Lesson Plan
CPALMS

Cpalms: What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson plan, students will use What Do You Do With A Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page to identify the main topic and key details using the illustrations and text. Students will...
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Synthesize Ideas and Details in Several Texts (English I Reading)

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
In this lesson, you will practice making connections between ideas on the same topic. Some of the ideas will differ from each other, so we will learn how to identify and synthesize important details and draw conclusions. W.9-10.7 Research
Lesson Plan
Better Lesson

Better Lesson: Points of Informational Text Main Idea and Details

For Teachers K - 1st Standards
This lesson uses the book Explorers of North America - A True Book by Brendan January to teach students how to identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph informational text and specific paragraphs within the text. Students are guided...
Lesson Plan
Read Works

Read Works: Main Idea 1st Grade Unit

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] Young scholars learn to use titles and supporting details in both fiction and non-fiction texts in order to identify the main idea of the book in this three-lesson unit. The lessons utilize the books...
Unit Plan
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Supporting Ideas Quick Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
Supporting Ideas Questions: These questions ask you to identify the supporting ideas and specific details mentioned in a passage. What does the passage say? Perhaps the most basic task of the Praxis Core Reading Test is recognizing...
Lesson Plan
Read Works

Read Works: Main Idea 3rd Grade Unit

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] A three-lesson unit teaching students to use the first and last sentence to identify the main idea of a paragraph and the first and last sentence in each paragraph to identify the main idea of a...
Activity
Other

Resource Room: What's the Big Idea?

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
This exercise can be used to help students develop understanding of main idea and supporting details. Students are given a list of words to analyze, decide the theme and write a common subject that defines the group.
Professional Doc
Other

Landmark School Outreach: Finding the Main Idea

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This reading strategy resource provides steps for identifying the main idea of an informational text. Example informational text paragraphs are provided, along with detailed explanations for the processes used in identifying the main...
Unit Plan
TES Global

Blendspace: Main Idea

For Students 2nd - 4th Standards
A five-part learning module with links to videos and images about finding the main idea of a text.
Unit Plan
Thinkport Education

Thinkport: Determine the Central Idea: Human Impacts

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Students will learn how to identify the central idea of a text about human impacts by examining key details.
Unit Plan
Beacon Learning Center

Beacon Learning Center: Get the Idea

For Students K - 1st Standards
In this reading comprehension exercise, young readers will learn to identify main ideas in paragraphs. Includes multiple choice options with hints.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: What Is the Main Idea?

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
During this lesson students begin to identify the main idea of a story they read or hear. Students use graphic organizers to discover the main idea of The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss, and Marsupial Sue, by John Lithgow.
Study Guide
University of South Florida

Fcat Express: Selective Underlining

For Students 3rd - 5th Standards
Site provides extensive assistance in preparing 4th grade students for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. This section focuses on identifying main ideas and significant details by selectively underlining them in a text.
eBook
Curated OER

Mc Graw Hill: Identify the Main Topic and Key Details

For Students 1st - 2nd Standards
This is a practice exercise to help teach how to find the main topic of a passage by looking at key details. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2
Unit Plan
Beacon Learning Center

Beacon Learning Center: Web Lesson: Get the Idea

For Students 1st - 4th Standards
Read through a lesson about main ideas and supporting details to understand their importance. Practice choosing the main idea of three nonfiction paragraphs. Features practice activities to enhance learning.
Interactive
Wisc-Online

Wisc Online: Identifying the Main Idea

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
This resource defines main ideas and is an interactive way to assess a student's ability to correctly find main ideas from paragraphs.
Unknown Type
Other

Academic Reading: Sample Task [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This Academic Reading task provides a practice assessment for identifying headings and subheadings. In the task, students must read the selection and then determine the best subheading for each of the sections.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Research Building Blocks: Skim, Scan, and Scroll

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Contains plans for two lessons on locating supporting details that are part of a larger unit on researching a state symbol. It works on skills like determining the most important information, using key words to identify relevant...
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Analyze Controlling Idea or Thesis, Purpose, and Textual Elements

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Analyze the controlling idea and the specific purpose of the text, identifying the textual elements that support that purpose including the most important details. RI.9-10.2 central idea/summary [Unarchived version is accessible by TX...
Graphic
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Nonfiction Pyramid

For Students 2nd - 8th Standards
A printable pyramid for use with nonfiction texts while students identify the main ideas and supporting details within a text. Students also determine author's purpose and key vocabulary words. Directions on how to use this type of...
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Main Point Quick Guide

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The first question in most Reading Comprehension sets will ask you to identify the statement that best expresses the central idea or the main point that the passage as a whole is designed to convey.
Lesson Plan
Florida Center for Reading Research

Florida Center for Reading Research: Expository Fact Strip [Pdf]

For Teachers K - 1st Standards
A lesson plan in which learners read a text and identify the topic and four facts presented within the text. Materials are included.
Lesson Plan
Florida Center for Reading Research

Florida Center for Reading Research: Exp. Text Structure: Projected Paragraphs

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd Standards
A lesson plan in which learners read a text and highlight the most important details. Materials are included. [PDF]
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Main Idea Lesson

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] This lesson focuses on the determining the main idea and details.