Summarize a Story About a Canoe Trip
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Summarize a Story About a Canoe Trip" is written for 4th Grade (Ages 9-10), and it covers Common Core RL.4.2. If your little one is a year younger but already steady on main idea and details, the page still works. You may just need to read the instructions out loud. And if they are older and summarizing never quite stuck, this is a short review rather than busywork.
2 pages in this set
4th grade reading worksheet: summarize an original story about a windy canoe trip upriver and pick the summary without opinions. Answer key included. Part of our summarizing main idea and details collection. Aligned to Common Core standards.
How do I use this worksheet?
Have your child tell you the story in three sentences before writing. Talk about why the other summaries are too detailed or full of opinions. Check with the answer key.
What students will practice
- Students will find the most important event in the beginning, middle and end of a story.
- Students will choose the summary that leaves out opinions and small details.
- Students will write a short summary in order.
Curriculum Links
Common Core State Standards
Reading · 4th Grade
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FAQ
How do I use this summarizing worksheet?
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Have your child tell you the story in three sentences before writing. Talk about why the other summaries are too detailed or full of opinions. Check with the answer key.
What does this worksheet teach?
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Summarize an original story about a windy canoe trip upriver and pick the summary without opinions. A summary tells the most important events of a story in order, in just a few sentences. It leaves out small details and opinions. The directions on the page read: Read the story. Then, turn the page and answer the questions. On page 2: Use the story. Fill in the chart. Then, circle the best answer. Then, write on the lines. The answer key covers the questions on page 2.
Can I use this summarizing worksheet for homeschool or classroom?
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Yes, both. We made it for 4th Grade main idea and details, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with summarizing. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.
What makes a good 4th grade summary?
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It tells the most important events in order, in a few sentences, and leaves out small details and opinions. Summarizing a story is part of RL.4.2.
Why does a summary leave out opinions?
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A summary reports what happened, not what the reader thinks of it. One wrong choice on each sheet is full of opinions, like calling the canoe trip the best ever, which helps children see the difference.
How do I help my child write the summary?
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Use the beginning, middle and end chart as a plan, with one sentence for each box, joined with words like first, then and in the end.
Is there an answer key for each worksheet?
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Yes. All three summarizing sheets have an answer key, with a sample summary.
How many 4th Grade summarizing worksheets are there?
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3 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.
What age are summarizing worksheets for?
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These are written for 4th Grade students, roughly ages 9-10. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.
Are these summarizing worksheets aligned to Common Core?
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Yes. Each one shows the Common Core code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.
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Worksheet Details
| Grade | 4th Grade |
| Subject | Reading |
| Topic | Main Idea and Details |
| Standard | RL.4.2 |
| Pages | 2 pages |
| Difficulty | Medium |
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