Summary Writing

1. Summary Writing Using an IVF Graphic Organizer

2. Identify • What is the name of the work to be summarized? • What is the genre? • Who wrote it? • Example: “The Giver,” a fictional novel by Lois Lowry,

3. Verb • Insert a verb the exposes for the reader the purpose of the work. • Examples: • Describes • Explains • Retells • Illustrates

4. Finish the Thought • Insert a phrase or clause that goes with the verb to finish explaining the purpose to the reader. • Example: a dystopian society that contrasts sharply with American society today.

5. Topic Sentence • Put the IVF together to form a single, complete sentence. • This becomes the topic sentence for the summary. • It will expose for the reader immediately which work is to be summarized, who wrote it, and what the purpose is. • Example: “The Giver,” a fictional novel by Lois Lowry, describes a dystopian society that contrasts sharply with American society today.

6. JOTT Notes • These refer to the main ideas of the selection. • They should be no longer than one, two, or three words. • The emphasis is to reveal the most important events or topics of the cited work in the summary writer’s own words. • They should be listed in chronological/sequential order. • The summary writer should be able to determine one or two relevant details for each, depending on the length of the original work. • Examples: • Jonas is 12 • Ceremony of Twelves • Life in Community • Jonas’s training • Jonas’s dilemma • Decisions

7. Drafting • Once the JOTT notes are completed, the summary writer should begin drafting the summary. • Each note needs to be turned into a complete sentence in the writer’s own words • Detail sentences must follow and be relevant to each main idea note. • Any quotes taken directly from the original work must be punctuated appropriately.

8. Sample Summary “The Giver,” a fictional novel by Lois Lowry, describes a dystopian society, although described initially as a utopian society, that contrasts sharply with American society today. Jonas is a twelve-year-old boy living in a society with strict rules. Memories are controlled by the Receiver, and emotions, behaviors, and life experiences are monitored and controlled by the Committee of Elders. At the Ceremony of Twelve, all children are given privileges based upon their years. All children born within the year are considered “ones” and receive names and a family unit. Twos through sevens receive varying materials such as comfort objects, jackets, hair ribbons, etc. Eights begin their volunteer hours to help determine future jobs they will be given. At nine, children are given bikes to ride, and girls have their hair ribbons removed while boys get hair cuts. Ten and eleven are simply marking years, while twelve is considered adulthood and assignments for life are given out. In The Community, people must adhere to the societal rules or they may be “released,” or killed. Once “stirrings” start at puberty, children are placed on medication. Memories are promptly handed over to The Receiver for safe keeping. Jonas gets selected as the new Receiver of Memory and must be trained by the Giver. He can experience emotions such as joy and pain for the first time in his life. He sees color, which have always been absent before. As he trains, Jonas determines that good or bad, people deserve to experience things and have memories. He must decide whether or not he wants to continue with the rules of the society or break them. Receivers and Givers are not subject to the same laws as other members of society and are allowed to lie, to be rude, and to ask anyone a question at any time. When the newborn that his father is nurturing is destined to be released, Jonas decides to run away from The Community, taking with him all of the memories of the past, leaving the people to create new ones and build a future of their own design. Left without their memories and the Receiver, the people are faced with dealing with stress, decisions, and feelings they’ve never had before. Although the book leaves the ending open for interpretation, the reader must decide whether or not The Community is a healthy or unhealthy place to live for the citizens, and learn that sometimes, things are not as good as they seem.