Lesson Plans

Main Idea and Supporting Details: Lesson 1
Adam Jones
Developed 10/22/13
Taught 10/24/13
Preliminary Information
Date of Lesson October 24, 2013
Course//subject: ELA
Main Idea and Supporting Details

Grade 4
Number of Students: 26
Unit/Theme: Main Idea and Supporting Details
Where in the unit does this lesson occur?
Beginning of the unit
Middle of the unit
End of the unit
Period/time: 10:30-11:30
Duration: One Hour
Structure(s) or grouping for the lesson (underline
any that apply)
Whole class
Small group
One-to-one
Other (specify)
Overview of Goals for Student Learning

Big Idea
The big idea being taught in this lesson is to give students a general idea of what the main idea, supporting
details, and inferences are. Students will see how supporting details help to identify what the main idea is and
from the main idea you can infer what is happening in a text. This lesson will look at the relationship between the
main idea and supporting details. Students will take these ideas and apply them to the informational text.
Prior Knowledge and Conceptions
Prior Knowledge
Students are able to determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and
explain how they support the main idea. (RI.3.2)
Prior Skills
By the end of third grade students are supposed to know how to read and comprehend
informational texts. (RI.3.10)
Prior Academic Language
It is important for students to know and understand what the main idea, supporting
details, and inferences are. This is the first lesson in the unit so students will get a
general idea of what each term is. Knowing what the difference is between these words
is important for future lessons when the students will go more in depth with main idea,
supporting details, and inferences.
Student Learning Goals/ Objectives

Students will be able to identify the main idea of The Storm worksheet by using supporting details from the
text.
Student Version: Students will be able to find the main idea of an informational text from finding supporting
details about that text.
Standards
RI.4.1- Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly, and when drawing
inferences from the text.
RI.4.2- Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
Academic Language Demands
THINK DOWN THE ROAD
FAMILIARITY, FLUENCY, FACILE
Essential terms and concepts students must know and understand are main idea, supporting details and
inferences.
This academic language is important because it will form the basis of future lessons involving main idea and
supporting details. Using supporting details to support the main idea is important not only for this lesson but for
other texts that the students will read.
The most essential language function for these learners at this time would be analyzing and summarizing a
short text.
Evidence of Progress Towards Goals

Evidence and Assessment of Student Learning
: ARE THEY GETTING IT
To assess the extent to which the students have met their goals I will collect the main idea storm worksheet. This
worksheet will show whether or not the students were able to determine the main idea after reading a short
passage. Based from this assessment I will be able to see if the students have a basic understanding of what the
main idea is. This main idea worksheet will be graded on a four point rubric. Questioning will be continually used
throughout the lesson as well.
Expectations for Student Learning
:YARDSTICK
Exceeds expectations: Students name is on the paper, all questions are answered, and questions of worksheet
are correct.
Meets expectations: Students name is on the paper, all the questions are answered, most questions are
answered correctly.
Below expectations: Fails to fulfill all of the following guidelines.
4
- All of the questions

on the worksheet
were answered.
- All of the answers

on the worksheet
were correct.
- It is easy to see
which answer was
circled on the
worksheet.
- Some of the
answers on the
worksheet were
answered, others
were left undone.
- Some of the
answers were
correct.
- It is clear which
answer was circled
on the worksheet.
- Very few of the

questions were
answered.
- No questions on
the worksheet were
answered.
- Very few of the

answers are correct.
- It is difficult to see
which answer the
students circled.
Student Feedback: Students will be given oral feedback throughout the lesson in the form of my responses
and praise to student responses to questions and/or my answers to questions asked.
Supporting Students to Meet Goals

