University of Houston
University of Houston: Atlantis: Main Idea Story 7
An exercise in finding the main idea. Read a short nonfiction paragraph about computers, and click on the correct main idea.
Quizlet
Quizlet: Types of Supporting Details: Definitions: Match
In this interactive game, student match terms describing types of supporting details to their definitions.
Quizlet
Quizlet: Types of Supporting Details: Definitions: Learn
This interactive helps students learn the types of supporting details by having them type in the terms that fit the definitions.
Quizlet
Quizlet: Types of Supporting Details: Definitions: Flashcards
This interactive set of flashcards focuses on the definitions for types of supporting details such as statements of fact, expert testimony, first-hand accounts, personal experiences, statistics, analogies, etc.
Quizlet
Quizlet: Types of Details: Flashcards
This is a set of interactive flashcards defining words that have to do with details in writing: supporting details, facts, opinion, examples, anecdotes, and statistics.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Florida Center for Reading Research: Exp. Text Structure: Classic Classifying
A lesson plan in which students read a text and write main ideas and supporting details in boxes on a graphic organizer. Materials are included. [PDF]
Florida Center for Reading Research
Florida Center for Reading Research: Expository Text Structure: Just the Facts
A lesson plan in which learners read a text and complete a graphic organizer to identify the topic and supporting details or facts. Materials are included.
Teachnology
Teachnology: Lesson Plan: Clouds of Main Ideas
In this lesson for 3rd to 5th grade, after reading a story, student write the main idea on a cloud and clip it to a clothesline or bulletin board, and other students can write supporting details on raindrops and clip them to the correct...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Why Is Community Service Important? [Pdf]
"Why is Community Service Important?" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage is part of a report that the Obama-Biden campaign prepared about service and volunteering. It is followed by questions which require students to provide...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Florida Center for Reading Research: Expository Exploration [Pdf]
A lesson plan in which students read a text and complete a graphic organizer to identify the main idea and supporting details. Materials are included.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Transportation Changes [Pdf]
"Transportation Changes" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the history of transportation across both land and sea. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes:...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Seasons on the Prairie [Pdf]
"Seasons on the Prairie" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the different seasons in the prairie and the lighting fires that help prairie plants grow. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Seasons on the Prairie [Pdf]
"Seasons on the Prairie" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about what grew in the prairie each season. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: choosing five important...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Seasons on the Prairie [Pdf]
"Seasons on the Prairie" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about what its like during each season on the prairie. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Traveling West [Pdf]
"Traveling West" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the difficult journey west for pioneers traveling in wagon trains and how the railroad made traveling west much easier and faster. It is followed by questions which...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Today's Telephone [Pdf]
"Today's Telephone" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the history of the telephone from the telegraph to land-lines, to cell phones. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Unit: The Author's Point Is
Students will focus on Main Idea, Author's Purpose, Identifying supporting details and Organizing details. Students will read a variety of Informational Text (non-fiction) to understand how stated and implied main idea effect the...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: The Working Tools of Insects[pdf]
"The Working Tools of Insects" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about insects that have special tools like the sawfly and the poppy-bee. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Florida Center for Reading Research: Classifying Info [Pdf]
A lesson plan in which students read a text and complete a graphic organizer to find the main idea and supporting details. Materials are included.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Reversing the Chicago River [Pdf]
"Reversing the Chicago River" is a one page, nonfiction passage about how the leaders of Chicago reversed the polluted Chicago River so that it emptied into the Mississippi River instead of the lake. It is followed by questions which...
Education Development Center
Tv411: Summarizing Activity 2
This activity asks students to differentiate between main ideas and supporting details.
Education Development Center
Tv411: Summarizing: Activity 3
In this activity, students choose the correct category to which details belong. Being able to categorize helps students to identify the difference between main ideas and details.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Nonfiction Pyramid
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...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Power Notes
A printable note-taking format where students create an outline by assigning powers to the main idea and supporting details. Directions on how to use this type of rubric as well as lists of teaching ideas and related resources are also...