3rd Grade Summaries Theme 3
Dogzilla
Summary 1:
It was summer in the city of Mousopolis. The mice were gathered for a
cookout. The food was on the grill and the mice were happy. The smells from the
cookout filled the air. Then the ground began to shake. A strange sniffing sound
was heard. A big monster came out of a nearby crater to join the cookout:
Dogzilla!
The Big Cheese sent his army to stop the monster. They were very brave
until Dogzilla breathed on them. Then they all ran away as fast as their little legs
could carry them! The beast ate all of the food from their cookout. And then she
started doing things that dogs like to do. She chased cars-right off the road! She
chewed things-and the store they were sold in! She had to be stopped.
The Big Cheese didn’t know what to do. He went to an expert for help. The
expert said that they had to scare Dogzilla out of town. So the mice decided to give
Dogzilla something that all dogs fear: a bath! They hit the beast with lots of soap
and warm water. Dogzilla quickly ran back to her crater in shock!
The mice were happy again. When they held their cookout the next summer,
they were sure Dogzilla would not return. They were right about the beast, but
there was one thing they had not thought of…puppies!
Poem: My Movie
Popping popcorn
Taking tickets
Lowering lights
Munching movie monsters
Screaming suddenly
Laughing loudly
Applauding audience
Summary 2:
One summer, in the city of Mousopolis, the mice had a Cook-Off. The mice
were happy, and the food smelled good. Then the ground began to shake. A big
monster named Dogzilla came out of a crater to join the Cook-Off.
The Big Cheese sent his army. They were brave, but then Dogzilla breathed
on them. They all ran away. Dogzilla ate all of the food. She then chased cars off
the road. She chewed things in the stores, and then she chewed the stores.
The Big Cheese asked an expert what to do. The expert said to scare
Dogzilla out of the town. The mice decided to give her a bath because dogs don’t
like baths. They hit her with lots of soap and water. Dogzilla ran back to her crater
in a hurry.
The mice were happy. The next summer they had another Cook-Off. They
thought Dogzilla would not return. She didn’t but her puppies did!
The Mysterious Giant of Barletta
Summary 1:
In a small town in Italy called Barletta, there was a giant statue of a boy. He
stood in the town square year in and year out. All the people lived their lives
around him. Barletta was a peaceful town. The people thought it would always be
that way.
But one day, the people heard that an army was coming to destroy their
town! Everyone was scared. They did not have any way to protect themselves. The
oldest woman in town, Zia Concetta, was very sad. She began talking to her old
friend, the giant statue. She wished he would come to life to help protect the town
of Barletta. And that is what he did!
Zia Concetta made a plan to save Barletta. While everyone in town hid, the
giant went to sit outside of town with an onion. When the army arrived, they were
stopped by the sight of a giant boy sitting in a puddle of tears. The captain of the
army asked the giant why he was crying. The giant said he was sad because he was
to small and weak to play with the other boys of his town. The army was scared.
They began to wonder: If this huge boy was too small to play with the other boys,
how big must the men in his town be? They did not stay to find out. They ran away
from Barletta as fast as they could. And the giant returned to his spot in his
peaceful, happy town.
Poem: What Book Would You Like?
A mystery can scare me.
A folktale is fun.
I wonder what I want to read.
I can only pick one.
I see a fairy tale.
That’s what I’ll read!
Now a quiet place
Is all that I need!
Summary 2:
Barletta, a small town in Italy, had a giant statue of a boy. The statue was in
the town square. Barletta was a peaceful town. Everyone thought it would always
be peaceful.
One day, the people heard that an army was coming to destroy Barletta. The
people had no way to protect themselves. The oldest woman in town, Zia Concetta,
began to talk to her friend, the giant statue. She hoped he could help. And that is
what he did!
Zia Concetta made a plan for saving the town. Everyone hid. The giant went
to sit three miles outside the town. He held pieces of an onion close to his eyes.
When the army came, they saw a giant boy crying, sitting in a puddle of tears. The
giant told the captain of the army that he was sad because he was too small to play
with the other boys of the town. This scared the army.
If the boys were so big, the men must be much bigger. The army ran away.
The giant went back to his spot in the town square. The town was peaceful again.
Raising Dragons
Summary 1:
When I was a little girl, I lived on a farm with my Ma and Pa. Pa raised our
food and animals, and Ma took care of our home. I raised dragons.
