Transcript Summarizing and Paraphrasing Notes

PARAPHRASING
Strategies for Writing a Summary
1. Think about the main idea as you read.
2. Reread the passage and highlight important events or details.
3. A good summary includes the main idea and the most
important details.
Practice Writing a Summary
Alma knew it was Wednesday because she woke up to the sound of
a garbage truck emptying the trash bin outside her apartment. Alma and
her parents had lived at the apartments at 307 Lost Forest Lane for
almost six years. She had grown to find a strange comfort in the beeps,
screeches, and rumbles in city sounds like the garbage truck. These
comforts were something she was nervous about losing at boarding
school next year. In two months, Alma would be moving to a quiet area
of Northern California to attend Collier Academy.
How would you summarize this passage?
Practice Writing a Summary
Alma knew it was Wednesday because she woke up to the sound of
a garbage truck emptying the trash bin outside her apartment. Alma
and her parents had lived at the apartments at 307 Lost Forest Lane for
almost six years. She had grown to find a strange comfort in the beeps,
screeches, and rumbles in city sounds like the garbage truck. These
comforts were something she was nervous about losing at boarding
school next year. In two months, Alma would be moving to a quiet area
of Northern California to attend Collier Academy.
Main Idea:
Alma is nervous about leaving home to attend boarding school.
Most important details:
She and her family have lived in the same apartment for six years.
She finds comfort in the familiar sounds of the city.
She is nervous about being in a quiet, unfamiliar place.
Practice Writing a Summary
Alma knew it was Wednesday because she woke up to the sound of
a garbage truck emptying the trash bin outside her apartment. Alma
and her parents had lived at the apartments at 307 Lost Forest Lane for
almost six years. She had grown to find a strange comfort in the beeps,
screeches, and rumbles in city sounds like the garbage truck. These
comforts were something she was nervous about losing at boarding
school next year. In two months, Alma would be moving to a quiet area
of Northern California to attend Collier Academy.
Summary:
Alma is nervous about leaving home to attend
boarding school. She has lived with her family in the
same apartment for six years, and she finds comfort in
the familiar city sounds. She is nervous about missing
the sounds of home when she moves to the quiet area
where the boarding school is.
Guided Practice with Summarization
Read the passage below and answer the question that follows.
Tibet
Tibet was once an isolated kingdom, unknown to the rest of the world. The people
of Tibet were self-sufficient through farming and raising yaks. Their Buddhist beliefs
influenced their way of life and culture. At the start of the 20th century, Tibet operated
as an independent country. Then, in 1950, Tibet was invaded by the People’s
Liberation Army of China, and Tibet officially came under Chinese rule. The People’s
Liberation Army was spreading a new way of life throughout the region. The Army
destroyed many structures and items of cultural significance in Tibet. While the people
of Tibet have worked to repair the damage, they remain under China’s control. The
conflict in Tibet has become prominent throughout the world due to the influence of
Tibet’s exiled Buddhist leader, the 14th Dalai Lama. He has traveled the world to raise
awareness of the situation in Tibet as well as the plight of other oppressed peoples
around the world.
How would you summarize this paragraph?
Guided Practice with Summarization
Tibet
Tibet was once an isolated kingdom, unknown to the rest of the world. The people
of Tibet were self-sufficient through farming and raising yaks. Their Buddhist beliefs
influenced their way of life and culture. At the start of the 20th century, Tibet operated
as an independent country. Then, in 1950, Tibet was invaded by the People’s
Liberation Army of China, and Tibet officially came under Chinese rule. The People’s
Liberation Army was spreading a new way of life throughout the region. The Army
destroyed many structures and items of cultural significance in Tibet. While the people
of Tibet have worked to repair the damage, they remain under China’s control. The
conflict in Tibet has become prominent throughout the world due to the influence of
Tibet’s exiled Buddhist leader, the 14th Dalai Lama. He has traveled the world to raise
awareness of the situation in Tibet as well as the plight of other oppressed peoples
around the world.
Summary:
Tibet was once an unknown kingdom, isolated from the rest of the world. Its
people were Buddhists and agriculturalists. China’s army took over Tibet and
required that its people adopt a new way of life. The 14th Dalai Lama travels the
world in order to gain support for a free Tibet.
What is Paraphrasing???
o
PARAPHRASING IS…
o
o
o
o
Used to rewrite the text in
your own words
Used to clarify meaning
Used to shorten a longer
statement but keep the main
ideas
Used to avoid PLAGIARISM.
What is NOT Paraphrasing
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-Changing a couple
of words.
-Deleting a couple
words or phrases.
-Rearranging the
order of the words.
So How Do We Do It?
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o
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o
Read the passage
carefully
Decide the main
ideas of the passage
Identify important
words or phrases
Put the main points in
your own words
PARAPHRASE
ME!
Example 1
ORIGINAL PASSAGE
They have become part of our
imaginations' landscape: the crusty
Grinch who stole Christmas, gentle
Horton the elephant, the Cat in the
Hat, and the persistent Sam-I-Am
with his green eggs and ham. All
these and many more are the
creations of Theodor Seuss Geisel,
better known to generations of
readers as Dr. Seuss. Since
publishing his first children's book
over fifty years ago, Geisel
became perhaps the most
successful writer in the whole field
of children's literature.
Theodor Geissel, known by
everyone as Dr. Seuss, has
been publishing children’s
books for over half a century.
Because of characters Horton
and Sam I Am, Dr. Seuss is the
quintessential author in
American children’s literature.
Example 2
Highlighted Passage
The adventuresome Cat in the Hat runs
amok while Mother is away, leaving a
horrible mess for the two astonished
children who are so well behaved. The
remarkable qualities of the story are
its rhyme--done with only 223 words-and its quirky illustrations that are as
silly as the tale itself.
The Cat in the Hat, a story about a
cat reeking havoc at the expense
of two innocent children, is a
remarkable story because of its
ability to create humor with 223
words using rhyme and humorous
illustrations.
Assignment

Read “Swing Low”
 Identify
 What
 Identify
the main idea
is the song about
and clarify any unfamiliar words
 Write
them down
 Get them defined (dictionary/context clues)
 Identify
 Pay
attention to words/phrases that are repeated
 Rewrite
 Use
any important words/phrases
it in your own words
the main idea, the repeated words/phrases, and
synonyms for the newly defined/clarified words