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Summarizing Guidelines

This document provides guidelines for outlining and summarizing readings. It explains that an outline organizes a document hierarchically with the main idea at the top followed by sub-topics and details, while a summary condenses the key points into your own words. It then lists 7 steps to outline a document, which include scanning for headings, listing keywords, identifying the main idea and sub-topics, and including supporting details. The purpose is to help prepare reports by organizing information learned from readings.

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Evan Pfeifer
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84 views

Summarizing Guidelines

This document provides guidelines for outlining and summarizing readings. It explains that an outline organizes a document hierarchically with the main idea at the top followed by sub-topics and details, while a summary condenses the key points into your own words. It then lists 7 steps to outline a document, which include scanning for headings, listing keywords, identifying the main idea and sub-topics, and including supporting details. The purpose is to help prepare reports by organizing information learned from readings.

Uploaded by

Evan Pfeifer
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2013 Project Lead The Way,

Inc.
BMS Outlining and Summarizing Guidelines Page 1


Outlining and Summarizing Guidelines

Purpose:
An outline is a useful tool to help you study information or organize your research in
order to prepare a report. An outline is an overview of a document with the ideas or
information listed in a hierarchical order. The main idea is at the top, followed by
secondary or supporting ideas called sub-topics. An outline could be considered an
ordered list of the topics or ideas.

By writing a summary, you condense an article and use your own words to present
the main ideas. The length of the summary will depend on its purpose, the length
and number of ideas in the original article, and the depth of detail needed. You make
summaries all the time. For example, when a friend asks you to tell her about a
movie you watched, you dont re-tell the movie scene by scene; you tell her the
general plot and highlights. In this way a 90-minute movie is summarized in 5
minutes or less.

Steps to Effectively Outline and Summarize a Reading Selection
Step #1.
Quickly scan the entire reading selection, looking for the headings or sub-
headings.
Read the heading and sub-headings and try to determine the main topics or
ideas contained in the reading selection.
Quickly read the entire selection once, stopping at the end of each paragraph to
write a list of key words found in each section. Also, in a different color ink write
any words that that you are unsure of their meaning.
Step #2.
Slowly read the first and last paragraphs.
Look at the key words you wrote down and add any new ones.
Look at the unfamiliar words you wrote down and try to determine their meanings
from their contextsee if the words around them give a clue to their meanings.
Note the order you wrote the words and think of the key ideas these words came
from.
Step #3.
Begin an outline by writing what you think is the main idea of the reading
selection. Look carefully at the first and last paragraphs and the key words to
determine the main idea.
Start making an outline by listing the main idea as the top item and use the
Roman numeral one.
2013 Project Lead The Way,

Inc.
BMS Outlining and Summarizing Guidelines Page 2
o Example:
I. Main Idea
Step #4.
Slowly read the entire selection, beginning with the first paragraph again.
Look for the first sub-topic. Try to distinguish between sub-topics and details.
Sub-topics are broad categories or ideas, just not as broad as the main idea.
Details are the specifics about a sub-topic that expand or support the main idea.
List the first sub-topic on the outline under the main idea.
o Example:
I. Main Idea
A. Sub-topic
Step #5.
Continue reading to find other sub-topics.
Use a different letter for each.
o Example:
II. Main Idea
A. Sub-topic #1
B. Sub-topic #2
C. Sub-topic #3
Step #6.
Re-read the selection to find the details about each sub-topic. The speed you use
to re-read will depend on how well you understand the topics. If you understand
the material you can read it quickly. If you are having a hard time understanding,
you may need to read it very slowly and check your understanding of each
sentence or section.
The details are the evidence, facts, and information for each sub-topic.
Use a number for each detail
Remember the key terms you listed earlier may be details.
o Example:
III. Main Idea
A. Sub-topic #1
1. Detail
2. Detail
B. Sub-topic #2
1. Detail
C. Sub-topic #3
Step #7.
Use your outline to write your summary.
Include the main idea, the sub-topics, and enough of the details to support the
main idea in your summary. The summary should be in your own words.

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