Lesson 1

I. Title: Main Idea Bags

II. Rationale/Focus Statement: This lesson is being taught to 22 third graders as a

whole class broken into smaller groups at centers. It is a language and literacy

lesson that is necessary to build the knowledge of identifying the main idea of

something and figuring out the details that go with it.

III. Objectives:

Students will figure out the one word main idea of each of the bags and items.

Students will explain how the details support the main idea, or what they

have to do with it, in sentences.

IV. State/Common Core Standards:

3.RI.13 Distinguish between key details and important points (main ideas).

3.RL.15 Explain how the central message, lesson or moral is conveyed

through key details in the text.

V. Procedures:

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the students do?

I will begin the lesson by asking Students will brainstorm ideas to

students how they know what a share.
book, movie, or video game is all
 about. Asking them to give me
specific reasons on how they
know.
I will then explain to them that Students will be actively listening.
what a book or movie is all
about can be referred to as the
main idea, and the way we find
out the main idea is through the
details.
Main idea and summary are two Students will be at their desks
different things, and the details in listening to directions.
this case tie directly to the main
idea.
The teacher will introduce the
activity to the whole group by
modeling.
The teacher will split the class The groups will go with their
into groups of 4 or 5 students and group to their station.
send them to specific stations.
The teacher will remind the The students will correctly label
students to label their page with their pages before they get
the station number they are at started.
before they write anything.
The teacher will allow the Students will look at the items in
students to open their bags and the bags.
take out the items in them.
The teacher will remind the Students will work as a group to
students to look at all of the decide what the main idea of the
things in the bag and come up items is.
with the one word main idea of
that bag.
Once the students have come up The students will write a few
with their idea, allow them to sentences about the topic, using
move on to the next part. the objects as the details, making
a sentence about each item.
After the 6 minutes is up, have the The students will listen for the
groups rotate to the next station. teachers cue to rotate.
Repeat the last four steps three The students will continue to
times, having the groups rotate, work at the different stations
but not going to every station. until time is up.
At the end of the last timer, the The students will go around the
teacher will ask each group to room and share with the class
explain what the main idea was at what their group thought the
the station they ended up at, and main idea of their last bag was.
how they came to that conclusion.
 The teacher will ask a guiding Students will share their ideas on
question of what made that their struggles or things that they
activity easy and what made it found easy.
challenging.

VI. Assessment: Student assessment will mainly consist of observational notes while

the teacher walks around to each of the centers in the classroom. Students will also

be graded on the quality of the sentences that they write about the main idea using

the details, or the items, in the bags. The students will be graded on if they include

the items in the bag, and if they write complete sentences, with proper punctuation.

Finally, the students will get up to 2 points based on their group participation, and

the main idea that they decided the bag was about.

VII. References/Resources: The idea came from Pinterest, but I adapted and

changed it slightly, by coming up with different main idea bags and creating my own

procedure to go along with the idea, of using the items in the bag to determine the

main idea of that bag. As well as having the students write sentences about the main

idea and how the items in the bag represent the details of that main idea.

Wood, J. (2015, September 13). What's the Main Idea? Retrieved October 11, 2016,

from http://www.theblessedteacher.com/2015/09/whats-main-idea-freebie.html.

Timer: http://www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown-timer/.

VIII. Materials:

Paper bags with numbers on them

Timer on the Smartboard

 Variety of small items with different themes

o Sports: two different types of balls, and a whistle.

o Birthday: candle, birthday hat, and a birthday ribbon or present.

o Summer: sunglasses, sunscreen, and a water bottle.

o Baking: chocolate chips, measuring cup, and a spoon or small bowl.

o Mail: stamp, envelope, paper, and a pen.

o Art or painting: paintbrush, watercolors, and paper.

o Movies: popcorn, DVD, and a remote.

IX. Accommodations:

The students that are at the lower level in the class will benefit from working with

the other students in the group to put in input, and help to come up with the main

idea of the bag. If they need assistance with the writing portion, the teacher will be

floating around the room, checking in with these students especially, if they need

some suggestions or to talk through it.

Lesson 2

I. Title: Identifying the Main Idea and Details as a Group

II. Rationale/Focus Statement: This lesson is being taught to 22 third graders as a

whole class activity. It is a language and literacy lesson that is necessary to build the

knowledge of identifying the main idea of a text and figuring out the details that go

along with it.

III. Objectives:

Students will identify the main idea and details to summarize a passage.

Students will be able to explain how the details support and relate to the

main idea.

IV. State/Common Core Standards:

3.RI.14 Determine the main idea of a text.

3.RI.15 Recount key details of a text.

3.RI.16 Explain how the key details support the main idea of a text.

V. Procedures:

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the students do?

