Main Idea

Topic:Main idea from nonfiction text

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify the main idea of a nonfiction text.

Materials

• Nonfiction text with a clear main idea (e.g. picture book, short article)
• Pencils and paper for each student

Warm-up

• Ask students if they know what the main idea of a story is. Allow them to use examples from familiar stories to explain their understanding.
• Write the words "main idea" on the board and ask students to explain what it is again using their own words.

Direct Instruction

• Explain to students that the main idea of a story is the most important idea in the text. It is the idea that the author wants us to understand most clearly.
• Ask students to think about a favorite story that they know. Ask them to retell the story, focusing on the most important events and details. As they retell the story, have them pay attention to what they are focusing on and what they are leaving out. This is an example of how we can identify the main idea of a story.
• Read a nonfiction text with students and ask them to identify the main idea. As they identify the main idea, have them explain how it is the most important idea in the text.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs or small groups. Give each group a nonfiction text to read. Have them identify the main idea and explain how it is the most important idea in the text. Have each group share their main idea and explanation with the class.
• As a class, create a list of the main ideas of different nonfiction texts that you have read. Make sure to include both informational texts and narrative texts.

Independent Practice

• Project: Have students choose a nonfiction text of their own to read. Have them identify the main idea and explain how it is the most important idea in the text. Have them create a poster or presentation to share their main idea with the class.

Closure

• Review the concept of main idea with the class. Ask students to give examples of main ideas from texts they have read.
• Ask students to share one thing they learned about main ideas today.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice activity and make note of which concepts they were able to demonstrate.
• Use a checklist to assess students' ability to correctly identify and explain the main idea of a text.
• Look for students to use details from the text to support their explanations.