Building Main Idea

6th Grade English/Language Arts

Grade Level/Subject:

Standards Targeted: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.2

Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed
through particular details; provide a summary of the text
distinct from personal opinions or judgements.
Goal Statement:

The target goal for this lesson is for the students in all
levels of a guided reading group to be able to summarize
an informational text by identifying the main idea and at
least three supporting details. Small Group: In guided
reading groups, the students will be given an informational
passage at their reading level and they will need to identify
the main idea and three supporting details using a graphic
organizer. Being able to accurately complete this task
assists students in developing reading comprehension
skills

Objectives:

The Learner Will be able to:

Identify the main idea and supporting detail of an

informational text at their independent reading level.

Comprehend and read fluently an informational text at

their independent reading level.

Write a paragraph summarizing the informational text

using the main idea and the supporting details.

Answer multiple choice questions based on an

informational text at their independent reading level.

Multimodal Text/Resource:

www.newsela.com an interactive website that provides

leveled nonfiction reading passages based on current
events in the news today.

Materials Needed:

Materials are listed:

Access to computer lab or laptops

Main Idea Graphic Organizer (House)

Readworks.org account and access to Reading

Passage Heavy Metal
http://www.readworks.org/passages/heavy-metal
(any nonfiction reading passage can be used with
this lesson)
Pens, Pencils, Markers, Colored Pencils
Notebooks for Journal Writing

Lesson Outline:
Introduction: Today we will be reviewing main idea and writing summaries
for nonfiction texts. "What holds up the roof (the main idea) of a house?"
Show students the Main Idea Graphic Organizer and point out that the
supporting details "hold up" the Main idea.
Procedures:
Part 1
1. The teacher will read an informational passage, Heavy Metal aloud to
the group. To access this text, teachers will need to register for a free
account with ReadWorks.org.
2. Each student will receive the Main Idea graphic organizer (attached) and a
copy of Heavy Metal.
3. The teacher will read the passage aloud to the students using the Read
Aloud/Think Aloud strategy. Be sure to scaffold comprehension strategies
during reading such as stopping to analyze the title, pictures, text features,
bolded words etc. Also be sure to ask questions about what they think the
passage will be about, and as you read with the students, model the skill of
underlining. Underline all the supporting details that directly support the
main idea, A law being passed that prohibits people from throwing away
electronic waste. Underline any sentence that describes how the law was
created and for what reasons. (If students have difficulty with this a good
practice is to eliminate the sentences that do not support or relate to the
main idea.)

4. Once the passage has been read completely ask students to share what
they underlined.
5. Remind the students to circle the main idea and underline the supporting
details.
6. Next, write the main idea and the supporting details on the graphic
organizer.
7. After everyone has completed the graphic organizer, the teacher and
students can work together to answer the questions following the passage.
Let the students complete this on their own and then share their answers
with the group. If a student answers a question incorrectly a good practice is
to ask them to show you how they got that answer. Ask them to show the
teacher the evidence behind their thinking. Then provide correction as
needed to help them locate the correct answer.
Part 2:
8. Using the graphic organizer , the teacher will create a summary based on
the main idea and supporting details of the passage. At this point it is a good
idea to show the students the writing rubric you will use to grade their
independent assignment. Explain to them that the summary needs to include
a strong beginning that includes the main idea, the following sentences have
to support the main idea, the sentences or ideas need to be linked correctly
with transitional words or phrases, and there needs to be a closing
statement. Modeling a strong summary will assist students in their
independent activity.
Part 3
9. The students will be grouped by reading levels. There should be no more
than four students in a group.
10. Give each student in the group the same passage. These passages can
come from ReadWorks.org, please be sure the passages are nonfiction
11. Each student gets a blank Main Idea graphic organizer.
12. Students will read the passage quietly.

13. Once everyone is done reading the passage, the teacher will ask the
students what idea keeps occurring in the passage. Remind students that the
main idea may be in the title or the first sentence of a passage. The main
idea also keeps being repeated in the text. Allow time for students to discuss
their answer in their groups. The teacher should circulate and provide
feedback as needed to individual groups.
14. Next, the teacher will ask the students to underline the supporting
details. Give students time to underline the details and then talk about what
they underlined with the rest of their group. The teacher should circulate and
provide feedback as needed to individual groups.
15. Students will then fill out their graphic organizer.
16. The students will work together to answer the questions following the
passage. They can discuss their answers and give reasons why they chose
that answer.
17. Finally, as a group, they will create one summary based on their graphic
organizers and follow the writing rubric as they write their summary. Student
groups can share their summary with the rest of the class and the teacher
can provide correction and feedback as needed.
Part 4
18. Schedule time in your computer lab for this part of the lesson or use
available laptops.
19. Have students go to www.newsela.com and create their own accounts.
20. Students will complete an independent assignment that focuses on main
idea and details to produces clear concise summaries of the nonfiction
articles the read.
21. Once all students have an account. Allow them to choose an article with
from any of the following categories: Kids, War and Peace, Science, Money,
Law, Health, Arts or Sports.
22. Be sure that all students begin on the lowest Lexile level, which ranges
from 400-600L. Once students have read the online article, and completed
the multiple choice questions, they need to complete the writing assignment
provided, which requires them to write a summary of the article

23. Remind students of the writing rubric for their summaries and procedures
on how to write an appropriate summary.

Differentiation/Modifications:
Students who may struggle can be placed in groups with
students be placed in heterogeneous groups with students who
excel. Also, Students with IEP/504 accommodations will work
closely in groups with the Intervention Specialist. Instruction will
be differentiated during Guided Reading activity and
independent practice because students will read articles based
on their individual reading levels.
Assessment:

This is a performance task, and students will be assessed on

their ability to write a clear, concise one-paragraph summary,
focusing on the central ideas and supporting details.

Extensions:

An extension to this lesson can be a writing activity:

Part 5:
Students can read a similar article on Newsela and compare and
contrast it with the article they read during the lesson. They can
write a brief compare and contrast essay on both articles. This
activity would require explicit in instruction on writing a
compare/contrast essay.