Main Idea Lesson Plan

Grade & Subject: Central Focus:

3rd grade English Language Arts Main idea and supporting details

Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:

Date submitted:
3.RL.2 Determine the main idea of a text;
recount the key details and explain how they
Date taught: 3/20/2017
support the main idea.
Daily Lesson Objective: Students will be able to independently determine the main idea of a given passage and
give supporting details with 80% accuracy.
21st Century Skills:
Students will show critical thinking by having Academic Language Demand (Language Function and
to determine the main idea of the text and Vocabulary):
recounting and explaining the supporting Determine. Recount. Explain.
details.
Prior Knowledge:
Students have previously covered main idea and supporting details so they will have basic knowledge and
understanding of the topic. Students have also read Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner.

Activity Description of Activities and Setting Time

Who can tell me what a main idea is? (Let students come up with their own
definition of what main idea means.) The main idea tells the most important
concept of that story. The main idea can be clearly stated in the story, or you
1. Focus and
can have to find the hidden message within the story. Every main idea has
Review
supporting details too. Can anyone tell me what a supporting detail is? (Let
students come up with their own definition of what a supporting detail is. A
supporting detail is something that proves the main idea to be true.
2. Statement of
Today we are going to review main idea. At the end, you must find the main
Objective for
idea and supporting details of a passage that I give you.
Student
Teacher will read the short story, Swimmy, to the class. After reading the
story, teacher will ask if anyone can say what the main idea is. Answers will
vary but the main idea is that it is okay to be different. After establishing the
main idea of the story, ask students to give supporting details. Answers will
vary for this also. Supporting details are: Swimmy wasnt eaten by the tuna
3. Teacher Input
fish while the red ones were, Swimmys crazy idea to not get eaten worked
and he saved the other fish, Swimmy got to be the eye of the big fish that they
made because he was the different colored fish.
Questions: What is the main idea of the story? What is a detail to support the
main idea of the story?
4. Guided Practice Who has read the book Stone Fox? This book has a main idea. Who can tell
me what the main idea of Stone Fox is? The main idea of Stone Fox is that
you should never give up. Answers students give will vary, but this is the
general main idea. Teacher should have a paint color strip for this part and
 will write the main idea on the first section. Who can give me a detail that
supports the main idea? Supporting details given by students will vary.
Teacher should write down three supporting details in second, third, and
fourth sections. At the end of guided practice, the main idea and three
supporting details should be listed.
Questions: What is the main idea of Stone Fox? What is a detail that supports
that main idea?
Each student will be given a copy of Pioneer Families. Students will use a
paint color strip for this activity. I have given you a copy of the reading
passage and a paint color strip. I want you to read through the passage and
5. Independent
determine the main idea. You will do the same thing that I did for Stone Fox.
Practice
You will write the main idea in the first box and write three supporting details
in the other boxes. You are to work by yourself for this. Does anyone have
any questions?
Assessment will be based from the work done during independent practice. Students
will turn in their paint color strip with the main idea and three supporting details listed
on it. Students should earn 8 out of 10 points to receive full credit.
10 pointsMain idea 4 points, supporting detail 1 2 points, supporting detail 2
6. Assessment 2 points, supporting detail 3 2 points.
Methods of all Main ideafull credit 4 points, partial credit 2-3 points, no credit 0 points.
objectives/skills: Supporting detail(s)full credit 2 points, partial credit 1 point, no credit 0 points.

Students will also be assessed during the lesson based on participation and questions
asked.

To close the lesson, teacher will ask students to share what they think the
7. Closure main idea of the reading passage is. Teacher should collect paint color strips
with answers prior to discussion.
There were 25 students in this class. Of those 25, 21 students showed mastery. 4
8. Assessment students did not show mastery. 21 students earned 10 out of 10 points. 1 student earned
Results of all 7 out of 10 points. 1 student earned 6 out of 10 points. 1 student earned 4 out of 10
objectives/skills: points. 1 student earned 3 out of 10 points. 84% of students met the standard for this
lesson.
Targeted Students Modifications/Accommodations Student/Small Group
Students may write answers on a piece of paper if they are Modifications/Accommodations
unable to fit their answers on the paint color strip. For For students who are visual learners, they may
students who are unable to finish in time, they will be also include drawings. For students struggling to
given an additional 3 minutes. understand main idea and supporting details, they
would be pulled to the back for further assistance.
Materials/Technology:
The book Swimmy by Leo Lionni. Document camera. Paint color strips. Copy of Pioneer Families.

References:
Reflection: I thought this lesson was going terrible. I didnt tell the kids a reason to listen to me
reading Swimmy, so some of them didnt. I didnt let the kids play with the paint chip before
we did the activity, so most of them just wanted to play with it. They were much more interested
in the back of the paint chip than what I had to say. I even had two kids fall asleep during their
independent work. I definitely thought this lesson was going to turn out terrible. I had 21 out of
25 students get a 100 on their assessment. My CT told me he didnt think anyone would get it
right because he didnt think that I explained it well enough. The students surprised both of us
with their work. I chose to use a book that everyone in the class has read for my guided practice.
I read the first half of the book and then read a summary online for the rest of it. I felt
comfortable enough to use that still though since it was a short book. I had a student argue a
point with me during my lesson. I was trying to give supporting details that the main idea was to
never give up. Both the student and myself were right. I wasnt understanding what he meant and
he was trying to prove his point. I realized after that I should have asked him to give me more of
a clarification.
For this lesson, I think that I would change several things. I would have first given the students a
reason to listen as I read the book, given stricter instruction regarding the paint chip, and had the
student clarify what they meant. I think that if I would have done these things then my lesson
would have been better. Most of these cases deal with management. I am still just a teacher in
training so with time my management skills will get better. This was by far my most difficult
lesson that I taught during clinicals.