Language Arts · Grade 7

Active learning ideas

Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Active learning works for summarizing and paraphrasing because these skills demand hands-on practice with real texts. Students need to wrestle with language, compare versions, and justify their choices to internalize ethical and effective rewriting strategies.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.8

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Paraphrase Swap

Pair students and give each a short passage from a non-fiction article. One student paraphrases their partner's passage in their own words, then they switch roles and check for accuracy against the original. Discuss changes that preserve meaning. Extend to full paragraphs for summaries.

Differentiate between summarizing, paraphrasing, and direct quoting.

Facilitation Tip

During the Paraphrase Swap, circulate and listen for pairs explaining why their paraphrase keeps the original meaning while changing structure and wording.

What to look for

Provide students with a short paragraph. Ask them to write one sentence summarizing its main idea and then paraphrase one specific sentence from the paragraph, ensuring they use different wording and sentence structure.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Summary Relay

Divide into groups of four. Each member reads a section of an article silently, passes a summary note to the next who adds or refines it. The final summary is presented and compared to the original text. Groups vote on the strongest version.

Explain the ethical implications of plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Facilitation Tip

In Summary Relay, ensure groups pause after each round to compare summaries and discuss what made one version clearer or more concise than another.

What to look for

Present students with two short passages: one a direct quote and one a paraphrase of the same original text. Ask: 'Which passage is which? How can you tell? What makes the paraphrase effective or ineffective? What could happen if the paraphrase was presented without a citation?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Plagiarism Court

Present sample texts with mixed quotes, paraphrases, and copies. Class acts as jury to identify plagiarism, vote on citations needed, and rewrite ethically. Teacher facilitates debate on ethical implications.

Construct a concise summary of a complex informational article.

Facilitation Tip

Set clear time limits in Plagiarism Court to keep the role-play focused and ensure every student has a turn to argue or defend a sample.

What to look for

Students work in pairs. One student paraphrases a paragraph from a provided text, and the other reviews it. The reviewer checks: 'Does the paraphrase accurately reflect the original meaning? Are the words and sentence structure significantly different? Is there a citation?' Both students discuss feedback.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Individual

Individual: Article Shrink

Students select a news article, highlight main idea and two supports, then write a 50-word summary and paraphrase one paragraph. Peer review follows with a checklist for accuracy and originality.

Differentiate between summarizing, paraphrasing, and direct quoting.

What to look for

Provide students with a short paragraph. Ask them to write one sentence summarizing its main idea and then paraphrase one specific sentence from the paragraph, ensuring they use different wording and sentence structure.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model think-alouds showing how they select main ideas and discard irrelevant details. Avoid rushing to formulas like 'five sentences per paragraph' because authentic summarizing requires judgment. Research shows students benefit most when they practice with texts just above their independent reading level and receive immediate feedback on their revisions.

Successful learning looks like students confidently distinguishing main ideas from details, rewriting passages without copying, and recognizing when citations are necessary. They should explain their reasoning clearly and revise based on feedback.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Paraphrase Swap, watch for students who believe a summary must include every detail from the text.

  After the Paraphrase Swap, have students sort their original text into 'essential' and 'extra' piles, then write a summary using only the essential items to reinforce selective inclusion.

• During Summary Relay, watch for students who think paraphrasing means changing a few words in the original sentence.

  During Summary Relay, pause after each round to display the original sentence alongside the paraphrased version, highlighting how structure and word choice differ while meaning stays the same.

• During Plagiarism Court, watch for students who believe plagiarism only occurs with word-for-word copying.

  In Plagiarism Court, present role-play scenarios where students must identify and explain why uncited ideas or restructured sentences without attribution still count as plagiarism.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share