1. Writing Summaries CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH

2. What is a summary?  A summary is an overview, in your own words, of the most important information from the original text.

3. How to write a summary  1. Read the material and mark the main ideas.  2. List the main ideas.  3. Group the main ideas into categories — the order in which you read the main ideas is not always the best order for writing a summary.  4. Look for the uniting characteristics to write a topic sentence.  Combine them into a paragraph using transitional words.  5. Proofread a first draft for content. Did you hit all of the To Do List and avoid errors for Do Not DO List? Revise as needed.  6. Edit for sentence structure, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and other grammar or errors.  7. Make a final copy with neat handwriting.

4. Summary: To do list  Give the main ideas, or gist, of the text.  Include all main ideas  Use a logical organization  Be objective

5. Summary: NOT to do list  Do not add any ideas or commentary  Do not take away any important ideas  Do not change the overall meaning or intent of the author

6. Practice Captain America  Refer to your notes for the videos of Captain America. For each scene, you have written a main idea and provided evidence from the text.  First, write a topic sentence. To write a topic sentence, look for the uniting characteristics to write a topic sentence.

7. Practice Captain America Topic Sentence  First, write a topic sentence. To write a topic sentence, look for the uniting characteristics to write a topic sentence.  Consider the following simple formula for writing a topic sentence: topic + controlling (unifying) idea

8. Practice Captain America Topic Sentence  For topic + controlling (unifying) idea Example-  Topic:  Steven Rogers  Controlling or unifying idea:  passes the selection test to become the soldier to receive Professor Erskine’s serum to make him a super soldier.

9. Practice Captain America Topic Sentence Example base-  Steven Rogers passes the selection test to become the soldier to receive Professor Erskine’s serum to make him a super soldier.  Modify style-  In the video segments from Captain America: The First Avenger, Steven Rogers passes the selection test to become the soldier to receive Professor Erskine’s serum to make him a super soldier.

10. Practice Captain America Body paragraph  Next, make sure that you have determined the best order.  Use a transition and add the first main idea to the paragraph. First, next, then, and, also, even, again, moreover, furthermore, in addition, not only…but also, as well as  Then add the evidence from the text for that point.  Repeat for each scene.

11. Practice Captain America Body paragraph In the video segments from Captain America: The First Avenger, Steven Rogers passes the selection test to become the soldier to receive Professor Erskine’s serum to make him a super soldier. In the first scene, Rogers is getting a physical to enlist and is interviewed by Dr. Erskine. Rogers gets Erskine’s attention because he has tried five times to enlist and he is interested in stopping bullies. He sees that Rogers has qualities of persistence and determination; moreover, his motivation is honorable since he does not just want to kill people.

12. Practice Captain America Clincher Finish the paragraph by adding a thoughtful concluding sentence that summarize the main idea. Example:

13. The Writing Process We have been following the steps in the writing process:  Gather ideas / information  Organize and unify the key points  Draft  Revise  Edit

14. Proofread and Revise Yesterday we drafted. Today we will revise. Proofread your work by going back and looking at it again with fresh eyes. Evaluate it for structure and content. Revise your summary to improve it. (Don’t worry about spelling and sentence structure yet. They come with editing, the next step.)

15. Proofread and Revise YOUR TURN: Mark, evaluate, revise as needed Mark  Underline the following twice: Topic sentences  Circle: Transitions  Underline once: Main supporting  Highlight brackets or box: Evidence, elaboration  Evaluate: for structure for organization, unity, completeness, general balance (each point should be rather equal. It should not look like you wrote 4 pages and stopped or all your effort into one paragraph. No, I don’t measure. I examine your evidence. Revise  Improve at least one point by making it more specific

16. Proofread and Revise YOUR TURN: Mark, evaluate, revise as needed Evaluate  Check for structure for organization, unity, completeness, general balance (each point should be rather equal. It should not look like you wrote 4 pages and stopped or all your effort into one paragraph. No, I don’t measure. I examine your evidence. Revise  Improve at least one point by making it more specific or complete. Pair with someone else and read it for recommendations.

17. Edit Your Turn: Make it right; correct mistakes.  Sentence structure: Are your sentences complete sentence ? Is there a subject and predicate for each? Ref. LB p. 38-39  Spelling: Check for spelling and commonly confused words  Their –possessive pronoun ( their books)  There- adverb (put it there, not here )  They’re- contraction They are (DO NOT USE CONTRACTIONS)  Capitalization: Are proper nouns capitalized and common nouns lower case? Ex. rogers / Rogers HYDRA Project Dr. Erskine Germany Nazis Hitler Eskine is the Doctor doctor