The teacher will ask the students The students will think back to
to recall any ideas of what they the day before and share what
learned the day before about they remember about main ideas
 main ideas and details. and details.
Asking guiding questions, the The students will help come up
teacher will have the students with ideas on how to identify
recall main idea and how to main ideas in a text.
identify the main idea of a
passage, if they are unsure, I will
write ideas like key words,
supporting sentences, examples
of details.
The teacher will do the same for The students will participate and
details. come up with suggestions.
The teacher will then introduce The students will listen to
the book that they will be reading instructions.
as a class on Tumblebooks.
The teacher will open up Rubys The students will actively listen,
Wish on the SmartBoard and read thinking about main ideas and
it to the students. details during the story.
Once the story is finished, the The students will get out the
teacher will pull up a graphic paper and a pencil.
organizer that will also be passed
out to the students.
The teacher will guide the The students will participate and
students through filling out the follow along, filling in their
graphic organizer all together. graphic organizers together.
The teacher will then discuss the Students will be listening on, and
analogy of the table organizer. using their graphic organizer as a
The legs are supportive of the visual while the teacher explains
tabletop, making it a functioning the significance and how it has to
table. Details and main idea have do with main idea and details.
to do the same thing. The details
support the main idea.

VI. Assessment: The students will be graded on completion and participation, since

the activity will be done as a whole class. This will be recorded through a table with

the students name, and spaces for tally marks to count how many times the student

participated and how many times the student was off task. The graphic organizer

worksheet will not be collected, as they will need it for the next days lesson.
VII. References/Resources:

Tumblebooks -Read Watch Learn! (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2016, from

http://tumblebooks.com/

Bridges, S. Y., Blackall, S., Nobles, K. M., & Fong, J. (2002). Ruby's wish. San

Francisco: Chronicle Books.

VIII. Materials:

The book Rubys Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges

Table graphic organizer (22 copies)

SmartBoard

IX. Accommodations: The students at lower levels will be given extra time to write

the ideas discussed as a class down onto their graphic organizers. While the story is

being read, the specialized teacher will be working with these students making sure

they are on task and following along.

Lesson 3

I. Title: Identifying the Main Idea and Details on Your Own

II. Rationale/Focus Statement: This lesson is being taught to 22 third graders as an

individual class activity. It is a language and literacy lesson that is necessary to build

the knowledge of identifying the main idea of a text and figuring out the details that

go along with it.

III. Objectives:

Students will identify the main idea and details to summarize a passage.

Students will apply their understanding of the main idea and detail to fill out

a graphic organizer individually.

IV. State/Common Core Standards:

3.RI.14 Determine the main idea of a text.

3.RI.15 Recount key details of a text.

3.RI.16 Explain how the key details support the main idea of a text.

V. Procedures:

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the students do?

The teacher will begin by The students will listen to

explaining that we are going to instructions.
start our final lesson on main idea
 and detail with a review game.
The teacher will give a quick The students will remember back
example of the main idea of dogs to what they learned and come up
and what three details of dogs with details to support this main
would be. idea.
On the Smartboard, the teacher The students will discuss with a
will project a main idea and detail partner what they think the
game. The game will show a correct main idea is.
storm cloud with a short passage,
with three trees below, each with
a main idea.
The teacher will select a popsicle The students will stop discussing
stick and call that student up to with their neighbor and then wait
select which main idea they think to see if they get called on to
is correct. choose the correct main idea.
The teacher will continue this The students will continue
until each student has gotten a discussing the correct idea with
chance to go, or the teacher feels their neighbor.
the students have gotten a good
review.
Then the teacher will explain the The students will get out a pencil
next activity, handing out a and their graphic organizer from
passage for the students to read. yesterday and flip it to the blank
organizer.
The teacher will read through the The students will volunteer to
article once all together with the read if they would like, and follow
students first, allowing them to along carefully while others read
comprehend what the article is aloud.
saying.
The teacher will have the The students will read quietly
students work with partners to with their partner, underlining
reread the passage, underlining and paying attention to the main
or highlighting anything they idea and details of the passage.
think they might need to include.
The teacher will instruct the The students will recall the main
students, as most are finishing up, idea and go back into the text to
to fill in the graphic organizers. find the supporting details.
As students work, the teacher will The students will turn in their
walk around and offer guidance graphic organizers when they are
as needed. done and read a book silently.

VI. Assessment: The students will be graded on a scale of 1-10 points, if they

correctly figured out the main idea of the text. Then they will also be graded on if
their details that they wrote down on the organizer support the main idea they

wrote. The graphic organizer will be out of 10 points, and correct spelling, complete

sentences, and correct grammar will also be included in the 10 points. The highest

score will include correct main idea, 3 correct details, and correct grammar and

sentences.

VII. References/Resources:

Winchester, B. E. (n.d.). News. Retrieved November 02, 2016, from

http://www.timeforkids.com/news/polar-bears-peril/86701.

Main Idea | Free Reading Skills Game for Kids & Elementary Students. (n.d.).

Retrieved November 02, 2016, from http://roomrecess.com/pages/MainIdea.html.

VIII. Materials:

Smartboard

Copies of tabletop organizer

Copies of Time for Kids article

Highlighters

Popsicle sticks with names

IX. Accommodations: The lower level students will receive extra help as needed

from their specialized teacher. The classroom teacher will also give them more time

when playing the game, and using the hint tool on the game, which eliminates one of

the answer choices, if necessary, just as it will be available for all of the students if
they get stuck. The students will receive one-on-one help with reading the article or

figuring out what a specific word is, in order to fill their graphic organizer out to the

best of their ability. They may use certain sentence starters provided by the teacher,

or share their ideas while the teacher leads them in the right direction.