Lesson Plan

Main ideas and Details

Use this lesson to help your ELs understand main idea and supporting details. They'll analyze non-fiction word, sentence, and paragraph structures. It can be a stand-alone lesson or a support lesson to the In Search of Main Ideas lesson.
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This lesson can be used as a pre-lesson for the In Search of the Main Idea and Putting it Together to Find the Main Idea lesson plans.
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This lesson can be used as a pre-lesson for the In Search of the Main Idea and Putting it Together to Find the Main Idea lesson plans.

Objectives

Academic

Students will be able to identify main ideas and supporting details.

Language

Students will be able to find and recount the main ideas and details with new vocabulary using graphic organizers.

Introduction

(5 minutes)
Shark Sentence ChunkSea Creatures SizesConcept WebFrayer ModelThe Topic of DetailsLanguage Frames: Nonfiction SummaryGlossary: Understanding Main Ideas and Supporting DetailsVocabulary Cards: Understanding Main Ideas and Supporting DetailsTeach Background Knowledge TemplateWrite Student-Facing Language Objectives Reference
  • Access prior knowledge of main idea and supporting details by projecting the Topic of Details worksheet. Read the words in each section and ask students to label each group with a sticky note based on the ideas listed. Allow students to place their sticky notes above the correct group, share answers, and explain how they labelled the group of words using sentence stems if necessary.
  • Tell students the listed ideas are supporting details for the main idea, or the central ideas of the grouped details. Supporting details are ideas that tell more about the main idea.
  • Model completing a Frayer Model for main idea and check students' comprehension throughout by asking them to orally repeat the definition or provide examples.
  • Tell students they will analyze new words, sentences, and a paragraph to help them understand how to find the main ideas and its supporting details.