Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: A Garden in Lawndale [Pdf]
"A Garden in Lawndale" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about an eighth grade class who planted a garden in a vacant lot by their school and maintained it to improve their neighborhood. It is followed by constructed-response...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Breaking the Food Chain [Pdf]
"Breaking the Food Chain" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about the food chain which links plants and animals. If the food chain is disrupted, it can cause plants and animals to disappear. It is followed by...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: American Explorers [Pdf]
"American Explorers" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about the Lewis and Clark Expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way they drew maps for future travels. It is followed by constructed-response questions...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Early Chicago Environment & People [Pdf]
"Early Chicago Environment & People" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the Native Americans who lived in what is now Chicago. It explains how they lived and how Chicago got its name. It is followed by constructed-response...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: Chicago Changer, Jane Addams[pdf]
"Chicago Changer, Jane Addams" is a one page, biographical passage about Jane Addams, Chicago's first changer. She helped poor people and immigrants to find homes and learn English. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires...
Education Development Center
Tv411: Summarizing: Activity 3
In this activity, students choose the correct category to which details belong. Being able to categorize helps students to identify the difference between main ideas and details.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Public Transportation [Pdf]
"Public Transportation" is a one page, nonfiction passage about public transportation in Chicago helps people get where they want to go and provides jobs for many people. It is followed by questions which requires students to provide...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Read to Learn About City Systems [Pdf]
"Read to Learn about City Systems" is a one page, nonfiction passage about government systems and workers that keep people safe including police officers, food inspectors, and water and sewer system workers. It is followed by an...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Read to Learn About Elections [Pdf]
"Read to Learn about Elections" is a one page, nonfiction passage about government systems and workers that keep people safe including police officers, food inspectors, and water and sewer workers. It is followed by an open-ended...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Nutrition Lesson [Pdf]
"Nutrition Lesson" is a one page, nonfiction passage about protein including what it does in the body and what foods contain protein. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Comprehensive Questions: Nonfiction [Pdf]
Questions are provided to help students determine the main idea, topic, and fact versus opinion of a nonfiction piece. Students are prompted to write a summary of an informational text.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Chicago Journey [Pdf]
"The Chicago Journey" is a one page, fictional passage about a clild and his mother hurrying to catch a train to hear an acceptance speech from an election (Obama). It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Summarize Informational/expository Text
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] You will learn how to summarize main ideas, supporting details, and relationships among ideas within expository text.
Education Development Center
Tv411: Summarizing
This activity asks students to read short paragraphs and select the statement that best summarizes each paragraph. It is part of a larger reading unit.
E Reading Worksheets
E Reading Worksheets: Summarizing Worksheets and Activities
In this instructional resource, students will learn more about summarizing texts. Worksheets and PowerPoint lessons are provided to reinforce understanding about ways to summarize nonfiction texts and to identify main ideas. This module...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Florida Center for Reading Research: Expository Text Structure: Summarizing [Pdf]
A lesson plan in which students read a text and record the main ideas and supporting details on a graphic organizer. Students then complete the organizer by writing a summary of the text. Materials are included.
Michigan State University
Michigan State University: Intervention for Reading: Summarization Strategy
Improve understanding of expository materials by summarizing the main ideas. The summarization strategy helps students recall the main ideas and specific facts of materials they read. There are five rules for writing summaries.
Other
Curriculum Associates: Determining Theme or Central Idea [Pdf]
In this reading comprehension lesson unit, students are guided in learning how to find the main theme or idea of a text and understanding how details in the text convey that. Includes lots of exercises and examples, as well as...
Sam Houston State University
Texas Center for Academic Excellence: Summarizing Pre Test
Check students' prior knowledge and understanding of how to summarize passages and identify main ideas.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Flying [Pdf]
"Flying" is a one page, realistic fiction, reading passage about someone set a goal to be a pilot and worked hard to accomplish that goal. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from...
Other
Writing & Reading Success Center: Summarizing Paragraphs [Pdf]
An explanation and example of summarizing a paragraph, especially helpful for taking notes on texts.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: I Like Plants [Pdf]
"I Like Plants" is a one page, realistic fiction, reading passage about a person who loves plants and became a botanist; now she teaches her college students about plants and ecology. It is followed by constructed-response questions...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My Job [Pdf]
"My Job" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the job as department of streets and sanitation worker including the work involved. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My Painting [Pdf]
"My Painting" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a Russian immigrant student who is making a painting to show how she feels about her new homeland and the people here. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...