Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Explain the Controlling Idea, Purpose, and Distinguish Details
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, students will learn how to pinpoint the controlling idea, which not only identifies the main idea, but also answers questions about the author's goal or...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: There Is Something in Common: Finding Common Themes
Students will synthesize information from multiple historical fiction books to find common themes and support them with evidence from the text. Working with a partner who has read a different book, they will share their theme from their...
Tom Richey
Slide Share: Main Idea and Detail Power Point
A slide show with eleven slides with information and examples on finding the main idea and supporting details in an informational text.
Tom Richey
Slide Share: Skill Main Idea and Details
A slide show with fourteen slides with information and examples on finding the main ideas and supporting details in an informational text.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Reading for Main Idea and Supporting Ideas (English Iii Reading)
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] You will learn to find and analyze the main idea and supporting ideas in a variety of texts.
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.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Writing Process: Finding Evidence
This lesson focuses on finding evidence to support your thesis, how to incorporate your findings into your own work, and how to effectively quote, paraphrase, and summarize your information. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.9, W.11-12.1b...
ABCya
Ab Cya: Oli Finds His Place in the Dirt
ABCya! presents its fourth children's storybook for the classroom. Oli Finds His Place in the Dirt, is an original work by Michelle Tocci. The story is about an earthworm who feels sad about not being important. This is a great storybook...
Other
Prezi: Finding the Main Idea in 2nd Grade
By watching this slideshow, students will learn how to find the main idea in a paragraph and the supporting details. It uses the analogy of the layers of a hamburger deluxe.
Other
Smekens Educational Solutions: Expose K 2 Readers to Annotation Strategies
This article discusses how to begin teaching students in K-2 to record their ideas about text using highlighters, colored pens, large graphic organizers, and sticky notes. Students can retell a story with a storyboard, use a web to find...
Education.com
Education.com: Asking Questions and Finding Answers
[Free Registration/Login Required] Pretending to be someone else is so much fun! In this hilarious lesson, young scholars will get to take on the persona of a book character as they practice their question and answer skills. At the...
CPALMS
Cpalms: "Beary" Good Details
This tutorial shares the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" as he goes on a bear hunt to find out who has been sneaking into his house. Question words are highlighted to help Baby Bear collect key details to help him solve this...
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Part 2 Reading: Informational Text: Reasons and Evidence in Text
Reasons and evidence are given by the author to support topics or ideas. In this resource, learn about finding reasons and evidence in a text. Includes downloadable worksheet.
Other
Mt. San Antonio College: Finding the Main Idea
Learn about the main idea and get tips on how to find it. After practicing with several short texts, learn how to answer different types of questions about main idea and practice each type.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Using Multiple Sources: Sea Turtle Populations
In this science-themed literacy lesson, students learn how to identify the central idea and key details in an article about sea turtles.
University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina: Writing Center: Handouts: Evidence
What kinds of evidence best support the points you make in a paper? Where can you find the evidence you need? This handout answers all these questions and more, including the difference between primary and secondary sources. You'll also...
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Identify the Main Topic and Key Details
This is a practice exercise to help teach how to find the main topic of a passage by looking at key details. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2
The Write Place
Literacy Education Online: Logical Fallacies
This site from the St. Cloud State University provides many links in this index with general writing help. Under "Development" you'll find "Sensory Details." Under "Logical Fallicies" you'll find a link by the same name. Look under...
South Carolina Educational Television
Know It All: Finding Theme
The students will be able to determine the theme of a story by recalling key details that support the theme.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Topic & Main Idea
[Free Registration/Login Required] Recognizing the main idea is the key to good comprehension. The main idea is a general idea under which fits all the supporting material of the passage or paragraph. Learn and use three strategies that...
Other
Landmark School Outreach: Finding the Main Idea
This reading strategy resource provides steps for identifying the main idea of an informational text. Example informational text paragraphs are provided, along with detailed explanations for the processes used in identifying the main...
TES Global
Blendspace: Main Idea
A learning module that includes six links to videos, images, and websites that reinforce the reading skill of finding the main idea.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Multiple Sources: Climate Change and Mummies
In this science-themed literacy lesson, students learn how to identify the central idea and key details in an article about ancient mummies.
Other
Curriculum Associates: Determining Theme or Central Idea [Pdf]
In this reading comprehension lesson unit, students are guided in learning how to find the main theme or idea of a text and understanding how details in the text convey that. Includes lots of exercises and examples, as well as...