Launch/Hook/Anticipatory Set
The hook for this lesson will be the brown paper bags that are in the front of the classroom. Students will be
curious as to what is inside of the bag. Students will be given opportunities to guess what is inside the bag before
we begin the lesson.
Explore/Instructional Strategies
- To begin the lesson students will watch a brief Brain Pop video on the main idea. This introduces the concept of
main idea and supporting details to the students.
- Following the video I will come to the main idea brown paper bag. Inside the bag are various items which
represent supporting details. Inside this bag is a jar of jelly, a jar of peanut butter, and a piece of bread. These are
the supporting details for the main idea- which is making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
- I will ask one volunteer to come up and pull a supporting detail out of the brown paper bag. After taking the
object out of the bag I will ask the students to predict what they think the main idea of the bag is. After students
predict what they think is the main idea of the bag, I will explain that a prediction is like an inference. I will do this
for the other two objects asking students to make an inference about what they think the main idea of the bag is.
- Following the main idea paper bag, Students will complete the main idea storm worksheet. Students will read a
small passage titled The Storm. From this little reading students will find the main idea of what the text was about
and three details that they found from the story to support the main idea.
- After students complete the main idea storm worksheet introduce students to the text The Iroquois. Invite
students to browse through the book and have them Think-Pair-Share about what they think the text is about. Ask
each pair what they believe the text is going to be about and what things they have been wondering about or
would like to know more about. Title this anchor chart Questions about the Iroquois
- Ask students to follow along in their books as you read aloud pages 5 to 9.
Closure
The closure for this lesson will be to ask students to recall what the purpose of the main idea is. Students will then
be asked why supporting details are important and how they relate to the main idea.
Differentiation and Extension
Supporting students with special needs (implementing accommodations/modifications/IEPs/504 Plans)
- ELL students as well as other students can record new vocabulary into personal dictionaries so they have the
word for the future. These words will be used throughout the remainder of the lessons.
- Extra time will be given to those students who need it.
Challenging above average students:
- To challenge above average students, students who are completing the main idea storm worksheet with ease,
will be given a more difficult passage to read and find the main idea and supporting details.
Facilitating a classroom environment t h a t supports student learning:
To facilitate a classroom environment that supports student learning students will be praised for answering
or asking questions. Another way that will be used to facilitate a classroom that supports learning is by
applying the information that is learned to real world to make the learning more meaningful.
Extension:
- One extension that can be done with this activity is that students can use their computer at home to find an
article to read. With this article students can find the main idea, and supporting details that apply to the text that
they have just read.
What Ifs
What if students finish The Storm main idea worksheet early?
If students finish The Storm main idea worksheet early, those students can help other students who may be
struggling with the worksheet.
What if students cannot understand the difference between main idea and supporting details?
If students are struggling to understand the difference between main idea and supporting details, they will be
reminded of the lesson that we just did with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If they are still struggling the
student may receive some one on one instruction to provide more scaffolding that may be necessary.
Resources and materials

- Brown Paper Bags
- Peanut Butter, Jelly, Bread, Butter knife
- Main Idea Storm Worksheet
- Text: The Iroquois: The Six Nations Confederacy by Mary Englad

Adam Jones
Developed 10/22/13
Taught 10/25/13
Grade 4
Duration: One Hour
any that apply)
Whole class
Middle of the unit
Small group
End of the unit
One-to-one
Other (specify)

Big Idea
The main idea of this lesson is to identify the main idea of a section of information using the text. Students will
read different pieces of texts from the text The Iroquois first looking at what the main idea of that section is. They
will then re-read the text and look back for supporting details to support the main idea that they came up with for
that particular passage. While looking for the main idea and supporting details students will learn about the
traditional life of the Iroquois.
Prior Knowledge
In the previous lesson, students learned how to identify the main idea by finding supporting details from a text.
We have also been talking about the Iroquois confederacy throughout the past weeks while reading the text The
Iroquois.
Prior Skills
There are several skills that students should be able to accomplish at this point.
Students should be able to determine the main idea of a passage as well as determine
supporting details to back up the main idea that they found.
It is important for students to know and understand what the main idea, supporting details, and inferences are.
Students will begin to use these academic terms more often and should be able to distinguish between each of
these words.
Students will be able to identify the main idea of a section of informational text and find details that support the
main idea by using the text.
Student Version: Students will be able to identify the main idea and supporting details of an
informational text.
Standards
RI.4.2 Key Ideas and Details: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;
summarize the text.
THINK DOWN THE ROAD
Essential terms and concepts students must know and understand are record, main idea, supporting details,
notes, traditional, palisade, consensus, clan, longhouse, platform, shingles, occupied, beliefs, and ceremony.
This academic language is important because not only is it important to know for this lesson, it is important for
students to know and understand this language for lessons to come. These terms are not only important for
studying English for this unit, bust for future lessons that will be covered in social students.

