Main idea and key details
I can determine the main idea and key details of an informational text.
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General
In this lesson, students will learn how to find the main ideas and key details using strategies from the lesson.
Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2
Learning objective
Students will be able to determine the main idea and key details of an informational text.
Introduction
Students will look at items, including baking pans, milk, sugar, a hand mixer, eggs, and a microwave, and think of what they could use the items for. Explain how these items are needed to make a cake, just like texts need details to support the main idea. Why is it important to be able to find the main idea and key details of a text?
Instruction
Introduce Main Idea Strategies, such as looking for the main idea in the introduction or concluding sentence, and Key Details Strategies, such as looking at the middle sentences of a text.
Students will read a text titled, "Naps in the North," and highlight the words in the text that show the main idea. They will also answer questions about the passage and use their answers to prepare for a class discussion. Then, they will find three key details from the text.
Next, they will read a text titled, "Shark Bait!" and determine the main idea. They will also find the key details and share the strategies they used to find the key details.
Quiz
Students will answer ten questions which ask them to distinguish between main ideas and key details.
Closing
Students will recall what they learned:
- Why is finding the main idea and key details of a text important?
- What strategies can we use to find the main idea?
Students will read a passage titled, "Grow, Flower, Grow!" and circle four things that show the main idea and three key details.
Read our blog post to learn more about Identifying the Main Idea & Supporting Details
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