STEP-BY-STEP Writing, Book 1: A Standards-Based Approach, Second Edition - Linda Lonon Blanton 2008

Unit 10 Summarize Information

Reading

Discuss. Answer the questions. Report your information to the class.

1. What does the word hero mean?

2. Who is your hero?

3. What information do you know about that person?

4. Why is that person a hero to you?

Read. Read Francisco's essay about his grandfather.

My Hero by Francisco Garcia

My hero is Enrique Lopez. Enrique Lopez was born on October 1, 1945. Enrique grew up in a small town in Spain. He lived with his mother, father, three sisters, and four brothers. Enrique’s family was happy, but they didn’t have a lot of money. So, in 1959, Enrique and his brother Pedro moved to New York.

Life was difficult in New York for Pedro and Enrique. Pedro got a job in a restaurant. Enrique was only 14 years old, so he went to school. In the evenings, Enrique worked with Pedro at the restaurant. In 1963, Enrique graduated from high school. After that, Enrique and Pedro worked hard at the restaurant. They saved their money. In 1966, Enrique and Pedro bought their own restaurant. They called it La Casa Lopez. In 1968, Enrique brought his mother, father, sisters, and brothers to New York from Spain. In 1970, Enrique married Maria Gonzales. Enrique and his wife had three children, Marco, Luisa, and Berta. Everybody worked together at the restaurant. La Casa Lopez became very successful.

Enrique and his family still live in New York. Enrique doesn’t work at the restaurant now, but he is very busy. He teaches English classes for new immigrants every afternoon. Next year, he is going to open a cooking school, too. He and Pedro are going to teach the classes. Enrique didn’t win any big prizes and he isn’t famous. However, many people admire him. He always helps people and he is very kind. Enrique’s daughter Berta is proud of her father. Berta lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and daughter. She often tells her family about Enrique. That is why Enrique Lopez is my hero. Enrique Lopez is my grandfather.

Write captions. Write a sentence from the reading under each picture on page 119. Use sentences from the reading.

Vocabulary

Find these words and phrases in the reading on page 118. Write the complete sentences.

was born

married

grew up

had children

moved to

saved money

got a job

became successful

graduated from

admire

1. Enrique Lopez was born on October 1, 1945.

2. …

3. …

4. …

5. …

6. …

7. …

8. …

9. …

10. …

Unscramble the letters to find family words.

1. rafghtedarn grandfather

2. ilncehrd …

3. hubnads …

4. fiew …

5. osn …

6. taergdhu …

7. issret …

8. threbor …

Write five sentences about Francisco's family. Use words from vocabulary Activity В and sentences from the reading on page 118.

1. Enrique Lopez is Francisco's grandfather.

2. …

3. …

4. …

5. …

Grammar

> Learn more in the Grammar Reference, pages 131-141.

Answer the questions. Write complete sentences. Use the correct verb tense.

Simple Verb Tenses

1. Who is Francisco’s hero?

Enrique Lopez is Francisco's hero.

2. Where is Enrique Lopez from?

3. When was he born?

4. What did Enrique do in 1959?

5. What happened in 1966?

6. How many children did Enrique have?

7. What does Enrique do every afternoon?

8. What is Enrique going to do next year?

Check the subject-verb agreement in these sentences. Four sentences are incorrect. Mark the incorrect sentences. Rewrite the incorrect sentences correctly.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Complete the summary. Use the correct forms of the verbs in parentheses.

Enrique Lopez (1) was born (is born) on October 1, 1945. In 1959, he (2) … (move) to the United States from Spain with his brother. He (2) … (go) to school and his brother (3) … (work) in a restaurant.

In 1963, Enrique (4) … (graduate) from high school. He and his brother (5) … (buy) a restaurant in 1966. His family (6) … (come) to New York City in 1968. He (7) … (marry) Maria Gonzales in 1970. Now, the Lopez family (8) … (live) in New York City. Enrique (9) … (not work) at the restaurant. He (10) … (teach) English classes. Next year, he (11) … (open) a school. He and his brother (11) (teach) cooking lessons. Many people (12) … (admire) Enrique because he (13) … (is) helpful and kind.

Organization

Summary Paragraph

Reread the passage on page 118. Take notes. Then paraphrase the main ideas in each paragraph. Use your own words.

