Warm-Up for Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting
Summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting all involve using key details from other sources in your own writing. This lesson will help you get a feel for summarizing.
What Is Summarizing?
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Summarizing means identifying the key information in a text, condensing it, and putting it in your own words. In this unit, you will learn the steps to writing an effective summary. You will also learn about two other research skills called paraphrasing and quoting.
All three skills will help you decide what ideas from other sources are most important. These skills will allow you to write about information from other sources and use the information fairly.
Thinking by Summarizing
Read the comic strip below called Black Ducks. Study the pictures, read the speech bubbles, and think about the key information. Then read the summary that explains the comic strip.
Episode 74
Sample Summary
A duck receives an exotic plant as a surprise birthday present. He researches how to take care of it and learns that it eats waterfowl—such as ducks.
Summarize a comic strip.
This “Black Ducks” comic strip follows the one you have just read. Read it carefully, noting the pictures and speech bubbles. Then write a brief summary of what happens in the comic strip.
Episode 75
