Response Skills: Paraphrasing And Summarizing Texts While Maintaining Meaning And Order (TEKS.ELA.6.6.D)
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Texas 6th Grade ELA › Response Skills: Paraphrasing And Summarizing Texts While Maintaining Meaning And Order (TEKS.ELA.6.6.D)
Every spring, neighbors on Oak Street turn a vacant lot into a community garden. Families sign up for plots, and everyone agrees on simple rules: share tools, take turns watering, and keep the paths clear. On Saturday mornings, volunteers mix compost into the soil and show newcomers how to plant seedlings. Experienced gardeners teach kids how to tell weeds from sprouts and why mulch keeps moisture in the ground. As summer arrives, the garden becomes a meeting place. People swap recipes while tying up tomato vines, and they post a schedule so no one forgets to water during hot weeks. When vegetables ripen, the group sets aside baskets for the local food pantry before dividing the rest. The garden started as a way to grow fresh produce, but it also helps neighbors learn new skills and support one another. By the end of the season, the lot looks different, and so do the friendships that grew alongside the plants.
Which option best summarizes the passage?
The passage is about plants growing through the spring and summer.
Neighbors use a community garden to grow food, learn skills, share responsibilities, and strengthen connections.
On Saturdays, volunteers mix compost, tie tomato vines, and post a watering schedule.
After harvesting, the group decides what to plant, then waters the garden and finally prepares the soil.
Explanation
Option B captures the central idea: the garden produces food while building skills, sharing chores, and creating community. A is too vague. C is too detailed, focusing on specific tasks. D places events out of order and misses the main point. Extension: Have students paraphrase the second paragraph in their own words. Scaffold: Model paraphrasing one sentence first (e.g., "Experienced gardeners teach kids…" becomes "Skilled neighbors show children what to do"). Enrichment: Compare the original and paraphrased versions to discuss any changes in tone (e.g., warmer vs. more neutral).
Our class decided to publish a monthly newspaper to share school news. First, we brainstormed sections—sports, arts, science, and advice—and assigned editors to each page. Reporters pitched story ideas, then interviewed students and teachers to gather quotes. We created a shared calendar with deadlines for drafts, photos, and revisions. During editing days, teams traded articles so fresh eyes could catch mistakes. The design group learned how to balance pictures with text and keep headlines consistent. When disagreements happened, we used a checklist to decide what supported the main purpose of informing readers clearly. Finally, we printed copies for classrooms and uploaded a digital edition to the school website. The project taught us that good writing comes from planning and revision, not just first drafts. It also showed how many jobs—from interviewing to design—work together. By the end of the first issue, we felt proud, not only of the finished paper, but of the process that built it.
Which option best summarizes the passage?
Creating the class newspaper required planning, teamwork, and revision, showing how different roles combine to inform readers clearly.
The design group balanced pictures with text, kept headlines consistent, and uploaded a digital edition.
Students brainstormed sections like sports and arts, pitched stories, and interviewed teachers.
After disagreements, the class used a checklist before printing copies for classrooms and the website.
Explanation
Option A captures the central idea: the newspaper project emphasized planning, collaboration, and revision across many roles. B and C are too detailed, focusing on specific tasks. D is too narrow and partially out of order. Extension: Have students paraphrase the second paragraph in their own words. Scaffold: Model paraphrasing one sentence first (e.g., "Teams traded articles to catch mistakes" becomes "Groups swapped drafts to find errors"). Enrichment: Compare tone between the original and paraphrase (e.g., proud vs. neutral).
Before a weekend hike, Lena's family checks the trail map and chooses a route that matches everyone's ability. They look at the weather forecast and pack layers in case temperatures change. Each person fills a water bottle, and they measure out enough snacks to share. A small first-aid kit, a whistle, and a flashlight go into the top of the backpack so they're easy to reach. At the trailhead, they tell a neighbor where they're going and when they expect to return. While hiking, they follow markers, stay on the path to protect plants, and step aside for faster groups. If someone feels tired, they pause and reassess rather than pushing too hard. The goal isn't to go the farthest; it's to finish safely and enjoy the time outdoors. By preparing ahead and making careful choices on the trail, the family turns a simple walk in the woods into a safe, respectful adventure.
Which option best summarizes the passage?
The family brings a first-aid kit, a whistle, and a flashlight and keeps them at the top of the backpack.
They choose a route, check the forecast, and tell a neighbor before hiking.
Planning gear, checking conditions, and following trail rules help the family hike safely and enjoy the outdoors.
If someone gets tired, they rest, then pack snacks and water for the hike.
Explanation
Option C states the central idea: preparation and careful choices lead to a safe, enjoyable hike. A and B are too detailed and partial. D is out of order and incomplete. Extension: Students paraphrase the final paragraph in their own words. Scaffold: Model paraphrasing one sentence first (e.g., "The goal isn't to go the farthest" becomes "Finishing safely matters more than distance"). Enrichment: Compare tone between the original and paraphrase (e.g., encouraging vs. plain).
When sixth graders at Riverbend Middle noticed the cafeteria served fewer fresh vegetables in winter, they proposed a solution: a community greenhouse. First, they surveyed families and local businesses to see who could donate tools, seeds, or time. Next, they drafted a schedule so small groups could rotate watering and recording plant growth. A science teacher agreed to help students test which soil mix held moisture best, turning daily chores into investigations.
As plans spread, challenges appeared. The only sunny space was behind the gym, far from water. Students compared costs of long hoses versus collecting rain in barrels and chose the cheaper option. They also wrote a simple set of rules to keep tools safe and to divide harvests fairly between the cafeteria and a weekend farm stand. By the time snow melted, the team had a clear timeline, community partners, and a way to measure results. Their project showed how careful planning can transform a good idea into real, shared benefits.
