8TH GRADE BLITZ 2.

Warm Up (5 minutes)
Read the quote in the box and answer the questions below. Be prepared to discuss your answers.
You have enemies? Good. That means youve stood up for something, sometime in your life.
Winston Churchill

1. What does it mean to stand up for something?

2. Have you ever stood up for something? Explain what happened.

3. Do you have any enemies? Why do you think that is?

New Information (5 minutes)

Paraphrasing and Summarizing

Paraphrasing
Has ________________ amount of
information.
Written in ______________ words.
Include ______________________.
Includes ________________.
Mirrors the ___________________
________________.
If there is a sequence of events, like in a
story, ____________________________
____________________________.

Summarizing
Has _____________ information than the
original passage.
Written in _________________ words.
Communicates the ____________________ of
the poem, story, or article.
Does NOT include ________________________.
If there is a sequence of events, like in a
story, ____________________________
____________________________.

8TH GRADE BLITZ 2.0

For example:
Original

Original
Drones, powered by wind and sun, are
in your future. They will deliver highspeed Internet connections to parts of
the world without power. They will take
high-resolution photos of all parts of the
world. They will be able to fly for years
without needing to be recharged. But do
not hold your breath waiting for them to
arrive. The technology to do all this is in
the infant stage. Recently, Google
bought a young company named Titan
Aerospace in New Mexico. Facebook was
interested in the same company.

Paraphrase

Summary

The same meaning, but different

words (mosaic/shapes instead of
paint).

The same general idea, but leaving out

minor details.

Paraphrase
Soon people in areas of the world
without electricity will be able to access
the Internet, thanks to drones that work
through solar and wind power. These
drones will not only be able to use this
power to stay flying for a long time, but
they will be able to take pictures of
places all over the globe. However, the
technology needed to make these
drones work is still a long way away.
Google and Facebook are interested in
the technology, and Google purchased a
company named Titan Aerospace that is
based in New Mexico.

Summary
The next wave of technology is drones,
which will provide Internet and take
photos, and get their power from wind
and sun. Although it will be many years
before they can operate, Google and
Facebook are getting involved.

8TH GRADE BLITZ 2.0

Before we practice paraphrasing and summarizing, we are going to read All Summer In A Day by Ray Bradbury. Ray Bradbury
writes science fiction, which is a made up story that has scientific elements. For example, a story about robots taking over a city
would be science fictionits made up, but with the way science is
going, it could someday happen.
Some words you will see that you may not know:
As we read, think about this:

Keep this question in mind:

8TH GRADE BLITZ 2.0

Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Teacher does: Watch the teacher answer these questions and copy down what your teacher writes.
1. Re-read the paragraph that begins Margot stood alone in the first column on page 156. Summarize
what this paragraph is mainly about.

2. Re-read the paragraph that begins And then, of course in the second column on page 156. Paraphrase
this paragraph.

We do: Work with a partner on the following questions.

3. Summarize what the children do to Margot. Hint: you should be able to do this in 1-2 sentences.

REMEMBER:
4. Paraphrase what happens to Margot at the end of page 157 and the beginning of page 158.Paraphrasing
Hint: this and
should have more details than your answer for number 3, but it should be in your own words.
If you have
summarizing
are
trouble not copying the story, re-read the passage and then cover it up! You cant copy what
you
cant
see.
just the facts.

Your feelings
about what
happens or what
people say
should NOT be
included. You are
just a reporter-report what

8TH GRADE BLITZ 2.0

I do: Work on your own on the following questions.

5. In four sentences or fewer, summarize what happens on the last page of the story (page 160).

6. Paraphrase the last two sentences of the story.

Exit Ticket (5 minutes)WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED, RIP THIS PAGE OFF AND GIVE IT TO YOUR TEACHER
1. What is the best summary of the story?
a. The planet Venus finally gets an hour of sun after seven years, and people are very excited about it. They cant wait
to see it. A group of school children goes out to play in the sun.
b. People have moved to the planet Venus to live, but conditions are harsh. One of the reasons it is difficult to live on
Venus is because it rains all the time. One day every seven years, the sun comes out for an hour, and people are
happy. A group of school children doesnt remember this happening because the last time it happened, they were
two.
c. A girl named Margot is bullied by her classmates. They are rude to her about a poem she wrote, and dont like her
because she seems weak. Because of this, they lock her in a closet and forget about her. They are mean children, and
should be punished for what they did.
d. On the planet Venus, people live in a colony. It rains all the time, and the sun only comes out every seven years. A girl
named Margot remembers seeing the sun when her classmates do not. They make fun of her and lock her in the
closet. They forget about her, and she misses seeing the sun.
2. What is the best way to paraphrase this paragraph: There was talk that her father and mother were taking her back to
Earth next year; it seemed vital to her that they do so, though it would mean the loss of thousands of dollars to her
family. And so, the children hated her for all these reasons of big and little consequence. They hated her pale snow face,
her waiting silence, her thinness, and her possible future.
a. The children disliked Margot for several reasons.
b. The kids didnt like the way Margot looked, or that she was going to lose thousands of dollars because of how sick she
was. They didnt want her to go back to Earth.
c. There were rumors about Margots parents returning to Earth with her, even though it would cost them a lot of
money, because she couldnt stay there. The other children disliked her because of that, and for other reasonsher
looks, her quiet attitude, her body, and the fact that she got to go to Earth.

8TH GRADE BLITZ 2.0

d. There was talk that her father and mother were taking her back to Earth next year. The children hated her for all
these reasons. They hated her pale snow face.
3. Read the following words used to describe Margot and her actions in the story. In your own words, what kind of person is
she?
a ghost
whispered
alone