Worksheet
Curated OER

Spots the Barn Cat: Finding the Main Idea

For Students K
Spots the barn cat is the subject of this colorful worksheet. Young learners demonstrate their ability to identify the main idea in a written passage by reading a short passage about Spots and responding to the prompt asking them to...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Finding the Main Idea: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

For Students 6th - 8th
An excerpt from Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea provides learners with an opportunity to practice their ability to identify the main idea and supporting details in a passage. The beautifully illustrated instructional activity...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Introducing Close Reading: Finding the Main Message and Taking Notes About Rain School

For Teachers 3rd Standards
This second lesson in a larger unit is perfect for the beginning of the year because it explicitly teaches 3rd graders how to use close reading skills by identifying unfamiliar words, figuring out the gist, and defining important...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Summarizing and Sorting Details from an Informational Text: Identifying the Main Idea

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Scholars participate in two activities that teach them to identify the main idea and key supporting details in informational text. Partners create a visual that reflects the main idea and key supporting details in an informational text...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Using Structural Elements to Determine Main Ideas and Supporting Details: “Shelter”

For Teachers 5th Standards
Does the picture tell the story? Learners continue their work in The Inuit Thought of It by creating a visual gist of pages 16 and 17. They then complete a main idea graphic organizer and discuss key supporting details.
Organizer
Ed Helper Clip Art

Main Idea Mountain

For Students 4th - 8th
After reading a text, learners fill out a graphic organizer in the shape of a mountain, with the main idea as the peak. 
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing the Main Idea in Video: Understanding the Limbic System

For Teachers 7th Standards
It's time to put on those thinking caps and analyze the brain! Pupils watch a video about teenage brain development, using a note-catcher to capture their thoughts about the main idea. Finally, they select two pieces of information from...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Text-Dependent Questions and Choosing Details to Support a Claim: Digging Deeper into Paragraphs 6–8 of Steve Jobs’ Commencement Address (and connecting to Chapter 7)

For Teachers 6th Standards
Readers learn how to choose specific details drawn from a primary source (Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford University commencement address) to support an analysis of informative text.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Paragraphs: Main Idea and Supporting Details

For Students 2nd - 3rd
This is a great way to review the concept of main idea and supporting details with younger learners. Learners read two short passages and identify the main idea and supporting details using visual prompts and a graphic organizer.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using a Title to Determine Main Idea (Nonfiction)

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Young readers explore a nonfiction text for its main idea. They will listen to the book Animal Sight by Kirsten Hall, and then observe as the teacher models a main idea think-aloud. Later, for independent practice, they listen to the...
Worksheet
Tallahassee Community College

Finding the Main Idea

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
A short excerpt at the beginning of the sheet provides students with questions to think about when looking for the main idea. Followed by that, learners respond to four reading passages by answering multiple...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Implied Main Idea

For Teachers 7th
Reinforce main idea and supporting details with your seventh graders in this language arts lesson. Using a SMART board presentation and handouts (all attachments are provided), they review and practice finding main idea and details in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Main Idea with SENTEO Component

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Young scholars explore "main idea." In this main idea and details reading comprehension lesson, students view a Brain POP video about main idea and then identify sentences displayed on the SMART Board that would be included in a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comprehension: Identify the Main Idea from Text

For Teachers 1st
Children in first grade listen and read along with the teacher to practice main idea identification. They use the provided reading passages to read, locate the main idea and supporting details. This is a fully scripted lesson which means...
PPT
Curated OER

Main Idea and Supporting Details

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Readers use an "Idea Tree" graphic organizer to discern the main idea and supporting details of several passages included in this presentation. The three passages offer opportunities for guided and independent practice.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Main Idea in Informational Text

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Readers identify main ideas and supporting details using informational texts. For this literacy lesson, they make predictions and read the text to find the main ideas. They use a table diagram to define the main idea and supporting...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Main Ideas

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
What is the main idea? Previewing a text is a great way to identify the main idea without even reading, but what areas of a text do you preview? Teach your third, fourth, and fifth graders the most important areas to preview before...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build Mastery: Main Idea

For Teachers K - 4th
Use a graphic organizer to get readers thinking about main ideas as they record the who, what, where, when, and why of a story. Consider modeling this process completely before kids do this independently. They fill in five boxes charting...
Organizer
1
1
Polk Bros Foundation

I Can Identify and Support the Main Idea in Non-Ficiton

For Teachers 5th - 10th Standards
Analyze a historical or scientific informational text by determining the main idea and supporting details. This graphic organizer allows pupils to write down the main idea and four details.
Organizer
Polk Bros Foundation

A Way to Analyze Paragraphs to Figure Out the Main Idea of a Nonfiction Text

For Teachers 5th - 10th Standards
Shrink up a section by asking pupils to write down the main idea for each of seven paragraphs. There is a space provided for each main idea. When students have completed this portion, they write down what they think to be the central...
Organizer
3
3
Polk Bros Foundation

I Can Identify a Nonfiction Writer's Main Idea and Supporting Examples

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Use this page to quickly identify the central idea of a text and organize ideas for writing an informational or explanatory text. The activity is split into two parts. In the first part, pupils note down the main idea and supporting...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Determining Ideas and Adding Details

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
A handy TFDC (topic/fact/detail/conclusion) graphic organizer (included) allows young writers to outline and record their main ideas and supporting details in the prewriting phase. They then continue to add details to the topic sentences...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Use Details from Text to Identify Cause and Effect, Draw Conclusions, Compare and Contrast

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders discuss research topics and write a paragraph on one of the provided questions. They focus on including key words from charts that the class has been compiling. They underline supporting details within the text they write....
Lesson Plan
Weebly

Author Study: Eric Carle

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Dive into an author study of one of the most beloved children’s book authors, Eric Carle. After reading some of his stories, including Papa Get me the Moon, A House for Hermit Crab, The Grouchy Ladybug, and The Very Busy...

Other popular searches