Students will be assessed using a four point rubric. Four being the highest and one being the lowest. Students will
be making progress toward the goal of understanding main idea, supporting details and inferences by consistently
receiving threes and fours on the rubric for different assignments.
:YARDSTICK
Exceeds expectations: Students name is on the paper, all questions were answered, and the questions in each of
the boxes were answered correctly. (Students receives a 4 from the rubric below)
Meets expectations: Students name is on the paper, all the questions are answered, most the answers are
correct. (Student receives a 3 from the rubric below)
Below expectations: Fails to fulfill all the following guidelines. (Student receives a 2 or a 1 from the rubric below)
4
-Student has one main
idea that pertains to the
text that was read for both
the Traditional Life
section and The
Longhouse section.
- Student has three
supporting details that
pertain to the text that was
read.
- Students work is legible
and writing does not
interfere with the reading
of the students answer.
3
- Student has a main idea
for both sections which
has a general idea of what
the passage is about.
- Student has three
have a general idea of
what the passage is about.
2
- Student has a main idea
but it does not pertain to
the passages that were
read or only has one main
idea for one of the two
sections.
- Student has two or less
pertain to the passages
that were read.
but may have difficulty with
understanding what the
student meant.
1
- Student did not fill in any
of the boxes required to
finish the assignment.
- Work is illegible and hard

to read.

The hook for this lesson will be to remind students that they have been reading The Iroquois. Ask them to get into
group and to Think-Pair-Share about what main idea, supporting details, and inference is.
- Read aloud the title of the chapter Traditional Life and pages 11 and 12 of the text while students follow along
with their texts. Return to the beginning of the text and focus on the word traditional in the chapter title. Ask
students to Think-Pair-Share about the word traditional, prompting them to think about the root word tradition.
Then ask students: How does this author help you understand what the word palisades means? If students are
not able to articulate what they note, help them see that the meaning of palisades is provided for them (log
fences), as is the meaning of clans (large related family groups.) Tell students that often the writers of
informational texts define new words in this way, and the author may say something is called something in order
to give readers a cue that a new term is being defined.
- Ask students to reread pages 11 and 12 with their partners, taking turns reading paragraphs aloud.
- After students have finished reading, ask them to talk with their partner to answer the question: What is this
section of our reading mainly about?
- Invite each pair to share their thoughts with the class about the main idea. List several ideas on the board and
help the class come to consensus. An example of a main idea from this section is The Iroquois people used the
natural world to meet their needs.
- Give students the packets of Topic Expansion graphic organizers. Make a blank graphic organizer on the board.
Show students the main idea goes in the left- hand box.
- After the main idea has been filled in on the graphic organizer, ask students to listen for supporting details as
pages 11 and 12 are read aloud while students follow with their copies. Pause frequently to ask students What
detail do you hear or see about how the Iroquois used their natural world to meet their needs?
- Model how to write supporting details as notes into the graphic organizer. Explain to students that they will tackle
the last box in the graphic organizer later on, and that for today they should keep this box blank.
- Have students turn to the second blank Topic Expansion graphic organizer in their packet. Read out loud pages
12 to 14, up though Growing Food.
- Ask students to Think-Pair-Share about what the main idea of this section is. Call on several teams and write on
one the board for students to put in their graphic organizer.
- Ask students to reread pages 12-14 to identify details that support the main idea of the text, taking turns with
each paragraph.
- After reading the text, ask students to Think-Pair-Share: What details tell more about the main idea? Ask
students to write answers on their individual graphic organizers, share their thinking with their reading partner,
and then add to or revise their thinking if they choose.
- Remind students to continue to leave the right-hand box blank.
- Invite students to share one detail that supports the main idea, until every pair has shared their thinking. Remind
students that they should write their supporting details in the form of notes- words or phrases, not full sentences.
Closure
- Ask students to get a blank piece of paper and pencil, and write the terms main idea, supporting details, and
notes on the board or overhead.
- Lead a brief discussion about the meaning of each of these terms, calling on several students to share their
definitions aloud, and clarifying the definition of any vocabulary as necessary. Then, have students draw a picture
that shows the meaning of each of the three terms. Allow students to share their drawings with one another and
explain to peers how the picture each drew helps show what the word(s) mean.
- Ask students to hand in the two Topic Expansion graphic organizers they completed in class. Review these to
gauge how well students are understanding the text and are able to take notes in this format.
To support students with special needs, students who need support with reading a more difficult text will be
paired with a stronger reader. This lesson involves chunking text, if necessary; explicitly name this strategy for
students.
To help students make better connections for main idea, there will be a symbol such as a light bulb in order to
help students make that connection.
Extension:
- An extension that can be done with this activity is using various other texts to find the main idea and supporting
details. Students can use texts from other topics or subjects to find the main idea and supporting details for more
practice.
What Ifs
What if students are struggling with the text?
If students are struggling with the text, those students will be paired up with a student who does not have
difficulty with the text.

