Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: What Is the Main Idea?

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
During this lesson plan 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.
Lesson Plan
Better Lesson

Better Lesson: Point to Main Idea/point of View in Literature

For Teachers K - 1st Standards
This lesson uses the story Corduroy by Don Freeman to teach the main idea and supporting details of a story, as well as what we mean by the character's point of view. The lesson is done using print materials and a whiteboard with...
Lesson Plan
Love To Know Media

Your Dictionary: Lessons and Activities on Main Ideas for First Grade

For Teachers 1st - 2nd Standards
This site offers links to several lesson plans for teaching main ideas to first and second graders; it also provides and explains some activities for teaching the main idea to first graders.
Lesson Plan
Read Works

Read Works: Grade 2: Three Lesson Unit: Main Idea

For Teachers 2nd - 4th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] A series of three lesson plans designed to teach learners to identify main ideas through headings and chapter titles, and then to write appropriate titles of their own. Lessons are based on the books...
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.
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...
Unit Plan
McGraw Hill

Mc Graw Hill: Informational Text: Determine Central Idea and Supporting Details

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
To understand a text, you must understand the central idea of the story. Learn how to recognize the central idea and supporting details with this article. Click the links at bottom right.
Whiteboard
SMART Technologies

Smart: Identifying Main Ideas & Details

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
This lesson operates on the Scaffold Instructional of Release model (I do, we do, you do). Students will use the main idea and supporting details to expand understanding of a variety of texts.
Professional Doc
AdLit

Ad lit.org: Classroom Strategies: Seed Discussion

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A Seed Discussion is a two-part strategy used to teach students how to engage in discussions about assigned readings. In the first part, students read selected text and identify "seeds" or key concepts of a passage which may need...
Website
E Reading Worksheets

E Reading Worksheets: Summarizing Worksheets and Activities

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
In this instructional resource, students will learn more about summarizing texts. Worksheets and PowerPoint lessons are provided to reinforce understanding about ways to summarize nonfiction texts and to identify main ideas. This module...
Handout
San Jose State University

San Jose State: Writing a Winning Statement of Purpose [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
How do you write a winning statement of purpose? This is a clear and comprehensive explanation of how to approach and write an essay from the San Jose State University. Practice exercises are given at the end.