4.2.5: Story summaries

Students get a deeper understanding of material when they are able to summarize what they have read or heard in their own words. Summaries are short (2-3 phrases or sentences), and they capture enough information to give someone who hasn’t read the text a good idea of what it’s about.

Chicano Park mural in San Diego, Ca. USA. Flickr Photo by kellinahandbasket.

1. Read each story carefully.
2. Who the main character?
3. What is the general topic or purpose of the story?: condense/categorize only the important information that would help someone who hasn’t read it understand what it is about.
4. Write a short summary with this information in your own words in Spanish using these as a guide:

• ¿Cómo se llama?
• ¿Dónde vivía?
• ¿Cómo era su ciudad?
• ¿Cómo era su vida?
• ¿Qué actividades hacía?
• ¿Qué le gustaba?

1. Paloma mis diversiones story summary: __________________________________

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2. Paloma ayuda mucho story summary: ___________________________________

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3. Pablo de niño story summary: __________________________________________

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