What if students cannot come up with supporting details to for the main idea?
If students are struggling coming up with supporting details, those students may be given a graphic organizer that
is already partially filled out.

Text: The Iroquois: The Six Nations Confederacy by Mary Englar
Topic Expansion graphic organizer.

Adam Jones
Developed 10/22/13
Taught 10/28/13

Grade 4
Middle of the unit
End of the u nit
Duration: One Hour
any that apply)
Whole class
Small group
One-to-one
Other (specify)

Big Idea
In this lesson students will students will begin to look at how to come up with an inference about a passage
from a text using the main idea and supporting details that they have been working on in the previous two
lessons.
Prior Knowledge
Students have been exposed to the main idea and supporting details from the two previous lesson. This lesson
will continue to expand their knowledge of main idea and supporting details for informational texts.
Prior Skills
There are several skills that students should be able to accomplish at this point.
Students should be able to determine the main idea of a passage as well as determine
supporting details to back up the main idea that they found.
It is important for students to know and understand what the main idea, supporting details, and inferences are.
Students will begin to use these academic terms more often and should be able to distinguish between each of
these words.
Students will be able to identify the main idea of a passage, determine three supporting details to support their
main idea, and come up with an inference that goes along with the passage.
Student Version: Students will be able to come up with a main idea using three supporting details, and come up
with an inference about the passage.
Standards
RI.4.1 Key Ideas and Details- Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.4.2- Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
THINK DOWN THE ROAD
Essential terms and concepts students must know and understand are record, main idea, supporting details,
notes, traditional, palisade, consensus, clan, longhouse, platform, shingles, occupied, beliefs, and ceremony.
This academic language is important because not only is it important to know for this lesson, it is important for
students to know and understand this language for lessons to come. These terms are not only important for
studying English for this unit, bust for future lessons that will be covered in social students.

To asses student learning questions will be asked throughout the class as formative assessment. Summative
assessment will be provided by looking at the students graphic organizers, specifically the why was this
important to the Iroquois box. This box will be graded on a four point rubric shown below.
:YARDSTICK
Exceeds expectations: Students name is on the paper, all the questions were answered, and the boxes were filled
in with the correct answers. (Student receives a 4 from the rubric below)
Meets expectations: Students name is on the paper, all the questions are answered, most the answers are
correct. (Student receives a 3 from the rubric below)
Below expectations: Student fails to fulfill all the following guidelines (Student receives a 2 or a 1 from the rubric
below)
4
- Student has one
inference for each of the
two sections of reading
3
- Student has an inference
for each section, but one
may not directly apply to
2
- Student only has one out
of the two inferences
written down.
1
- Student does not have
any inference written down
for either of the boxes.
which pertains to the

sections.
the text.

but may have difficulty with
understanding what the
student meant.

