What's the Main Idea?
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Subject Area: English Language Arts (B.E.S.T.) | Grade Level: 4
Lesson Length: 30 minutes
Keywords/Tags: Main Idea, Text Features, Big Idea, Supporting Details
Lesson Description: In this lesson, students will investigate how text features within an informational texts can help them to find the main idea of that text. Text features highlighted within this lesson include understanding the title, headings and bold words. Students will have an opportunity to explore the difference between the main idea and a key detail. Scholars will also display their understanding of text features that give readers a clue about the main idea. Lastly, teachers will check for learning with a final quiz.

  • ELA.4.R.2.2 Explain how relevant details support the central idea, implied or explicit.
  • ELA.4.R.3.2 b. Include the central idea and relevant details for an informational text. 
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Video : Main Idea and Supporting Details
Instructions: Please watch the following video as many times as needed before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of the video is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this video content.
Description: In this video by Bow Tie Guy and Wife, students will learn the difference between the main idea and key details within a text. Students will understand that the main idea is what the text was mostly about. On the other hand, the key details help support the main idea with smaller facts and examples. This video also explains why we need to know the main idea. Scholars will also see an example in real time, as the facilitator finds the main idea of a passage.
Reading : Bengal Tigers!
Instructions: Please read the following anchor chart and article as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through the rest of the lesson pages. Understanding the content within both links is very important, since the following lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the anchor chart and article if needed. Click the first link to read the anchor chart about text features. Then, click the second link to read the article about Bengal Tigers! Pay close attention to the headings and title! Headings give you a great hint as to what the main idea of one paragraph or section is. The title gives you a good idea about what the entire passage is about.

 

Test Features Anchor chart!

https://cdn1.atutor.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/text-features-1.pdf

Bengal Tigers!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQJOHfptS-AWSS2ZiBqdW9yPVc4hJHtH1yjCRjdattSsXtpdGWt82Gw76Sv9f9eR_rtLbmO-dqenuX9/pub

Forum : What's The Main Idea?
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.
What's The Main Idea? (Ms. McIntyre)
The main idea of this section is about what______________ tigers ______________ to survive.
Description: Discuss what the main idea of the paragraph under the SECOND HEADING is in the article about Bengal Tigers?rnrnThe main idea is what that section is MOSTLY about. Use the heading and the title of the passage to help you formulate a main idea sentence. rnrnPlease start by stating... the main idea of this section is.....
Quiz : Main Idea Quiz
Instructions: Please complete this quiz by choosing the correct answer for each question. You can take this quiz as many times needed.
Question #1
Headings are a text feature that can help you figure out what the main idea of a passage is...
Question #2
What is the difference between the main idea of a passage and a key detail of a passage? 
Question #3
A key detail is a fact or example that supports what the passage is NOT about.
Description: Complete the main idea questions by utilizing text features within the article.
Resources : Main Idea Game!
Instructions: Please see additional external resources below. Feel free visit each link to learn more about this lesson.
Main Idea Game
A great activity for practicing finding the main idea! Take a snap shot of your score and send it to me in canvas. Remember to use our class code CVWRGC.
Description: Use these games on splashlearn to practice finding the main idea! Take a snap shot of your score and send it to me in canvas. Remember to use our class code CVWRGC.