Remember!

A summary paragraph tells the main ideas and the important details from a longer passage. The topic sentence sums up the main point of the passage. Then, the writer retells the information in the same order as the passage. However, the writer uses his or her own words. This is called paraphrasing.

Writing conventions

Citing Sources

Label the source citation with words from the box.

Remember!

Good writers always tell where they got their information. They cite their source. For published sources you must include:

title   author publisher information

copyright date page number(s)

See page 144 for more information about citing sources.

title

author

copyright date

publisher information

page number(s)

Writing

Writing a summary

A summary gives the facts and main ideas from a longer passage or story. Writers often summarize research information from encyclopedias, reference books, and other resources. They only include information that is important to the topic.

Read. Read the encyclopedia entry about Rosa Parks.

A Biography of Rosa Parks

Rosa Louise McCauley was bom on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. In 1924, at age 11, Rosa moved to Montgomery, Alabama to study. She went to The Industrial School for Girls. Five years later, Rosa quit school to help her grandmother. In 1932, Rosa married Raymond Parks. Rosa's husband encouraged Rosa to finish school. She graduated from high school in 1933.

Rosa's husband, Raymond, was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). NAACP members supported civil rights. They wanted black people and white people to be treated equally. However, at the time, black people and white people were often segregated. They did not eat in the same restaurants. They did not ride the bus together. On buses, white people sat in the front of the bus. Black people stood, or sat in the back of the bus. Rosa Parks thought this was wrong, so in 1943, she joined the NAACP.

On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks changed America. She boarded a bus and sat down. Soon, a white man got on the bus. The bus driver asked Rosa to move. Rosa Parks was tired from working all day. She said, "no." The police came and arrested Rosa. The black people of Alabama were very angry. They stopped riding buses and the bus companies lost a lot of money. Finally, the segregation laws were changed. Black people could sit where they wanted to.

Rosa Parks died in 2005, but many people still admire her. She is often thought to be one of America's strongest and bravest civil rights activists. Rosa's actions helped Americans to understand that black people and white people should have equal civil rights. Because of this, Rosa Parks is sometimes called "the mother of the civil rights movement."

Find information. Find information in the encyclopedia entry to complete the summary on page 125. Rewrite the summary with the correct information.

A Summary

Step-by-step writing

Purpose: Summarize Information

Writing PROMPT

Look up a famous hero in an encyclopedia or reference book. Write a one-paragraph summary of the information you find. Tell where and when the person was born. Give dates for two or more important events in the person's life. Include the main details about one important thing the person did.

STEP 1 Pre-write

Read your reference passage. Then, look at Dawn's reading chart. Make your own chart. Read your information again. Find the main ideas from each paragraph.

STEP 2 Organize

Look at Dawn's sentence organizer. Copy the organizer or make one on your computer. Paraphrase your notes. Complete the organizer with sentences for your biography.

Step 3 Draft and Revise

Practice. Look at Dawn's first draft. How can she improve it? Answer the questions.

1. What is a better topic sentence?

A Rosa Louise McCauley was an important person.

Ⓑ Rosa Parks was a famous civil rights activist

C The NAACP was important.

D Rosa Parks was from Montgomery, Alabama.

2. What sentence is not important or related to the topic sentence?

A Sentence 1       В Sentence 2

C Sentence 3       D Sentence 4

3. Where is the best place to add this information?

A after Sentence 4      В after Sentence 5

C after Sentence 6      D after Sentence 7

4. What is a clearer way to write the underlined part of sentence 8?

A give her seat on the bus.    В give her seat to a person.

C give her seat on the bus to a white person. D give the bus to a white person.

Draft. Write a first draft of your summary paragraph. Use your notes from Steps 1 and 2.

Revise. Read your first draft. How can you improve it? Look at the revision checklist. Revise your writing.

Step 4 Edit

Practice. Look at the sentences. Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence.

1. My sister ... Mexico.

A born in

Ⓑ was born in

C is born in

D was born on

2. My mother’s father is my ...

A grandmother

В cousin

C father

D grandfather

3. Rena ... to school in San Francisco last year.

A go

В goes

C went

D is going to go

4. Sheri ... in Dallas, Texas.

A live

В lives

C are

D don’t live

5. Peter and Mark ... visit me next year.

A is going to

В are going

C is going

D are going to

Edit. Reread your draft from Step 3. Look at the editing checklist. Edit your writing.

