SUMMARIZING

Summarizing a text or story is a reading skill communicated in written sentences.

No matter what type of text, story, magazine, play, or movie, students can use the Somebody Wanted But So Then strategy to summarize.

Fictional Texts / Stories

In most cases, the somebody will be the main character, however to view multiple perspectives and character motivations, the who in the story may also be a minor character.  

For example, summarize what the wolf wanted, the problems he faced, then what steps and events he did to try to get what he wanted, instead of the traditional view from the 3 little pigs.  The wolf wanted to end his hunger so he went out hunting the little pigs, but the pigs build their homes to withstand the wolf's huffing and puffing, so the wolf continued to try to capture them.

Informational Texts

 A great strategy can be used universally and in multiple modalities and types of  "texts".    What is another word for somebody or character?  A person or individual.   Therefore, the SWBST strategy can also be used for informational texts.  Simply identify who or what the text is about, what "they" wanted, challenges they came across, steps they took to solve the problem.  

For example, Dred Scott wanted to have freedom, but he was born into slavery, so he pled his case to the supreme court, however the court did not agree.