Unit Plan 33 (Grade 6 ELA): Summarizing & Synthesizing Information
Grade 6 informational reading unit: students summarize central ideas, synthesize across texts, and build concise evidence lines—sequenced quotes and paraphrases that clearly prove their analytical claims.
Focus: Condensing key ideas; cross-text connections; evidence lines
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading Informational; Writing—Analysis)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Readers don’t memorize everything—they distill what matters. This week, students learn to identify central ideas, write objective summaries, and synthesize across texts on the same topic. They’ll also build evidence lines—short, well-sequenced quotes/paraphrases that prove a synthesis claim clearly and concisely.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Determine a text’s central idea and craft an objective summary distinct from opinions (RI.6.2).
- Integrate information from two or more informational texts on the same topic, explaining agreements, differences, and what each adds (RI.6.9).
- Draw evidence (quotes/paraphrases) from texts and arrange it into a concise evidence line that supports a synthesis statement (W.6.9).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 6
- Reading Informational 6.2 (RI.6.2): Determine a central idea and provide an objective summary.
- Reading Informational 6.9 (RI.6.9): Compare/contrast authors’ presentations; integrate information from several texts.
- Writing 6.9 (W.6.9): Draw evidence from texts to support analysis, reflection, and research (applies to informational texts this week).
Success Criteria — student language
- I can state the central idea in one clear sentence and support it with key details.
- I can write a neutral summary that covers the whole text (no opinions).
- I can synthesize ideas from two texts and explain how they connect or differ.
- I can build an evidence line—3–4 pieces of evidence sequenced to prove a point.