Peer Edit. Exchange drafts with a partner. Tell your partner what you like about the draft. Look at the editing checklist. Tell your partner how to improve the draft.

STEP 5 Publish

Write your summary in your best handwriting or on a computer. Look at Dawn's paragraph on page 125 for ideas. Remember to include a title, your name, and your source information. Present your summary to the class.

Technology

Finding Reliable Sources

Not all Internet information is reliable. You cannot believe everything you read. The most reliable sources for information are organizations and universities. These Web site addresses end with ".org" or ".edu". Do a keyword search for Rosa Parks. Find one .org site and one .edu site about her. Find three pieces of information about Rosa Parks from each. Cite your Internet sources.

Group writing

Work in a group to write about one of these topics.

1. Choose a topic.    4. Write a first draft.

2. Study the information.    5. Revise and edit the draft with your group.

3. Research needed information.  6. Present your group's writing to the class.

Topic 1

Write a story about the picture. Tell about the characters, setting, and action. Be sure your story has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Topic 2

Research one of the people below. Write a one-paragraph summary of their life.

Timed writing

Choose one writing prompt. Complete the writing task in 45 minutes.

Writing PROMPT 1

Think about an event that changed your life. Write a personal narrative paragraph about what happened. Use descriptive adjectives to describe the setting and the characters. Describe the action. Use transition words to connect ideas. Be sure your story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Writing PROMPT 2

Think about someone you know that you think is a hero. Write a one-paragraph summary about the person for a school newspaper. Give dates for two or more important events in the person's life. Tell why you think the person is a hero. Include details to support your information.

Think about your writing skills. Check (✓) the answers that are true.

1. I understand...

□ travel and transportation words.

□ synonyms and antonyms for adjectives.

□ life event words.

□ extended family words.

2. I can correctly use...

□ simple past tense of irregular verbs.

□ Wh- questions in the past tense.

□ all forms of simple tense.

□ the right verb for the subject.

3. I can correctly...

□ use time transitions.

□ cite sources.

4. I can organize my writing by...

□ telling the beginning, the middle and the end of a story.

□ writing a summary.

5. I can write to...

□ tell a personal story.

□ summarize.

Nouns

Nouns name a person, place, or thing.

Regular Plural Nouns (p. 16)

Nouns can be singular (one) or plural (more than one).

To make most nouns plural, add an s or es after the singular noun.

Irregular Plural Nouns

Some nouns are irregular in the plural form.

Count and Noncount Nouns (p. 32)

Count nouns are nouns you can count. They are singular or plural.

Use a, an, the, or a number with count nouns.

Noncount nouns can't be counted. They are singular.

Don't use a, an, or numbers. Use some for a non-specific amount.

Articles (p. 4)

Use an article before count nouns.

Possessive Nouns (p. 18)

Possessive nouns show ownership.

Pronouns

A pronoun takes the place of a noun or refers to a noun.

Example: My brother is sick today. He has a cold.

Subject Pronouns (p. 6)

Subject pronouns take the place of subject nouns. They do the action in a sentence.

Contractions

I am = I’m

you are = you’re

he is = he’s

she is = she’s

it is - it’s

we are = we’re

they are = they’re

Object Pronouns (p. 70)

Object pronouns take the place of object nouns. They show to whom something happened or who got something. They come after a verb or preposition.

Verbs

A verb is an action word. Example: He works in a big office.

Simple Present Tense (pp. 5, 17, 30, 68, 121)

Use the simple present tense to tell about an action that is true now or that generally happens.

Contractions

does not = doesn’t do not = don’t

Rule

Add an s to a verb for he, she, and it.

Present Continuous Tense (pp. 69, 82)

The present continuous tense tells about an action happening right now.

Use be and a main verb. Add ing to the end of the verb.

Simple Past Tense (pp. 83, 84, 109, 110, 121)

Use the simple past tense of a verb to tell about an action that happened in the past.

Simple Past Tense with be

Contractions

was not = wasn’t

were not = weren’t

Simple Past Tense with Regular Verbs

Contractions

did not = didn’t

Rules for Simple Past Tense

Past Tense of Irregular Verbs

Future Tense (pp. 95, 96, 121)

The future tense describes events that happen after the present.

