Summarizing notes
by Jamie Selinger
May 18, 2008
Summarizing
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What? |
Summing up the main ideas of what you read.
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Why? |
1) To help make sure you understand what you’re reading and that you’re “getting” all the important ideas. 2) To help you more effectively process the information so that you retain it and can access it in the future.
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How? |
In fiction: • In your head, keep track of important details about 1) main characters, 2) setting, 3) conflict, 4) resolution, and 5) theme. These are the five key elements in fiction, and you need to know the important information about each. As you read, take notes in your head: “Okay, so my protagonist must be really brave… Okay, so he’s going to attack the neighboring kingdom to attempt to save the princess in the morning…etc.”
In nonfiction: • At the beginning, look for a thesis statement, which is the main idea GIVEN to you (there should be one, but there may not be). • As you read, figure out the main idea of each body paragraph (the subtopics – yellows) by 1) paying special attention to the topic sentences, 2) looking for repeated words/ideas, and 3) looking for a concluding sentence. You may want to make note of the main idea in the margins. • At the end, pay special attention to the conclusion. • Use the intro, conclusion, and body paragraph summaries to figure out the main idea of the whole article/chapter/book.
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