Summary and Main Idea Worksheet 2: Directions: Read Each Passage ... - Free Printable

Let’s go step by step to solve this worksheet.

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We are given two passages about ninjas, and for each one, we need to:

1. Create a title related to the main idea (already done in the worksheet — but let’s check if they’re good).
2. Summarize the passage in our own words (only the first summary is filled; we’ll do the second one).
3. Make sure our summary includes key ideas, no opinions, and highlights important points.

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First Passage Summary Check:

The first passage talks about where the word “ninja” comes from — how it might have come from “shinobi-no-mono,” which means “to steal away.” It also mentions that “shinobi” was used in poems long ago, and during the Edo period, people started saying “ninja” because it was easier. It even shows the kanji characters.

✔ The title “The Mysterious Origin of the Word Ninja” fits well.

✔ The summary says:
> “The word ninja has mysterious origins, but probably derived from the word shinobi-no-mo, which looks nothing like ninja in English but is very similar in kanji.”

This is mostly correct, but there’s a small typo — it should be “shinobi-no-mono,” not “shinobi-no-mo.” Also, it could include a bit more — like that “shinobi” meant “to steal away” and was used in old poems, and that “ninja” became popular later because it was quicker to say.

But since the student already wrote it, and the teacher may accept it, we’ll move on to the second passage.

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Second Passage:

This passage is about ninja tools — especially their favorite weapon, the katana sword, and how they used the scabbard (the cover for the sword) for many clever things:

- Climbing walls
- Using it as a walking stick in the dark
- Hiding red pepper, dirt, and iron shavings in it to blind enemies

It ends with a fun question: “I wonder what a ninja could have done with a Swiss Army knife.”

So the main idea is: Ninjas didn’t just use swords for fighting — they used the scabbard in smart, sneaky ways too.

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Step 1: Title for Second Passage

The worksheet already has:
> “The Scabbard: More than just a Sheath”

That’s perfect! It tells us the scabbard wasn’t just for holding the sword — it had other uses.

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Step 2: Write a Summary for Second Passage

We need to write a short summary in our own words that includes the key ideas:

- Ninjas used many tools, but loved the katana.
- The scabbard wasn’t just for carrying the sword — it had secret uses.
- Examples: climbing, probing in the dark, blinding enemies with hidden stuff.
- No opinions — just facts from the text.

Let’s write it simply:

> Ninjas used many weapons, but their favorite was the katana sword. They carried it in a scabbard on their back. But the scabbard wasn’t just for storage — ninjas used it to climb walls, feel around in the dark, and even hide things like red pepper to blind enemies.

That covers all the key points without adding opinions.

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Now, let’s double-check:

✔️ Did we include key ideas? Yes — katana, scabbard, multiple uses (climb, probe, blind).

✔️ Did we avoid opinions? Yes — we didn’t say “cool” or “smart,” just stated what the text said.

✔️ Is it in our own words? Yes — we didn’t copy sentences directly.

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Final Answer:

For the second passage, the summary is:

Ninjas used many weapons, but their favorite was the katana sword. They carried it in a scabbard on their back. But the scabbard wasn’t just for storage — ninjas used it to climb walls, feel around in the dark, and even hide things like red pepper to blind enemies.