English Language Arts Grade 6
Reading: Informational Text Standard 2
English Language Arts Grade 6
Reading: Informational Text Standard 5
English Language Arts Grade 7
Reading: Informational Text Standard 2
English Language Arts Grade 7
Speaking and Listening Standard 1 a.
English Language Arts Grade 7
Speaking and Listening Standard 1 b.
English Language Arts Grade 7
Speaking and Listening Standard 1 d.
English Language Arts Grade 8
Reading: Informational Text Standard 2
English Language Arts Grade 8
Speaking and Listening Standard 1 a.
English Language Arts Grade 8
Speaking and Listening Standard 1 b.
English Language Arts Grade 8
Speaking and Listening Standard 1 d.
3 class periods of 30 minutes each
Small Groups
This "jigsaw" activity will give students the opportunity to work in groups to summarize a 1 to 2 page informational text. It "jigsaws" down to 1 class summary and can be done in 2 or 3 days. This plan was designed for a class of 22 students but can be easily modified by varying group size.
Teacher must be familiar with the Five Rules for Writing a Summary.
Five Rules for Writing a Summary
From "Direct Instruction of Summarization Skills" by V.C. Hare and K.M. Borchordt, 1984, Reading Research Quarterly 20 (1) pp. 62-78. Copyright 1984 by the International Reading Association.
Student will understand the meaning of a summary and be able to summarize a short informational text with 80% accuracy.
DAY 1
WHOLE CLASS ACTIVITY:
Display Five Rules for Writing a Summary chart
WHOLE GROUP
Reread overhead copy of informational text.
SMALL GROUP
Group students in groups according to their colored cards. (This will give you one student from each group now making up a new group)
Students will take turns reading their summary to the group. They will then revise and write a group summary using the summaries written from the day 1. These summaries must be completed and handed into the teacher by the end of the period. (The teacher should have a group summary from each color group and will then copy each of these onto an overhead.
DAY 3
Display Five Rules for Writing a Summary chart.
Without identifying groups, teacher will display each group summary on the overhead. Students will then as a discussion group, assess each summary according to the guidelines on the Five Rules for Writing a Summary chart giving the following evaluation:
This is a group activity and special needs, esl or other low functioning students can be grouped so as to work with students who will mentor them in the process.
This lesson can be used in the beginning of teaching summaries or as an assessment at the end of the unit.
Literacy: Helping Children Construct Meaning, Fifth Edition by J. David Cooper, Nancy D. Kiger