Students’ age range: 06-08
Main subject: Language arts and literature
Topic: The Main Idea and Supporting Details
Description: The teacher will ask the students to write four lines about something they did over the weekend. When they are finished underline what line they think best describes the main idea of their paragraph. When we think of a main idea, we ask ourselves what is this mostly about? While we are asking ourselves that think to yourself, we can actually answer some important questions about main idea. When we know the main idea we can more than just identify what the passage or story is mostly about. We can also identify the topic, can create a new title, and can write a sentence that supports why you have chosen your main idea. When we have a clear vision of our main idea we are able to state three things that show we have a strong understanding as readers. Today we will learn how to declare the main idea of a passage, article, book, or reading, and then be able to state the topic, create new or main idea centered title, and then write a sentence the supports our choice in a main idea. When we can support our main idea we can confirm our findings and support our thinking that is what makes us good readers.
The teacher will choose a passage for the students. Distribute the passage, do a simple read aloud with the students. The students will read silently at first. Then they will read aloud the passage. The teacher and the students would read it once thoroughly and then read it again using out loud thinking, jotting down notes, questions, and highlighting important information. Then talk about how you would generate a main idea. Have an anchor chart that looks as the model below. Fill in each area and model thinking aloud how you are to create each object.
Then do another reading, have students do think aloud, highlight, add questions and talk through information. Have them come up with the topic, title, and sentence to support.
Anchor Chart
Title of Passage:
My Main Idea:
Topic of my passage:
New Title:
Sentence to support:
S-1 Thinking Independently
Rather than having students discuss only those ideas mentioned in their in their text, the teacher can have them brainstorm ideas and argue among themselves.
S-6 Developing Intellectual Courage
Intellectual courage is fostered through a consistently open-minded atmosphere. Students who disagree with or doubt their peers or text should be given support. The teacher should raise probing questions regarding unpopular ideas which the students have.
S-21 Reading Critically: Clarifying and Critiquing Texts
Critical thinkers read with a healthy scepticism but they do not doubt or deny until they understand. They clarify before they judge.
S-31 Distinguishing Relevant Facts from Irrelevant Facts
Students will read the passage with one or more issues in mind and note relevant details. Students could then share and discuss their lists. Students can then discover that sometimes they must argue for the relevance o...