I found my first dragon egg in Miller’s cave. When it hatched, I named the
dragon Hank and took him home with me. At first, my parents did not want to see
or hear about Hank. But I took good care of him. When he was bigger, he took me
flying over the countryside at night. It was grand!
Hank helped out around the farm. He plowed the fields. He kept bugs away
from the crops. He kept Ma’s tomato plants cool during a heat wave. Ma made
treats for Hank to eat, and he kept getting bigger.
That year, Hank and I planted too much corn. Pa did not know what to do.
But Hank had an idea. He used his fire-breath to turn the corn into popcorn! We
sold all of it and made a bunch of money, but it got people talking. They started
making a fuss out of our having a dragon on our farm. I realized Hank would have
to go.
Poem: Farm Animals
If you’re a pig and you know it,
Say “Oink, oink.”
If you’re a pig and you know it,
Say “Oink, oink.”
If you’re a pig and you know it,
Then a farm is where you show it.
If you’re a pig and you know it,
Say “Oink, oink.”
Summary 2:
A little girl lived on a farm with her parents. Her father raised food and
animals. Her mother took care of the house. The little girl raised dragons.
She found the first dragon egg in a cave. When the dragon hatched, the little
girl named him Hank and took him home. She took good care of Hank, and so her
parents said she could keep him. When he grew big, the little girl rode on his back
as he flew.
Hank also helped on the farm. He plowed. He kept bugs away. He took care
of the tomato plants during a heat wave. Hank ate lots of treats and got very big.
One year Hank and the girl planted too much corn. Hank decided to use his
fire-breath to make popcorn. They sold all of it and made a lot of money. Then the
neighbors complained about having a dragon on the farm. Hank would have to
leave.
The girl read about a dragon island in the middle of the ocean. She took
Hank there. She felt very sad, but Hank gave her a present of dragon eggs. The girl
took them home. When they began to hatch, the girl had plenty of work to do! She
knew that raising dragons was her job.
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi
Summary 1:
One day, Miss Hester left her dog Fritz with Alan Mitz to watch. All
morning Alan tried to keep Fritz from chewing the furniture. Then it was time for
Fritz’s afternoon walk.
Fritz led Alan to a door to a garden. A sign near the door read, “No Dogs in
This Garden. Abdul Gasazi, Magician.” As Alan turned away, Fritz pulled hard,
broke his leash, and ran into the garden.
Alan chased after Fritz, but he could not catch him. Soon, Alan found a big
house. At the big house, Alan met a big man: Mr. Gasazi. Alan told Mr. Gasazi
that he was sorry that Fritz ran into his garden. Could he please have Fritz back?
Mr. Gasazi said that he could have Fritz, but that Fritz was no longer a dog. Mr.
Gasazi had turned Fritz into a duck!
Sadly, Alan picked up the duck and headed home. But before he could get
very far, the wind blew off his hat. The duck slipped out of his arms, caught the hat
in its mouth, and flew up into the sky!
As Alan walked slowly home, he thought Fritz was gone for sure. But when
he got to Miss Hester told Alan that Mr. Gasazi must have been teasing him. But
after Alan left, Miss Hester found Fritz chewing on Alan’s hat.
Poem: That’s Gardening
Dig, dig, dig in the dirt.
Plant, plant, plant the seed.
Pour, pour, pour the water.
Pick, pick, pick the flowers.
That’s gardening! That’s gardening!
Summary 2:
One day, Miss Hester asked Alan Mitz to watch her dog Fritz. Alan tried to
stop Fritz from chewing the furniture. Then he took Fritz for an afternoon walk.
They walked to the door of a garden. There was a sign that said dogs were
not allowed in the garden. The sign also had the name Abdul Gasazi, Magician on
it. Alan started to leave, but Fritz broke the leash and ran into the garden.
Alan couldn’t catch Fritz. He saw a big house. There was a big man there. It
was Mr. Gasazi. Alan said he was sorry that Fritz had run into the garden. Mr.
Gasazi said he could have Fritz back. The problem was that Mr. Gasazi had turned
Fritz into a duck!
Alan picked up the duck to take it home. Suddenly, the wind blew off Alan’s
hat. The duck got away. It caught the hat in its mouth and flew into the sky.
Alan was very worried. But when he reached Miss Hester’s house, Fritz was
there, and he was a dog. Miss Hester said that Mr. Gasazi was teasing him about
the duck. But after Alan went home, Miss Hester saw that Fritz was chewing on
Alan’s hat!