The document provides guidance on summarizing texts using the MIDAS technique: 1) Identify the main idea by finding the topic sentence or using signal words. 2) Identify supporting details. 3) Disregard unimportant information and simplify what remains. It then gives examples summarizing paragraphs about tornadoes, dust devils, hurricanes, and typhoons. While dust devils are weak, hurricanes and typhoons are large storms. Tornadoes are brief but have the fastest winds.

1. Summarizing Using Your Own Words…

3. The Process… Using the “MIDAS Touch!”

6. Using basic signal words… WHO? (subject) WHAT? (action) WHERE? (location) WHEN? (time) WHY? (reason) HOW? (process)

7. Main Idea Supporting Detail Supporting Detail Supporting Detail

10. Summarizing Let’s practice One paragraph at a time…

12. Main idea and supporting details Tornado is powerful, twisting windstorm Part of giant storm cloud Frightening Also called twister or cyclone

15. Main idea and supporting details Dust devils, hurricanes, and typhoons have twisting winds Whirling windstorms Differ from tornadoes

18. Main idea and supporting details Dust devils are weakest of swirling windstorms Less than 30 mph Five ft. across Last minute or two

21. Main idea and supporting details Hurricanes and typhoons are largest Winds of 75-150 mph Several hundred miles wide Travel thousands of miles, last for days

24. Main idea and supporting details Winds of large tornado are fastest, most dangerous winds on earth Last few minutes 300 mph

26. Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting The Writing Connection…