Which option best summarizes the passage?
The students built a greenhouse behind the gym and created rules for tools and harvests.
Planning a project can be hard.
Students planned a community greenhouse to increase fresh food, solving location and water challenges through teamwork and careful planning.
After harvesting vegetables for a farm stand, the team decided to survey donors and pick a site.
Explanation
C captures the central idea: students used planning and partnerships to start a greenhouse and overcome obstacles. A is too detailed/narrow, B is too vague, and D is out of order. Scaffold (model paraphrase of one sentence): "Students compared costs of long hoses versus collecting rain in barrels and chose the cheaper option." → "They weighed hose prices against rain barrels and picked the cheaper choice." Extension: Paraphrase paragraph 2 in your own words, keeping the meaning and sequence. Enrichment: Compare the tone of the original paragraph 2 with your paraphrase—does your version sound more formal, casual, or enthusiastic?
Before beavers returned to Willow Creek, spring storms rushed straight through the narrow channel, scraping away banks and leaving only shallow pools. When a small family arrived, they built a low dam from sticks and mud. Water slowed, spreading into a chain of ponds. Birds stopped to feed, insects hatched in the calmer water, and reeds took root along the edges. The same floods that once tore soil away began to drop silt, which made the water clearer over time.
Not everyone welcomed the change. A few farmers worried that higher water might soak trails and fields. Park rangers watched the creek closely and, in places where flooding threatened roads, trimmed branches from the dam to lower the pond. Still, most of the valley saw benefits: more wildlife, less erosion downstream, and slower, steadier flows during dry months. The beavers did not fix every problem, but their work reshaped the creek in ways that helped many living things.
Which option best summarizes the passage?
At Willow Creek, beaver dams slowed the water and created ponds that supported wildlife and reduced erosion, while people managed a few flooding concerns.
Rangers constantly trimmed beaver dams near roads and fields because storms made ponds too deep and trails too muddy after birds nested along the reeds.
Animals changed an environment.
Officials removed the dams before beavers returned, which solved flooding and made the water clear for all seasons.
Explanation
A states the main idea and balanced outcome. B is overly detailed and loses the central focus. C is too vague. D is out of order and inaccurate. Scaffold (model paraphrase of one sentence): "Water slowed, spreading into a chain of ponds." → "The current eased and formed a series of ponds." Extension: Paraphrase paragraph 2 in your own words, keeping meaning and logical order. Enrichment: Compare the tone of the original and your paraphrase—does your wording make the situation seem more positive or more cautious?
A decade ago, the Maple Street Library was known for its towering shelves and long checkout lines. Today, the building looks the same from the outside, but inside, change is steady and quiet. The librarians added charging stations, a small studio for recording podcasts, and a bank of tablets that can load e-books in seconds. Instead of stamping due dates, staff now teach visitors how to search digital catalogs and place holds from home.
The shift did not erase the past. Many neighbors still browse print books, and the reading room remains a favorite after-school spot. To keep the library welcoming, the director set simple rules: devices on silent, headphones for videos, and help available for anyone trying a new tool. As more services moved online, the library also expanded its reach, hosting virtual author talks and mailing book bundles to homebound readers. By blending old and new, the library stayed a busy, useful place for the whole community.
Which option best summarizes the passage?
Modern technology changed libraries everywhere.
The library added charging stations, a podcast studio, tablets, quiet rules, virtual talks, and mailing services for readers at home.
Online services replaced books, the outside of the building changed, and people stopped using the reading room.
By combining digital tools with traditional services, Maple Street Library stayed welcoming and served more people.
Explanation
D captures the central idea: the library blended new technology with classic offerings to remain useful. A is too vague, B is too detailed, and C is inaccurate/out of order. Scaffold (model paraphrase of one sentence): "Staff now teach visitors how to search digital catalogs and place holds from home." → "Librarians show patrons how to find items online and reserve them remotely." Extension: Paraphrase paragraph 2 in your own words, preserving meaning and sequence. Enrichment: Compare the tone of the original with your paraphrase—does your version feel more formal, friendly, or neutral?
When Parkview students launched a lunchtime recycling program, they started with bright bins and big hopes. The first week, though, many items were tossed in the wrong containers. Juice pouches dripped onto paper, and whole trays landed in the plastic bin. The environmental club kept a tally and realized that confusion, not carelessness, was the problem. They tested a new system: pairs of volunteers stood by the bins and showed classmates how to sort, one item at a time.
Results improved, but the line slowed. So the club adjusted again. They created a simple flow—dump liquids, stack trays, then sort—with arrows posted above the station. Custodians suggested moving the bins closer to the exit to ease traffic, and the principal approved a five-minute extension for the first week. By Friday, contamination dropped sharply, and classes competed to keep their bins clean. The project proved that paying attention to evidence and revising plans can turn a messy start into a workable routine.
Which option best summarizes the passage?
Volunteers stood by the bins, arrows were posted above the station, bins were moved near the exit, and lunch was extended by five minutes.
Students used evidence to revise their recycling plan, and the changes steadily improved sorting results.
Students did a school project.
The program worked perfectly right away, then they tried volunteers and finally realized sorting was confusing.
Explanation
B expresses the main idea: the team analyzed problems and refined the system to succeed. A is too detailed, C is too vague, and D is out of order/incorrect. Scaffold (model paraphrase of one sentence): "The environmental club kept a tally and realized that confusion, not carelessness, was the problem." → "After tracking results, the club saw that students were confused rather than careless." Extension: Paraphrase paragraph 2 in your own words, keeping meaning and order. Enrichment: Compare tone—does your paraphrase sound more encouraging, urgent, or matter-of-fact than the original?