For actions in the future, use be + going to + verb.

Future Tense with be going to

There is / There are (p. 57)

Statements with There is/There are

Imperative Form (p. 31)

Use the imperative form to give instructions, directions, or orders.

The imperative is like the simple present tense verb for you without a subject.

Contractions

do not = don’t

Modal Verbs

Should (p. 58)

Use should to make suggestions.

Should goes before a verb.

Should for Suggestions

Contractions

should not = shouldn’t

Want and Would Like (p. 96)

Want and would like tell about a wish, request, or invitation.

Want is informal. Would like is formal.

Sentences

Complete Sentences (p. 19)

A sentence is a group of words. The words express a complete thought.

A complete sentence has a subject and a verb.

The subject tells who or what the sentence is about.

The verb tells about the subject.

Subject-Verb Agreement (p. 122)

The subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number.

When a subject is singular, the verb must be singular.

When a subject is plural, the verb must be plural.

Adjetives (p. 4, 16, 56, 83)

Adjectives describe or give information about people, places, or things.

Adjectives go after the verb be or before a noun.

Add a comma (,) or the word and between adjectives.

Quantity Adjectives (p. 58)

Quantity adjectives answer the questions how much or how many.

Possessive Adjectives (p. 18)

Possessive adjectives tell who owns something.

They go before nouns.

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives (p. 94)

Comparative adjectives compare two things.

Add than after the comparative form.

Maria is younger than Francisco.

Maria’s costume is more interesting than Tara’s costume.

Superlative adjectives compare more than two things.

Add the before the superlative form.

Maria is the youngest person in her family.

Maria’s costume is the most interesting in her class.

Adverbs (р. 70)

Adverbs answer the questions how, when, or where.

They give details about verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

To make many adverbs, add ly to the adjective form.

Really, yesterday, and very are also adverbs.

Adverbs of Frequency (p. 44)

Adverbs of frequency answer the question how often.

Prepositions (pp. 18, 44, 68, 82)

Prepositions tell where, when, and how something happens.

They usually have a noun after them.

preposition + noun = prepositional phrase

Examples:

New Year’s Eve is on December 31.

Cinco de Mayo is very popular in the U.S.

Francisco celebrates his birthday at home.

The Garcia family goes to the Cinco de Mayo parade.

Common Prepositions

Prepositions of Time and Location

Time expressions tell when something happens or how long something lasts.

Example: I play baseball for two hours in the afternoon.

Location phrases tell where something is located.

Example: The bedroom is next to the kitchen.

Questions and answers (p. 43, 110)

There are two kinds of questions: yes/no questions and wh- questions.

The answer to a yeslno question is either yes or no.

Yes/No Questions with be

Contractions

was not = wasn’t

were not = weren’t

we are = we’re

they are = they’re

Yes/No Questions with Other Verbs

Contractions

does not = doesn’t

do not = don’t

did not = didn’t

Wh- Questions

Punctuation

Period (.)

end of a statement

after an abbreviation

Question Mark (?)

end of a question

Exclamation Point (!)

after a strong sentence

Apostrophe (')

to show possession

in a contraction

Comma (,)

to separate things in a list

to separate adjectives

between the day and year in a date

between city and state

after the opening of a friendly letter

after the closing of a letter

I go to school.

Ave. Mr. St. Dr.

How are you?

My room is very small!

The girl’s book is on the desk.

he’s it’s isn’t weren’t didn’t

Victoria, Yang, and I are classmates.

The short, funny man is in the park.

July 4, 1776

Dallas, Texas Dear Roxana, Sincerely,

Capitalization

Capitalize the first word in a sentence.

Capitalize the pronoun I.

Capitalize proper nouns.

people

places

days

months

holidays

special events

nationalities

languages

schools

abbreviations

titles

He is from Los Angeles.

Jose and I are best friends.

George Washington

Puebla, Mexico

Monday

February

Thanksgiving

Olympics

British

Spanish

West High School

Dr. Rd.

Step-by-Step Writing

Commonly misspelled words

Citation guide

Student writing rubric

Look at the writing. Read the sentences below. Add your own criteria at the end of the list. Do you agree with the sentences? Look at the score chart. Then, write a score next to each sentence. Add comments.