Summary

A summary of a story recounts it in a succinct way and includes only the most important information, ideas, or details. It may include supporting details to the main idea as well as the sequence of the story (e.g. beginning, middle, end or chronological order).

Threatened!

Loggerhead sea turtles glide gently through many of the world’s oceans. They are known for their beauty and graceful nature. Once widely hunted, they continue to face threats both in the water and on land. Largest of the hard-shelled turtles, adult male loggerheads usually weigh about 250 pounds. They are…

The Garden of Live Flowers

This passage is from Through the Looking-Glass, which is a sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  As the passage begins, Alice has gone through a looking-glass, or mirror, into another wonderland. She is in a garden where she has discovered flowers that can talk. —————————- Alice didn’t like being criticized,…

Primary Source: Votes for Women Ratified

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. “Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” This is the full text of the 19th Amendment to the…

Trouble at Workbench 19

Snowdrop was the head elf in charge of the toy workshop in Santa’s castle. It was her job to make sure all the elves were making toys at their stations, and at each workbench, a pair of elves was working hard to get their tasks done in time for Christmas…

The Extermination of the American Bison

Noted zoologist and wildlife conservationist William Temple Hornaday wrote a book on the state of the American bison, or buffalo, for the Smithsonian Institution. Hornaday’s concern was that the dramatic drop in population of the buffalo might likely lead to its extinction. An estimated 60 million buffalo lived in the…

June’s Lost Shoe

Every Sunday, June tied her sneakers and walked to Grandpa’s house. Grandpa lived around the block, and June was allowed to walk there by herself. Grandpa would tell her stories about when he was a boy. They also ate ice cream together while they talked. Sunday was June’s favorite day. This Sunday June got…

Old King Cole

     Old King Cole      Was a merry old soul, And a merry old soul was he;      He called for his pipe,      And he called for his bowl, And he called for his fiddlers three! And every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,       And a…

Romeo Meets Juliet

In this passage from Romeo and Juliet, Romeo first meets Juliet at a party held by her parents. Neither of them know who the other is; they are both the only children of feuding families. They are engaged in a flirtatious conversation. —————————————– Romeo. [To Juliet.] If I profane with…

Little Helen

Helen Keller was born in 1880 in Alabama. She had normal hearing and seeing abilities when she was born. However, when she was just 19 months old, she became very sick. After she recovered she could no longer hear or see. In this passage from her autobiography, Helen remembers what…

Mountain Gorillas: Going, Going, Almost Gone

Mountain gorillas are some of the most threatened animals on the planet. Only two groups of mountain gorillas remain. One population lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. The other group lives in the Virunga Mountains. This mountain range of extinct volcanoes borders the African countries of the…