One-Sentence Summary

Description

What is it?
There are different levels of summarization, from a thorough summarization of the main idea and supporting details to a one or two-word summarization. One-Sentence Summary falls between the two extremes. Using this strategy, students summarize the main idea and vital details in one sentence. Students transform information to make it their own. This brief writing indicates the student's level of understanding, involves the student in interacting with the content, and provides the teacher with feedback regarding student comprehension.

Adapted from: Comprehension Shouldn't be Silent and Creating Independence Through Student-Owned Strategies


Implementation:

1. Explicitly teach students how to utilize the One-Sentence Summary frame, modeling how to summarize using content familiar to the student. Teach one sentence type at a time, putting the sentence template on a sentence strip or chart.

2. Read the text, then model selecting one of the sentence frames and summarizing the information. For some students, you may need to tell them which sentence frame to utilize, while other students can select their own.

3. Write summaries as a whole class; provide many examples and opportunities for practice prior to having students complete the summaries independently.

Examples:

Description

A _____________ is a kind of __________________ that _______________________.

Sequence

_______________ begins with ________________, continues with ____________ and ends with _______.

Compare and Contrast

________________ and _____________ are similar in that both ________, but _______ while _________.

Cause and Effect

____________________________ causes _____________________________.

Problem and Solution

_________________________ wanted _________________ but _______________ so _________________.

Quick Tips

  • To encourage brevity, provide students with an index card or sticky note.

  • Complete orally, use as a journal entry, or write on a note card.

  • Use to summarize, describe, sequence, compare and contrast and/or show problem -solution relationships.

  • Use after presentations, videos, online research or field trips.

  • Can be completed alone, in pairs or small groups.

  • Combine 3-4 one-sentence summaries into a paragraph.

  • BEFORE: Activate prior knowledge, review a concept previously taught or as a pre-assessment

  • DURING: Check for understanding

  • AFTER: Closure activity at end of lesson or class period to help students synthesize and summarize concepts

Resources

Did you know?

  • Some similar strategies that you may have heard or are "Somebody Wanted But So" and "Somebody Wanted But So Then."

  • This strategy is one of the top ten strategies recommended by the Stetson & Associates Group.