Summarizing & Main Idea

1.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

What is a summary?

a short explanation of a text

a persuasive argument about a text

a movie based off a book

a theme or universal lesson

2.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

When would you most likely summarize a book?

when you want to forget a book you've read

when you want to tell a friend your opinion of a book but not what it was about

when you want to tell a friend the gist or the main idea of a book

when you don't understand a vocabulary word you read in a book

3.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

A summary should

answer the 5 W's: who, what, when, where, and why.

describe the details but not the main ideas.

never mention the plot of the text.

always mention the age of the author.

4.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

You should write your summary

in your own words with complete sentences

in a secret language that your make up

in one draft without revising

in fragments without punctuation

5.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

What can you summarize?

only novels

only nonfiction

only movies

anything you read or watch

6.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

The article "The Three Men Who Invented the Telephone" is about three different men who contributed to the invention of the telephone. Which of the following should you include in a summary of this article?

details about how smartphones and cell phones work

a detail about where the phrase "put someone on hold" came form

a brief explanation of how each man was involved in the invention of the telephone

your opinion about who really invented the telephone

7.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

When summarizing, I should identify...

the main idea and supporting details of the plot

Just the main idea.

8.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

In my summary, I just summarize what the story said, and I do not give my personal opinions about what happened.

True

False

9.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

In my summary, I should try to avoid using a lot of quotations.

True

False

10.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

Which of these words could be used as a transition word?

Good

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

Read the following passage and then choose the best summary or main idea.
There are five teams of students in the fifth grade. The blue team has math first period, and the red team has science. The yellow team gets to go outside early in the morning, while the green team goes to music. Only students on the orange team get to play games first period. Each student wears a nametag with his or her color, so that the teachers and students all know where a student should be.

Students are organized by teams with color names .

The blue team has math first.

Students wear nametags.

The yellow team has the best schedule.

12.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

Read the following passage and then choose the best summary or main idea.
The Elk River flows from the far northern part of the state all the way to the southern tip. All kinds of animals rely on it for drinking water, people eat the fish they catch in it, and farmers in the state depend on it for irrigating their crops. Since there is very little rain in this state, the Elk River gives animals and humans the water they need to stay alive. Even though the river is not nearly the biggest in the nation, it is very important to the people and animals that live near it.

The Elk River is a small river.

The Elk River starts in the northern part of the state.

The Elk River is very important to people and animals.

People catch fish in the Elk River.

13.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

Read the following passage and then choose the best summary or main idea.
Books lay in the middle of his floor. Several broken toys were shoved halfway under the bed, and dirty clothes were everywhere. Frank's parents kept telling him to clean his room, but it never seemed to get clean. In fact, if Frank did manage to clean part of it, the rest of the room just got messier. In one corner of the room was an old peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and an open bag of potato chips was thrown on the dresser.

Frank's room was a mess.

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich was in one corner of the room.

Frank liked potato chips.

Frank got in big trouble because his room was not clean.

14.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

Read the following passage and then choose the best summary or main idea.
Jose carefully poured out the bag of marbles on his bed. He picked his ten favorite marbles and carefully set them to the side. Then he got out a small bag from his top drawer, and put the ten marbles inside. Just to make sure he wouldn't forget them, he placed the bag of marbles in his backpack. Jose loved show and tell, and he was excited that he would get to show his class some of his favorite marbles.

Jose had lots of marbles.

Jose was getting his favorite marbles ready to take to school for show and tell.

Jose would rather play marbles than play baseball.

Jose placed the bag of marbles in his backpack.

15.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

Beautiful Butterflies
Have you ever just watched a butterfly float around, its wings gracefully fluttering? The butterfly's beauty and amazing transformation seem to capture our imagination and make us wonder at this amazing little insect. A butterfly begins its life cycle as a caterpillar, a long, worm-like creature covered with tiny, spine-like hairs and a patter of stripes of patches. The caterpillar sheds its skin four or more times before creating a cocoon around itself. During this stage, we call the creature a chrysalis. Inside the cocoon, the caterpillar's body tissues break down and new parts are formed. Finally, the transformation is complete, and a beautiful butterfly comes out! The adult butterfly finds a mate and lays eggs on leaves and stems. Often, the butterfly migrates, or travels to a new location, to lay its eggs. This little eggs will soon hatch, and new little caterpillars will begin the cycle again.
What is the main idea of this passage?

what butterflies eat

the life cycle of a butterfly

how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly

16.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

Beautiful Butterflies
Have you ever just watched a butterfly float around, its wings gracefully fluttering? The butterfly's beauty and amazing transformation seem to capture our imagination and make us wonder at this amazing little insect. A butterfly begins its life cycle as a caterpillar, a long, worm-like creature covered with tiny, spine-like hairs and a patter of stripes of patches. The caterpillar sheds its skin four or more times before creating a cocoon around itself. During this stage, we call the creature a chrysalis. Inside the cocoon, the caterpillar's body tissues break down and new parts are formed. Finally, the transformation is complete, and a beautiful butterfly comes out! The adult butterfly finds a mate and lays eggs on leaves and stems. Often, the butterfly migrates, or travels to a new location, to lay its eggs. This little eggs will soon hatch, and new little caterpillars will begin the cycle again.
What happens inside the cocoon?

The caterpillar lays eggs.

The caterpillar sheds its skin four or more times.

The caterpillar's body tissues break down and new parts are formed.

17.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

The Postage Stamp
Do you know where the idea for postage stamps came from? In 1840, Great Britain created the first postage stamps, an idea thought up by a man named Sir Rowland Hill. This stamps had the head of Queen Victoria printed on them and were called "Penny Blacks." Before postage stamps were made, people took letters to the post office and just paid a fee to have them sent. The postmaster would collect the money and write "paid" on the letters. The new stamps allowed people to mail their letters from public mailboxes that the British government set up all over the country. They no longer had to make a special trip to the post office every time they wanted to mail a letter. Today, every country in the world has its own stamps, with the country's name printed on them. Great Britain is the only country that does not print its name on its stamps!
What is the main idea of this passage?

how letters are mailed

how much postage stamps cost

where postage stamps came from

18.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

Tom started to reel in his line. The fish tugged and pulled hard. Judging by the weight of his catch, this fish could feed his family for three days. Tom struggled to stay in the boat and not be pulled over the side. Finally his catch came into view. He had snagged a snapping turtle!
What is the main idea?

Tom finds enough food for his family.

Tom gets pulled out of his boat by a huge fish.

Tom didn't catch anything.

Tom catches a snapping turtle while fishing.

19.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer. Soccer players learn how to dribble and pass the ball. They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score. Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.
What is the main idea?

They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.

Soccer players learn how to dribble.

They learn how to work together as teammates.

Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.

20.

Multiple Choice

5 mins

1 pt

Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Brown are bakers. They work at a store called Bake Goods to Go. Mrs. Jones works nights. She bakes cakes, cookies, and pies. Mrs. Brown works in the daytime. She bakes bread and rolls. Both Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Brown are very good bakers.
What is the main idea?

Mrs. Jones bakes pies.

Mrs. Brown bakes rolls.

Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Brown are bakers

They work at a store called Bake Goods to Go.

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