Instructional Strategy

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY

Six-Word Summary

Grade:

3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Type:

Summarize & Synthesize

/ Organize Thinking

< 20

Minutes

When:

After reading

Materials:

Lined paper, whiteboard or display, writing utensil

Description

The Six-Word Summary is a strategy that builds students’ critical thinking and metacognition skills as they are asked to summarize a text in just six words. This strategy requires students to reflect on the most important information, tuning in to what resonates with them as they distill the most important information in the article down to just six words.

Procedure

After reading or listening to an assigned text independently or with a partner, have students discuss the text’s main ideas with their partner.

Ask students to independently write or verbally tell a summary of the text.

Inform students that they will next condense their summary into a six-word sentence or phrase, which they may choose to write or say aloud. Emphasize that they should choose the most impactful words to clearly convey the main ideas.

Differentiation

Word Selection: To facilitate students’ ability to condense the main idea of an article into six words, provide them with a word bank suited for summarizing. Ask students to discuss these words with a partner first and then craft a six-word sentence or phrase that they think best encapsulates the text. Tailor the word bank’s size to the students’ ages: younger students, like those in grade 3, may benefit from a smaller selection, while older students, such as those in grade 8, can handle more words, fostering richer discussions.

Create a Visual Representation: After students decide on their six words, invite them to create a visual representation to encapsulate those words. Invite students to share their creation with a partner or with the class, explaining what each element of the visual represents. Learner-generated visual representations aid students in comprehending and remembering information more effectively.

What It’s All About—Six-Word Summary: Challenge students to create a six-word summary that answers the compelling question of the lesson (social studies) or that explains the phenomena (science). This encourages students to place the article in context and focus on the bigger idea of what they have read.

Variations

Using the Strategy with a Video or Podcast: Use the strategy to help students distill the main ideas of a video or podcast. Screen the video or podcast once all the way through. Upon playing the video or podcast a second time, strategically stop and invite students to summarize the section they just watched or listened to. After students have taken summary notes on the entire video or podcast, invite them to distill their summary down to six words.

Instructional Strategy

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY

Six-Word Summary

Description

Procedure

Differentiation

Variations

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