Summarizing
Complete unit · Grades 3–5 · 45-page PDF
5 lessons · 8 leveled passages · pre- and post-assessment
Choose what belongs in a summary, retell a story in order with Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then, and summarize nonfiction.
View the full unit from Milestone Teachers
What's inside
- Teacher guide: unit at a glance, measured levels, grouping
- Pre- and post-assessment in parallel forms + class tracker
- Illustrated anchor chart: what a summary is and is not
- 5 lesson plans in gradual release (I do, we do, you do)
- 8 original passages at Levels A, B and C, readability printed
- YES / NO sort, Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then, paragraph notes
- 24 story task cards + exit tickets for Lessons 1-4
- 3 small-group reteach cards and every answer key
Lessons at a glance
| When | Focus | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Pre-assessment, Form A (about 15 minutes) | 4-5 |
| Lesson 1 | What belongs in a summary? I can tell what a story is mostly about and choose the ideas that belong in a summary: the important ones, in my own words, not small details or my opinion. | 7-13 |
| Lesson 2 | Somebody Wanted But So Then I can use Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then to tell a story's important events in order, with the ending. | 14-17 |
| Lesson 3 | Nonfiction: main idea, then key details I can summarize nonfiction: start with the main idea, then add the key details, in my own words. | 18-21 |
| Lesson 4 | Short and in your own words I can take short notes on each paragraph and turn them into a summary in my own words. | 22-25 |
| Lesson 5 | Show what you know: one topic, three levels I can summarize a passage at my level on my own: the main idea, the key events in order, and the end. | 26-30 |
| Review | 24 story task cards + recording sheet (centers or small groups) | 31-35 |
| After | Post-assessment, Form B; compare on the tracker | 36-37 |
| Any day | Reteach cards for small groups | 38-39 |
Passages and levels
| Passage | Used in | Level | Grade (FK) | Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theo's Lost Library Book | Lesson 1 (guided) | Level A | 2.8 | 157 |
| The Paper Bridge | Lesson 1 (on your own) | Level B | 3.9 | 203 |
| The Squeaky Trumpet | Lesson 2 | Level A | 3.3 | 152 |
| Camels: Built for the Desert | Lesson 3 | Level B | 4.0 | 204 |
| The Pony Express | Lesson 4 | Level C | 5.5 | 254 |
| The Salmon's Long Trip | Lesson 5 | Level A | 2.9 | 154 |
| The Salmon's Long Trip | Lesson 5 | Level B | 4.4 | 221 |
| The Salmon's Long Trip | Lesson 5 | Level C | 5.4 | 253 |
Standards
Common Core codes and wording as printed in the unit.
- RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
- RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
- RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
- RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
- RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
Ontario Language (2023): direct matches
- C2.6 (Grade 3, 4, 5). Grade 3 wording: identify the main idea in a simple text, and relate important details in sequence
- C2.7 (Grade 4). Grade 4 wording: explain how strategies, such as visualizing, making predictions, summarizing, and connecting to their experiences, have helped them comprehend various texts