To begin this lesson, students will be asked to recall the meaning of the terms main idea, supporting details, and
inferences. Explain to students that today they will become detectives. They will use the information that they
read to help them draw conclusions or form opinions about what was important to the Iroquois people. This is
called making an inference because the answer is not always obvious. As detectives they will need to pay close
attention to details as they read in order to help them determine what was most important to the Iroquois during
this time.
- Hand back students copies of The Iroquois and their graphic organizer packet from the previous lesson. Ask
students to turn to the next blank graphic organizer.
- Ask students to partner read Traditional Life and The Longhouse over again, pages 11-14.
- Remind students about what was said earlier about being detectives by recording details about what they read
in order to help them make an inference about what was important to the Iroquois people. Briefly discuss
inference again with students making sure they understand that to make an inference they will need to use the
text and their notes to figure out something that the author does not specifically tell the reader.
- Explain to students that The Iroquois book helps readers know what is important to the Iroquois people without
ever specifically saying, This is what is important to the Iroquois people. The author does not always tell the
reader what is important to the Iroquois, but students can use clues and hints from the text to make an inference.
Students will record their inferences in the right-hand box on the Topic Expansion graphic organizer.
- Refer back to the Topic Expansion graphic organizer for pages 11-14 that students created during the second
lesson.
- Ask students to reread the notes on their graphic organizer. Then ask students to Think-Pair-Share: What is
important to the Iroquois? Model as necessary with an example of a statement such as The natural world was
important to the Iroquois because they relied on the natural world for food and shelter. Students write answers on
their individual papers and share their thinking with their reading partner, making sure to justify their ideas about
what was important to the Iroquois by citing evidence from their reading and/or notes. After sharing with their
partners, students may revise their thinking if they choose.
- Ask a few partners to share their thoughts with the class. Help the class come to consensus and record in the
right-hand box on the Topic Expansion graphic organizer on the board.
- Repeat these steps with the Roles of Men and Women section of the text and graphic organizer.
Closure
- To close the lesson, ask students to go vote with their feet. They should move to the back left corner if they
would like to be an Iroquois person during this time period. They should move to the back right corner of the room
if they would not like to be an Iroquois person during this time period. They should stay in the center of the room if
they are not sure. Once students get to the corner of their choice, they should discuss the reasons they are there
with another person who move where they did. Students should be encouraged to use specific details from the
text to support their opinions.
- Ask a few students from each corner to report out their reasons to the class.
- Ask students to turn and talk to a neighbor to define main idea, supporting detail, inference, and notes.
To support students with special needs, students who need support with reading a more difficult text will be
paired with a stronger reader. This lesson involves chunking of text. If necessary; explicitly name this strategy for
students.
To help students make better connections for inference, there will be a symbol such as a magnifying glass in
order to help students make that connection.
Challenging above average students:
To challenge above average students
Extension:
- One extension that would help students with the topic of main idea, supporting details, and inferences is to find
another text and to complete a main idea, supporting details, and inferences chart on that text.
What Ifs
What if students are struggling with the text?
If students are struggling with the text, those students will be paired up with a student who does not have
difficulty with the text.
What if students cannot come up with supporting details for the main idea?
If students are struggling coming up with supporting details, those students may be given a graphic organizer that
is already partially filled out.

Text: The Iroquois: The Six Nations Confederacy by Mary Englar
Topic Expansion graphic organizer.

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Main Idea and Supporting Details: Lesson 1

Main Idea and Supporting Details

Overview of Goals for Student Learning

Student Learning Goals/ Objectives

Evidence of Progress Towards Goals

- All of the questions

- All of the answers

- Very few of the

- Very few of the

Supporting Students to Meet Goals

Resources and materials

Main Idea and Supporting Details: Lesson 2

Overview of Goals for Student Learning

Evidence of Progress Towards Goals

- Work is illegible and hard

Supporting Students to Meet Goals

difficulty with the text.

Resources and materials

Main Idea and Supporting Details: Lesson 3

Main Idea and Supporting Details

Overview of Goals for Student Learning

Evidence of Progress Towards Goals

which pertains to the

- Students work is legible

Supporting Students to Meet Goals

Resources and materials

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