Summarizing a Single

Paragraph
(from “Global Warming
Alert!”)

Global warming is caused

when carbon dioxide (CO2)
gets into the atmosphere.
The carbon dioxide acts like
the glass walls and ceiling
of a greenhouse. It lets
sunlight in to warm things
up, but it doesn't let the heat
escape. Scientists say the
same thing is happening to
our planet, making it a
dangerously warmer place.
As many as one million
species of land plants and
animals are in danger of
becoming extinct if global
warming continues.
According to a recent study,
the warming of the Earth
could destroy as many as
37 percent of the world’s
living species by the year
2050!
 Summary of

(Title of Reading Passage)

Paragraph 1
1. Main Idea (what is this
paragraph about?)
2. Other important
information:
 _____________________
 _____________________
 _____________________
3. Combine 1 and 2 into one
or two sentences.
Paragraph 2
4. Main Idea (what is this
paragraph about?)
5. Other important
information:
 _____________________
 _____________________
 _____________________
6. Combine 4 and 5 into one
or two sentences.

Paragraph 3
7. Main Idea (what is this
paragraph about?)
8. Other important
information:
 _____________________
 _____________________
 _____________________
9. Combine 7 and 8 into one
or two sentences.
Copy your summary
sentences into a paragraph.
Leave them in the same
order (paragraph 1
summary, paragraph 2
summary, etc.)
Read the above paragraph
again. Does this make
sense? Does it cover
essential information? Did
you leave out unnecessary
details? Below, write you
paragraph into final form.