California Department of Education
Taking Center Stage – Act II

DOCUMENT LIBRARY

Summary Writing Task – Grade 7
Trimester 1 - EXAMPLE

Directions:

  • Read the following informational article.
  • As you read, you may mark the article or make notes.  Marks and notes will not be scored.
  • After reading the article, write a summary of what you have read.  You have 60 minutes to read, plan, write, and proofread your essay.
  • You may reread or go back to the article at any time during the test.

Scoring:

Your writing will be scored on how well you:

  • state the main ideas of the article;
  • identify the most important details that support the main ideas;
  • write your summary in your own words, except for quotations; and
  • express the underlying meaning of the article, not just the superficial details.

Writing Prompt:

They Eat What?
(attached)


Writing the Summary

Write a summary of the article.  Your writing will be scored on how well you:

  • state the main ideas of the article;
  • identify the most important details that support the main ideas;
  • write your summary in your own words, except for quotations; and
  • express the underlying meaning of the article, not just the superficial details.

Standard

Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
2.5 Write summaries of reading materials:

  • Include the main ideas and most significant details.
  • Use the student’s own words, except for quotations.
  • Reflect underlying meaning, not just the superficial details.