Finding the Main Idea

Empowered Learner

Overview

Sometimes finding the main idea of a story can be a challenge. Once the student understands the main idea, they begin to read for understanding. The website Room Recess provides an activity for students to be actively engaged in reading and finding the main idea.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Be able to read the short story then select the correct main idea.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words:

Main Idea: The main idea is the point of the paragraph. It is the most important thought about the topic.

Pre-planning

To prepare for this lesson:

Introduce the students to what is the meaning of the main idea.
Watch the Room Recess Main Idea video as a class and discuss it.
Introduce students to the Room Recess website and go over the procedures.
View this view on the Main Idea and Details.
View the article on the Main Idea.

Accommodations

See Accommodations Page and Charts on the 21things4students.net site in the Teacher Resources.

Steps

Directions for this activity:

The students watch the informational video that explains the main idea.
The student selects a tablet or PC for which they are using.
The student reads the short story on the website.
The student selects which tree has the main idea.
The student score is listed in the left-hand corner.

Assessment Options

Different options for assessing the students:

Observations
Check for understanding
Create a locate a Kahoot on the main idea.
Hold a small group or whole-class discussion.
Exit tickets after reading a short story.

MITECS Competencies & ISTE STANDARDS

MITECS: Michigan adopted the "ISTE Standards for Students" called MITECS (Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students) in 2018.

Empowered Learner
1a. Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.
1b. Students build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning process.
1c. Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
1d. Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies.