retell, the
story in the space provided.
Title/Chapter:
Somebody Wanted But So Then
Who is the main What does the main What is the problem? How does the character How does the story end?
character? character want? try to solve the problem?
Summary :
Name: Date:
Simple Summary Reading Log
After reading, complete the organizer. Then, use the keywords (wanted, but, so, then) to summarize, or retell, the
story in the space provided.
Title/Chapter:
Somebody Wanted But So Then
Who is the main What does the main What is the problem? How does the character How does the story end?
character? character want? try to solve the problem?
Summary :
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© 2007 - 2019 Education.com
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Name: Date:
Hot Cross Buns
Read to Remember
After reading the short story below, complete the organizer. Then, use the keywords (wanted, but, so, then)
to summarize, or retell, the story in the space provided.
“Oh no!” groaned Kendall, “Why can’t I get this right?” Kendall was a fourth grader
at Evergreen Academy, and even though she was a good student, she was unhappy at school.
She wanted nothing more than to play the recorder for the school band, just like her older
brother. After attending band tryouts for months, she still hadn’t been accepted. Still, she was
determined. She practiced the song Hot Cross Buns every night and she carried her recorder
with her everywhere she went. Kendall could play perfectly at home in front of her parents,
but every time she tried to play in front of Ms. Melody, the band teacher, she messed up.
Today was her last chance to impress Ms. Melody.
As she practiced in the hall before her audition, Kendall exclaimed, “I have an idea!”
She took out a piece of paper and wrote down the notes for the song. Then, she highlighted
C note, the one she kept missing during tryouts. “Now I’ll get it right!” Kendall grinned. She
walked into the music room and smiled bravely at Ms. Melody. She set her highlighted paper
on the music stand and started to play.
“Bravo! That was the best rendition of Hot Cross Buns I’ve ever heard!” said Ms. Melody
when Kendall had finished. “Congratulations! You are the newest member of our band!”
Somebody Wanted But So Then
Who is the main What does the main What is the problem? How does the character How does the story end?
character? character want? try to solve the problem?
Summary :
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© 2007 - 2019 Education.com
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