Guided Practice
Learn
In this guided practice lesson, you will work through summarizing exercises step-by-step with support. Guided Practice helps you apply summary skills with scaffolded assistance before working independently.
Key Strategies for Summarizing
- Identify the topic: Ask yourself, "What is this text mostly about?"
- Find the main idea: Look for the most important point the author makes.
- Select key details: Choose 2-3 details that support the main idea.
- Put it in your own words: Restate the information without copying.
- Keep it brief: A good summary is much shorter than the original text.
The SWBST Strategy
Use this framework to organize your summaries:
- Somebody - Who is the text about?
- Wanted - What did they want?
- But - What was the problem?
- So - What did they do?
- Then - How did it end?
Examples
Example Text
The monarch butterfly makes one of the longest migrations of any insect. Each fall, millions of monarchs fly from Canada and the United States to the mountains of central Mexico. This journey can be over 3,000 miles long! The butterflies cannot survive the cold northern winters, so they travel south where it is warmer. In the spring, they begin the long journey back north, laying eggs along the way. It takes several generations of butterflies to complete the return trip.
Step-by-Step Summary
- Topic: Monarch butterfly migration
- Main Idea: Monarchs make an incredibly long journey each year
- Key Details: Travel over 3,000 miles; go to Mexico for winter; takes multiple generations to return
- Summary: "Monarch butterflies migrate over 3,000 miles from North America to Mexico each fall to escape the cold. The return journey in spring takes several generations to complete."
Practice
Read the following passage and practice creating a summary using the steps we learned.
The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous structures in the world. It was built over many centuries to protect China from invaders. The wall stretches for thousands of miles across mountains, deserts, and grasslands. Millions of workers, including soldiers, peasants, and prisoners, helped build it. Today, the Great Wall is a popular tourist attraction and a symbol of Chinese history and culture.
Try answering these guiding questions:
- What is the topic of this passage?
- What is the main idea?
- What are 2-3 key details?
- Can you write a 1-2 sentence summary?
Check Your Understanding
Answer these 10 questions to test your summarizing skills.
1. What is the main purpose of a summary?
Show Answer
Answer: To briefly restate the most important information from a text in your own words.
2. How long should a summary be compared to the original text?
Show Answer
Answer: A summary should be much shorter than the original text, usually just a few sentences.
3. What does the "S" in SWBST stand for?
Show Answer
Answer: "Somebody" - identifying who or what the text is about.
4. Should you copy sentences directly from the text in your summary?
Show Answer
Answer: No, you should put the information in your own words.
5. What is the first step in creating a summary?
Show Answer
Answer: Identify the topic by asking "What is this text mostly about?"
6. How many key details should you typically include in a summary?
Show Answer
Answer: About 2-3 key details that support the main idea.
7. In the monarch butterfly example, what is the main idea?
Show Answer
Answer: Monarch butterflies make one of the longest insect migrations, traveling over 3,000 miles.
8. What is the difference between a main idea and a detail?
Show Answer
Answer: The main idea is the most important point of the whole text; details are specific facts that support or explain the main idea.
9. What does the "B" in SWBST represent?
Show Answer
Answer: "But" - the problem or conflict in the text.
10. Why is it important to identify the topic before writing a summary?
Show Answer
Answer: Identifying the topic helps you focus on what the text is mainly about, so you can find the most important information to include in your summary.
Next Steps
- Review any concepts that felt challenging
- Practice summarizing short passages on your own
- Move on to the next lesson when ready
- Return to practice problems periodically for review