Students are frequently asked to summarize a story and often they have a difficult time deciding on the important details. Too often students will include too much or too little information in writing a story summary. Go Chart graphic organizers simplifies the summarizing process for a fictional text.
Go Chart is a graphical organizer that looks similar to an exclamation mark. A triangle, square, and circle are the components of a Go Chart. Triangle represents the beginning of the text, square represents the middle of the text, and the circle represents the ending of the text.
Go Charts can be introduced to students as young as grade one as they simply outline what the student is to write. Students are to fill in the organizer in point form. This is tool can be used as an activity for shared, guided, and independent reading. As well, it is important to model how to fill out the Go Chart and to display an example for students’ reference.
Triangle: Beginning of the Text
Each corner of the triangle is labeled. Characters, setting, and plot are the 3 headings in the triangle. All three of these components encompass the beginning of the fictional text. Students write the correct information in short form beside the headings.
The questions of who, what, and where are answered, usually at the beginning of the text. Characters represent who, setting represents where, and problem represents what. Main characters, setting, and the problem are usually in the first few chapters of text for a novel and the first few pages for a picture book.
Square: Middle of the Text
Students usually are able to define the beginning of the text with accuracy but struggle with the important events in the middle of the text.
Square has each corner labeled with a number from 1-4. Each number represents one event in the story. Often a story has more than 4 events but it is important for students to learn that not all events need to be highlighted when retelling a story.
Students appreciate the comparison of book summaries to television show summaries. A student is unable retell a television show word for word and the same is true of retelling a fictional text.
As well, the events highlighted in the middle of the text are different for the students. The important element of the middle of the story is to identify the important events but not to disclose the closing of the book.
Circle: End of the Text
Circle represents the end of the text as it brings everything together. The end reveals the solution to the problem and gives a little insight to what might happen next. Students write the solution in the circle and add any thoughts about the book.
Sample Go Chart: Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan, 1986)
Triangle:
- Characters: Sarah, Anna, Caleb, and Jacob
- Setting: Pioneer Days, Midwest US and Maine US
- Problem: Jacob is in search for a wife
Square: Events:
- Sarah comes for a visit.
- Sarah teaches Caleb and Anna how to swim in the cow pond.
- Sarah learns to drive the wagon.
- Sarah writes letters to her brother William.
Circle: Solution
- Sarah decides to stay and marry Jacob.
Go Chart is a wonderful tool because it allows students to visualize the different components of a story. The template can be used for any fictional text as an aid to retell the story.
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