Goal

Studentswillbeabletoidentifythemainideasandsupportingdetailsof
nonfictiontexts.
Standards
PACoreStandard:CC.1.2.1.AIdentifythemainideaandretellkeydetailsof
informationaltext.
NextGenerationScienceStandards:
ESS1.APatternsofthemotionofthesuncanbeobserved,described,
andpredicted.
ESS1.BSeasonalpatternsofsunriseandsunsetcanbeobserved,
described,andpredicted.
MaterialsandPreparation
Scotchtape
Dryeraseboardandmarkers
SunshineMakestheSeasonsbyFranklynBranley
Papercutoutsofthepicturebooksdetailswillbetapedonthedryerase
boardpriortothestartofthelesson.
TheSunandYoutextandgraphicorganizerworksheetforeverystudent
Therearethreedifferentversionsofthetexttoaccommodatedifferent
readinglevels.Eachofthedifferentiatedversionshasthesamemainidea
andthesamethreesupportingdetails.
Pencilsforeverystudent
Plan
Introduction(5minutes)
Upontransitioningthestudentsfromtheirseatstothecarpet,Iwillhook
studentsintothelessonbytellingthemthatwewillbelearningabouta
humongousballoffireinthesky,thesun.(1minute)
Iwillbeginthelessonbyreviewingexpectednormsofbehavior(e.g.raising
oneshandtospeak)andtheconsequencesformisbehavior.(1minute)

 Iwillintroducethelessonbytellingstudentsthattheywillbelearningaboutmain
ideasandsupportingdetailsinnonfictiontexts.Iwillengagethestudentsprior
knowledgebyreviewingthedefinitionstheyalreadylearnedfor
mainidea
and
supportingdetails.
Iwillthenaska(few)student(s)toexplaintheseconceptsin
theirownwords.(2minutes)
NextIwillexplaintothestudentstheimportanceofbeingabletoidentifythe
mainideaofanonfictiontext.(1minute)
Readaloud(17minutes)
IwillreadaloudSunshineMakestheSeasons.AsIread,IwillexplainhowIgo
aboutidentifyingthemainideaofatext(e.g.lookingatthebookstitle).
(6minutes)
Afterreadingthebook,Iwillaskstudentswhatthemainideais.Ianticipate
havingtoguidestudentstowardthemainideausingpromptingquestions.For
example,ifastudentsimplyrespondsThesun,Iwillpromptthemtomaketheir
thoughtacompletesentencebyaskingthemWhataboutthesun?Ialso
anticipatemultiplestudentswillgeneratesimilarmainideas,towhichIwillpoint
outthatabooksmainideacanberephrasedinvaryingways.(3minutes)
IwillthenwriteSunshinemakestheseasonsonthedryeraseboardand
explaintothestudentsthatthisiswhatIconsidertobethemainidea,andIwill
brieflyexplainwhyIthinkitsthemainidea,citingevidencefromthetext.
(2minutes)
NextIwillexplainthatthetapedpiecesofpaperonthedryeraseboardeach
containadetailofthetext,butthatnotallofthesedetailsaresupportiveofthe
mainidea.OnebyoneIwillreadaloudthedetailsandaskstudentswhether
theythinkitissupportiveofthemainidea.Studentswilluseathumbsupor
thumbsdownmethodtoexpresstheiropinion.Iftheclassopinionofadetailis
divided,Iwillcallonstudentstoexplaintheirreasoning.Iwillseparatesupportive
detailsfromtheotherdetails.(6minutes)
Followupreadingactivity(23minutes)

 Beforestudentsgobacktotheirseats,Iwillexplaintothemtheirnexttask:They
willneedtoreadanewtextaboutthesuncalledTheSunandYou,andthey
willneedtousethegraphicorganizeronthebacktowritedownthemainidea
andthreekeydetailsofthisnewtext.(1minute)
Studentstransitiontotheirseats.Asstudentsaresitting,Iwillgiveeachstudent
theversionofthetext/graphicorganizerwhichcorrespondstotheirreadinglevel.
(12minutes)
AsstudentsworkIwillwalkaroundtheroomansweringquestions.Ianticipate
havingmanyquestionsabouthowtospellorreadaword.Iwillhelpguide
studentsintheirformulationofamainideasentencebyaskingquestionslike,
Whatwasthistextmostlyabout?Studentswillalsobehelpingoneanother,
andtheclassroomnormofthemdoingsoiswellestablished.(20minutes)
Conclusion(4minutes)
Iwillaskstudentstosharetheirmainideasentenceandsupportingdetails,andI
willelaborateonstudentresponsesasnecessary.(3minutes)
Iwillcollectthegraphicorganizers.(1minute)
Assessment
AfterthereadaloudIwillaskstudentswhatthemainideaisstudentresponses
willbegintogivemeanunderstandingoftheirabilitytoidentifythemainideaofa
nonfictiontext.
Afterthereadaloudstudentswillexpresstheiropinion(usingthethumbsup
method)onwhetheradetailsupportsthemainideaornot.DuringthistimeIwill
quicklyscantheroomtoseewhichstudentsareidentifyingthesupportingdetails
correctly.ThisinitialassessmentwillbegintohelpmedeterminewhichstudentsI
shouldspendrelativelymoretimehelpingduringthefollowupreadingactivity.
Whilewalkingaroundtheclasshelpingstudentsduringthefollowupactivity,I
willbecontinuallyassessinghowwelleachstudentisabletoidentifythemain
ideaandsupportingdetailsbyobservingwhattheywriteintheirgraphic
organizerandbytalkingtostudents.AttheendofthelessonIwillcollectthe

graphicorganizersforfurtheranalysis.Iwillwritedownnotesoneachstudents
understandingandmisunderstandingsofmainideaanddetails.IfInoticea
patternofmisunderstanding(e.g.confusingadetailforthemainidea)amongsta
sizeableportionofthestudents,Iwillconsiderplanningaminilessontoaddress
thismisunderstanding.Imayspendtimediscussingmainideaandsupporting
detailsduringrecessandlunchwiththosestudentswhoseemedtostrugglewith
theseconcepts.