Overview

Students identify five key terms or ideas from a text, optionally find synonyms, and then use those key terms to write a new paragraph entirely in their own words. This goes beyond summary by requiring students to present key information in their own language. A caution is included about monitoring thesaurus use to avoid replacing words with inappropriate synonyms.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Students read the text and identify five key terms or ideas that are essential to the meaning.
2. For each key term, students may optionally find a synonym or alternative phrasing.
3. Without looking at the original text, students write a new paragraph using the five key terms, expressing the meaning entirely in their own words.
4. Students compare their paragraphs with the original: Have they captured the key ideas accurately?
5. Discuss as a class: What is the difference between paraphrasing and copying?

Tips

• Monitor thesaurus use — replacing "democracy" with "republic" changes the meaning entirely.
• The "close the text" step is important: students must reconstruct meaning from memory, not just rearrange sentences.
• This is strong preparation for academic writing and referencing skills.

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