Summarizing - How To Summarize in Reading and Writing

Yeah, so there was this painting at the museum that I thought you'd love. It was really cool. It's just, um, I don't really know how to describe it. Well, there were people and animals and I don't know. It's just like really hard to explain. Oh, the, um, the frame the painting was in was made of this thick brown wood and the animals were all like purple and green. Oh, there was a big thing in the middle that made me think of my great aunt Muriel and her little chihuahua Chewbarka. What do you mean you can't picture it? I'm giving you all the details here. Uh, hey there. Uh, sounds like my friend's getting a little frustrated with my story. Uh, we should bring in today's lesson for a little help. Today we're going to be learning how to create a strong summary. By the end of this video you'll be able to define summarizing and the criteria needed to do it effectively. And you'll be able to create your own summaries from reading passages. We've got a lot of ground to cover, so let's get moving. Why do you think my friend was getting so frustrated when I was trying to describe this thing to them? Do you think I was saying too much? Too little? You know, maybe it wasn't that important to mention aunt Muriel or that little menace Chewbarka. Let's break down the fine art of summarizing so we can get to the bottom of this. A summary is a brief restatement of the main points of something. That something could be anything you see, hear, or read. A story, an article, an event, or even a song. An effective summary should be concise. This means you keep it short and to the point, giving only the essential information. Focus on the main ideas. We want to know the big picture, not small details that don't really change the big ideas. Address the five W's. Who, what, when, where, and why or how. This is a good test for your summary sentences. If they don't answer one of these questions, you probably don't need to include those details in your summary. Avoid repetition. A good summarizer says it once and keeps it moving. And lastly, be objective. We all have opinions and that's what makes discussions exciting, but a summary isn't focused on opinions. It's our job as summarizers to report just the facts. Now that we've reviewed the criteria for effective summarizing, let's revisit the conversation I had with my friend earlier. So when I was trying to describe this painting I saw to them, I really missed the mark. I needed to focus on the general aspect of the image, just so that my friend could see it in their head, and not focus so much on all the little details. First, I needed to focus on the surface level of the painting. What is actually happening and what I'm seeing or reading. I just need my friend to understand the main image or the idea of the painting, so I don't need to go into all these little details about the frame or even bring up details that have nothing to do with the painting, like antennae. Okay, I think I'm starting to get this. Let's put our summarizing skills to the test. First, I'll use our criteria to try to make a summary of the painting that I saw earlier. I went to the art museum today and saw a painting of a giant chihuahua sitting on a throne, wearing a crown and a robe. Surrounding the dog was a group of people holding balloons. The background was filled with other strange animals, like a large purple elephant. Its style was different from any other piece in the museum, because it was so strange and dreamlike. How did I do? Let's take a look at our criteria. Concise. It's only four sentences and each part is purposeful. Check. It's focused on the main idea. We can picture the main image at the center, the chihuahua king, with a few other key elements of the painting. I didn't get distracted by small details that added nothing major to my summary, like what kind of picture frame it had. Check. Each sentence addresses the five Ws. Where I went, when I went, what I saw, and why it was different. Check. Each sentence has a new piece of information. I don't repeat myself. Check. And I kept my personal opinion out of the summary of the painting. I stayed objective. Checkeroo. Hey, I think we really got it. Now I can call my friend back and actually describe this painting to them. Oh, break the lesson. Oh, oops. Summarizing is important in many other areas of life, too. Can you think of any situations where you'd need to summarize something? Here are some ideas that I came up with. You might need to summarize when you see a funny video on social media, and you want to explain it to your best friend who just missed it. Summarizing could also help you if a family member misses your big soccer match, and you want to give them the highlights of the game. When you get older, you might take college classes, or have to attend meetings for your job. It's always a good idea to write down summary notes to refer back to later. You might even just want to talk to a new friend about your favorite movie to get to know each other. Now that we're really getting the hang of this, and we can see why summarizing is important, let's look at a written passage and try to create a summary for it together. Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is one of the most famous works of art in the world. Painted in the early 16th century, the painting depicts a woman with a mysterious smile, dressed in simple clothing with a landscape behind her. The painting is small in size, measuring only 77 centimeters by 53 centimeters, but its impact on art history is immeasurable. One reason for its fame is the mystery surrounding it. Who was the woman in the painting, and what was she thinking? Another reason is the technique da Vinci used to paint it. He used a technique called sfumato, which blends colors together to create a smoky effect. Despite its fame, the Mona Lisa is just one example of the incredible works of art that have been created throughout history, from the Sistine Chapel to the works of Picasso. Wowza! Mona Lisa overload! Okay, first step, deep breath. Okay, now let's start by taking a pen and underlining the parts that seem like they're a main idea in the text. Leonardo da Vinci. He's the artist who did the painting. Mona Lisa. That's what the painting is called. Famous. There's something special about this painting, and we need to look for why. Early 16th century. This tells us when the painting was made. Woman in simple clothes. That helps us picture what the painting looks like. Mysterious smile. This is part of why it's famous. Technique called sfumato. How it's painted. And another reason why it's famous. Throughout history. This is why it's still important today. And the Sistine Chapel and the works of Picasso are also famous. What do you think of the important details I underlined? Does each address one of the five W's? I think I'm seeing one underlined item that doesn't really fit with the other ones. Can you spot it? The Sistine Chapel and Picasso seem to be small details that don't add meaning to the passage. So let's get rid of that one. Okay, now that we've identified the main ideas, let's try to put them into just a few sentences in our own words. Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is a very famous painting from long ago. It shows a woman with mysterious smile, dressed in simple clothes, and standing in front of a beautiful landscape. It's special because of its mystery, the way it was painted, and how it has become an important part of art history. How do you think we did? Let's run our summary through the checklist. Concise? It's only three sentences. Check. Only focused on the main ideas? Check. Covering the five W's? Check. Avoids repetition? Check. Objective? We didn't give our opinion on art or the Mona Lisa. That's a check. Wow, the time just flew on by. You really helped me figure out how I can talk to my friend about my trip to the museum, and now you're a summarizing expert. Remember, summarizing is a great tool for understanding and recalling important information in many areas of life. To learn more, be sure to check out the PDF that accompanies this lesson. Now, as for me, I actually have to run. I told Aunt Muriel I would help her walk to Barca. See you next time!