Remember: Helpful details are signal. Extra details are noise. Class words: Remove the noise.

The story

After school, Yasmin went to the park with her friends. They sat on the green bench near the fountain and shared a bag of popcorn. Yasmin’s phone had a purple case with tiny stars, and she usually kept it in the front pocket of her jacket. She took many photos of a brown dog chasing a yellow ball. Later her group walked to the ice cream shop on the corner. When Yasmin wanted to show her mom a photo, her pocket was empty. She had left her phone on the kitchen table at home while she looked for her keys before leaving, and she never put the phone back in her jacket.

What is not important

These details are noise. You can delete them and still understand the story:

• Green bench near the fountain
• Bag of popcorn
• Purple phone case with tiny stars
• Photos of a brown dog and yellow ball
• Ice cream shop on the corner

What is important

These details are signal. Keep them — they tell us what really happened:

• Yasmin’s phone was not with her
• She left it on the kitchen table at home
• She never put it back in her jacket before leaving

Remove the noise — what happened?

One sentence only: Yasmin left her phone on the kitchen table at home and never put it back in her jacket.

Talk about it

1. What happened? — say it in one sentence.
2. Noise or signal? — pick one detail from the story and explain your choice.
3. Why remove the noise? — so the listener hears the main point fast.