Main Idea (Grades 3-4)

Description

Our Main Idea Lesson Plan develops critical thinking skills as students will be able to determine the main idea of a text, and explain how details support the main idea.  This lesson includes ample opportunities to practice locating the main idea sentence within a passage, as well as engaging creativity as students compose their own paragraph with accompanying images or drawings.

Sample Classroom Procedure / Teacher Resources Snippet:

1. Ask one student to stand in front of the room. Ask him/her to tell the class an interesting fact about themselves. Write it in a sentence for display. The student remains in front of the room.
2. Do this four more times, writing each sentence for display.
3. Ask the class to think of a sentence you could write that introduces the information you have written. (Example: Mrs. [teacher name] has some interesting students in her classroom.)
4. Tell students this is a Main Idea sentence. Tell the class each student standing supports the main idea with their information.
5. Distribute Main Idea content pages. Read and review the information with the students. Use additional resources to enhance understanding.
6. Ask students to share the main idea of their favorite book.
7. Allow for responses and discussion.
8. Distribute Activity pages. Read and review the instructions. Remind students the Main Idea sentence may not always be placed at the beginning of a paragraph. Distribute the scissors, glue, construction paper, colored pencils.
9. Tell students when they make their paragraph it may be based on something true or make-believe. Students may add images or draw pictures on the construction page related to the paragraphs.
10. Once all are completed, allow students volunteers to share the correct answers as well as their paragraphs with the class, identifying each main idea sentence.

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Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.2,  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.2,  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2,  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.D,  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.4

Class Sessions (45 minutes):  At least 2 class sessions

Additional Resources:

• https://www.watchknowlearn.org/Category.aspx?CategoryID=1285 (Links to)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ0gUjFugOE (10 min)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-1DZWNVBT4 (2 min)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYIK9rR9QmU (3 min-Song)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WODvggcGWfU (3 min-Song)
• Many more teaching resources in Download!

Want more reading resources?  Check out our other Reading Lesson Plans!