Somebody Wanted But So

        Story summary is a tough thing to teach.  How do you get students to pick out the most important story elements, or the right amount of story elements to include in a summary?  As Kylene Beers states in When Kids Can't Read, students "either offer nothing or restate everything in the story" (145).  In my brief experience with 3rd graders, they often retell everything, and the only guidance I've been able to offer has been:  "Remember, a summary is shorter than a retell.  Just tell the most important parts of the story in a few sentences."
        "Somebody Wanted But So," is a strategy that helps illuminate exactly what needs to be in a summary. This is a strategy that is geared towards traditional narrative structure.  Narratives almost always follow the same pattern of having a protagonist ("somebody") who is has some conflict, is trying to get something or fulfill some need ("wanted").  Something, or many things get in their way ("but"), and somehow they overcome their obstacle(s) or come to some resolution ("so").  Beers offers this in a graphic organizer format, where students can fill out each of those 4 major story elements, and then use their answer to craft a summary, in either written or spoken form.
        What I like about this strategy is that it is so adaptable.  You can change around the labels, using any story language you want to use about those 4 major elements (i.e. "main character," instead of "somebody,"  "conflict" instead of "but").  It's a great way to break down the common pattern of stories so that students can tackle summaries proficiently.  You can use it as a handout, have students write it into their notebook, put it as a chart on your wall, or as individualized cards for students who need that scaffold.